National Diabetes Month

November is National Diabetes Month. Many D-Mom's who have blogs have been posting daily about this subject. Giving facts, tips and basically trying to make people more aware of what it's like to be the parent of a diabetic child. On FaceBook one of the sites is doing a daily picture thing where each day has a subject that you post a picture about.

Me? I decided to stay low-key and just read what everyone else has to say. Unless you're a D-Mom, I don't think it's possible to make people aware of what it's really like. I try not to make a big deal about it, even though it is a HUGE deal. It's our life and we make the most of it.

But I couldn't help thinking this morning that although my daughter is the one with diabetes, I am the one who keeps her alive. That's got to be the biggest responsibility a person could have. If I think about it too much I get overwhelmed with emotion.

Last night we had one of our bad nights. Thankfully we don't have them that often. But when they happen it really sucks.

It was site change night. I have to change the site for her pump every 3 days. Recently I talked her into doing the sites in her leg instead of her bottom. The first one was a HUGE success. No tears, she barely felt it. I was so excited. Next one hurt a little bit. Last night caused screams and a lot of crying.

This was the first site change in the leg

I cannot even discribe what it's like to hurt your own child. I normally try to hold it together, but last night I found myself holding her tight and crying along with her. At bed time I crawled into bed with her and told her how strong she is and how proud of her I am. I didn't want to let her go. I eventually went to my own bed and cried some more. I just couldn't stop. I wish so much that there was a cure for this disease or at least a treatment that doesn't involve needles and hurting my child.

I am her rock. She will let others do the site changes, but prefers me. So 99% of the time, I do it. Sometimes I wish there was just one more person she trusted as much as me. But who can even come close to the love of a mom? I don't treat this as a "suck it up and just do it" kind of thing. When she hurts, I hurt and I apologize for it. I know it has to be done, but she didn't pick this for herself.

So I had my "moment" last night. I reached out to other D-Moms and they showered me with support. Today my heart still hurts, but I shall go on and be there every step of the way for my precious little girl. And I think we'll go back to the bottom for the next site change.

My babies

This year was tough on us and our animals. We lost our dog of 16 years. Then a couple months later lost our hampster. The hampster, Jose, was actually Joshuas, but we all loved him. I think the trama of losing the dog was just too much for me. When I found Jose in his cage after he had passed I just lost it. I tried so hard to be all calm and cool when I told Joshua, but I ended up sobbing like a baby and could barely get the words out. He, on the other hand, took the news like a champ. I knew he was upset but he looked at me and said "it was just a hampser, mom."

Shortly after that the kids started asking for another hampster. (They really want another dog, but that's not going to happen for a number of reasons). I was all for it but just never got around to it.

This past weekend I had an epic fail as a mom and missed a Girl Scout outing that Autumn was supposed to attend. We were on the other side of town and there was no way we could get there in time. She, of course, was devastated. And I felt like the worst mom in the world.

So...we hit the pet store. Today was the day we were going to get a hampster. I had already purchased bedding and food. We already had the cage and all the accessories. All we needed was the animal itself.

For some reason when we got there I thought it would be a good idea to get 2 so they would have company for each other. Not sure WHY I thought that was a good idea, but the kids didn't argue with me.

Jose was a Robo Dwarf Hampster. He just a little guy and oh so cute. We couldn't decide if we should get another one (or two) like that or try a different kind this time. I steared them towards a different kind. There was just no replacing Jose, so why even try?

We decided on Russian Dwarf Hampsters. They're little also, but bigger than he was. There were 2 in the cage so it was an easy choice as to which two we would get. And we decided the black one was a boy and the tan one was a girl. (We don't know this for a fact, and heaven help me if we end up with 100 hampster babies. But it sounded like a good plan).

On the way home Zachary named the boy George and Autumn named the girl Bubbles. (Joshua was hunting so I told him he could name the next animal, which will NOT be a dog).

Bubbles

George

I never had hampsters or any animal like that growing up. And I hesitated when Joshua asked for one. But I have to admit, they really are cute and a lot of fun. Jose was my little buddy and we had our bonding moment every morning when he tried to bite me and I fed him part of my breakfast. I missed that little guy when he was gone.

So now I have 2 new babies. It's driving the kids crazy that I'm calling them babies. But I'm the mom and can call them whatever I want. Right?

Shopping with Teenagers

I have a fashion-diva son. He only wants name brand clothes and wants to shop in the stinky, dark, loud stores. I have avoided these stores up until recently. We took a trip to the mall and he discovered a great deal on jeans. Only problem was, he is not a childs size anymore and the men's sizes confused him. I had no choice...I had to go in!

Store #1: The music playing was so loud that I couldn't even hear what he was trying to say to me. And I couldn't just follow him to the jeans because it was so freakin' dark I was afraid I would walk into something and could barely see him in front of me. WHY would you make a clothing store so dark??? We got to the jeans and I was a bit confused myself. I found a person who worked there and asked for her assistance. Please note that not only was I confused, but it was so dark that I couldn't actually SEE the tags. She came over and made a comment on how SHE couldn't see the tags either! Really? Maybe they should equip her with a flashlight!

We finally located what we thought was his size and he took off for the changing room. I told him I wanted to see them to make sure they fit correctly. Of course he took off and it was so dark I didn't see where he went and the changing rooms are hidden throughout the store! I was pretty sure at this point that this would be my LAST visit to this store. I finally found him. Jeans fit. We made our purchase and we were out of there.

Now my eyes are burning and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need an inhaler soon. Do they pump stinky scent into the vents in those places? You can seriously smell these stores from 3 stores away.

I thought we were done. He knew what size he was, now he could either go by himself or order online.

No such luck. He wanted to visit the "other" stinky, dark and loud store. Repeat of above, minus the sales lady because we now knew what size to get.

I was never so happy to get outside to fresh air in my life. I was miserable, my other 2 kids were miserable, and Zachary was the happiest kid in the world. So maybe (just maybe) it was worth it...but I'm thinking not.

High School

Looking back, High School really was a great time in my life. At the time I didn't think so, but now that I have a High Schooler it's all coming back.

I volunteered to help the Art teacher at Joshua's school this year. I've been very active in the elementary school all along. Didn't do a whole lot in middle school. Saw the opportunity to be at the high school and took it.

Joshua, surprisingly, took it very well. My "job" is to help the art teacher by putting up artwork in display cabinets throughout the school. Seriously? Could you think of a better job for me?

My first day was last week. I have to admit, I was a little nervous. The school is BIG and I have only been in one area of it. The teacher took me to my destination and I told her I may have to call her to figure out how to get back to her classroom. She laughed and explained that I was in a big circle. No matter which way I went I would eventually end up back at the office. Good to know, as I did get turned around a time or two.

When I was done it was lunch time for part of the school. (I'm sure Joshua is thankful that it wasn't HIS lunch time). I had to walk through the eating area to get back to the art room. (Not sure exactly what they call it, it's not really a lunch room). It was VERY intimidating walking through all those students. I didn't want to make eye contact with them for fear I saw one of his friends. Wouldn't that be embarrasing to have your mom talk to one of your friends while they were eating lunch? I get it. So I tried to be cool as I walked through. As luck would have it, one of his friends was walking directly towards me. Poor kid looked shocked when he realized he knew me. But he's a good kid and said hi to me. I said hi back and continued on my way. Of course I had to tell Joshua right away! His friends like me! (Either that or they just have really good manners).

On my way out I had to go through the lunch area AGAIN. Decided to take what I thought was a short cut and ended up in the school store. Lots of strange looks in there. Believe me, it was an accident. I high-tailed it out of there quickly.

44 years old and I'm intimidated by a bunch of high schoolers! But I was a little jealous of them also. At this age all they have to worry about is getting good grades and getting into college. Oh to be young again.

And the artwork I hung! Another jealous moment. How I would love to be in art class again. There is some real talent there amongst those kids. Or maybe I'd like to be the art teacher. All I know is I really wanted to learn what these kids were learning. Maybe if the teacher likes me enough she will give me private lessons. My goal: to do an outstanding job on those display cabinets!

I'm happy for Joshua that he is having such a positive experience in high school. I know he will look back on these years and realize how great they were. Maybe one day he will be walking through his childs school and will feel like I feel today.

Am I really proud about that?

It amazes me how much I have changed since being a mom. So many changes that I couldn't even list them all.

The change that made me think about this blog post has to do with hunting. I grew up a city girl. My dad didn't hunt or fish, either did my brothers. My Grandpa did, but way before my time. So I knew some stories but that was all.

Now I have 2 boys who love the outdoors and look forward to this time of the year. A couple weekends ago was Youth Hunt. They went up north to "do their thing". Before they left Zachary informed me that he was going to get me 2 bucks. ME? If someone had said that to me 10 years ago I would have been horrified! It's not that I was ever against hunting, it was just something I didn't understand. It's not something I would want to do with them, but it's something that makes them proud so it makes me proud.

5 of their friends were also hunting that weekend. 2 different families. I'm friends with the moms and we kept in contact with each other all weekend via texts, pictures and Facebook. Sharing the victorys of our kids. I have to say, I was excited for each and every one of them that got a deer. Of the 7 kids (including my 2) 5 of them came home with one. Who knew I would be so excited for them all?

Zachary got a buck the first day out. He decided to take the day off the next day so he didn't end up with 2 like he wanted, but he was still a happy kid.

Joshua is my hunting-snob. He is not going to just shoot anything. This kid is going for the Trophy deer. Unfortunately he did not see it this weekend. But he was excited for his brother and all his friends that got one. There is a long season ahead and I know he will get one.

Then comes the processing. Again...10 years ago I would have been freaking out about the whole thing. (Actually, I WAS freaking out about it back then when my father-in-law would bring his over to process). I do tell the boys that I'm happy to look at the pictures, but I don't want to see their deer again until it's ready to go into the freezer.

This year Joshua and Zachary did most of the processing themselves. (Well...mostly Joshua, but Zachary did help some). I think it is pretty amazing that 13 and 14 year old boys can do something like that. And are so proud. They are proud not only because they got a deer and cleaned the deer, but because they are providing food for their family. I can't think of too many other kids who feel like that. It really makes me a proud mom.

I had to sit back and think this all through and I really can't believe that I turned into the mom who would be supportive and excited for this season. Shows how much I love those guys.

Joshua is hunting locally this year with a friend and goes away as many weekends as he can to hunt. I miss him while he is away. And I worry, of course. But I'm so happy he has these opportunities.

Welcome Hunting Season!

The Diabetic Rollar Coaster

The past 12 hours have been a diabetic rollar coaster for Autumn. She woke up at 1am and didn't feel good. Her ankle hurt and she felt shakey. Normally shakey means low. Last night it was high. 395. Her normal range is between 90 and 160. I don't usually freak out by the high numbers (at least not right away). I got her some water. Got her settled on the couch and told her I'd re-check in 20 minutes. I knew if I went back to sleep I wouldn't get up to re-check so I sat next to her and read a book. Next check, 398. A little higher, but I wasn't sure if I should be concerned yet or not. More water, more reading, 20 minutes later another check. 419.

Crap. Now I could freak out. The corrections (added insulin) and water were not working. I was going to have to change the site for her pump. Poor kid is 1/2 asleep, I can barely focus but I had to get those numbers down. Site change done. More reading. 20 minute check. The number is the same!

Would I EVER get her sugar down? Water. Read. Check. 375. Still not a great number, but it was going down. It is now 3:30am. All she wants to do is be left alone and sleep. All I want to do is set my head on my pillow.

But, of course, being the mom that I am, when my head hit the pillow I worried that she may drop too low now. And would I hear my alarm in my room to wake up in time to get Joshua up? I must have dozed off because I swore I heard my alarm. I looked at the clock and it was only 4:30. I must have dreampt it. Autumn is sleeping soundly by this time. I'm tossing and turning.

6:15 I hear Todd in the kitchen. I never did hear my alarm, but he did. He got the boys up, got them breakfast (I think), made them lunches (I think) and got them off to school (I'm assuming since they were not here when we finally woke up this morning).

Autumn woke up at 8:00. She still wasn't feeling well, I knew she was tired so I convinced her to try and fall back asleep. By 8:30 I gave up and let her watch a movie on my kindle. 9:00 she tells me she is feeling shakey. Shit! Again? 114 this time!

I can't imagine what her poor little body must feel like going from such a high number to an almost low number.

So we decided to play hookey today and just chill. Number before lunch...51! Seriously? I try not to complain, but sometimes I want to kick diabetes in the ass!

Never did figure out why her ankle hurt last night. It's fine now. One of the strange diabetic mysteries we will never be able to solve.

Did I mention that I've never liked rollar coasters?

Filling a Bucket

Autumn had her first Brownie meeting of the school year this past Tuesday. During the meeting the girls talked about how they can fill someones bucket and how they empty someones bucket. They shared that being mean to people or saying hurtful things will empty it. And being nice and saying pleaseant things will fill it. For 8 years olds they really "got" the concept and were excited to share their thoughts.

The next day I decided that I was going to fill some buckets. It's really not a hard thing to do and doesn't take a lot of time. But I think we all get so busy and consumed with our own lives that we seldom take the time to do this unless we know someone is hurting or sad.

So I sent out a couple emails. The first one was to Zachary's Spanish teacher. This subject was tremendously hard for Joshua last year and he, unfortunately, ended up with a bad teacher. I don't call teachers bad easily. But I really feel this one failed not only my son, but the entire class. It got to the point where I told him to just get a passing grade so he didn't have to take it again. It was a hard year for him and I stressed about High School and Spanish 2.

Anyway, back to Zachary. He got a FABULOUS teacher this year for Spanish 1 and has been telling me about her almost daily. He is really enjoying the class, the language and her. So I let her know. I think middle school teachers are surprised when they hear praise. Parents are not as involved at this age level and usually only talk with teachers about the negative. She was so happy to get my email and so appreciative that I took the time to let her know what a great job she was doing.

The next email went out to Joshua's art teacher. I had volunteered to help her this year so in response to that I also let her know how much he is enjoying her class and how much he likes her. She was also appreciative of the compliments.

So far the school year is going great. All 3 kids are so happy with their teachers and classes. It's so nice to hear them talking positively about school and learning.

I challenge you to fill someone's bucket today...just because.

School is back in session. The summer flew by, as I knew it would. This year I have a high schooler, a middle schooler and an elementary schooler. First morning, everyone made it out the door on time and (thankfully) made it to their destination.

I looked at Joshua that morning and just couldn't believe my first born was starting his first day of high school. The past 14+ years have gone by so quickly with him. I feel so blessed to have such a nice, mature, caring child. Joshua is every parents dream child. Each year I wait for the ball to drop and the teenage hormones to take over. So far, aside from a little back talk, he's a great kid.

It's hard as a parent to know when to allow them more freedom and decision making of their own. I want to baby him and keep him safely tucked at home for as long as I can. But I also want him to learn to make good choices and be responsible. I think high school is going to be a big learning curve for me and I'm hoping that he continues on the good path that he has been on.

In the mornings he gets picked up from a senior (female). The "being responsible" began before he even got to school. I have to trust that this car-full of high schoolers will make it to school safely and on time. I think the whole high school thing would have been easier if he rode a bus. Going in a car with another student makes him seem so much older. But as he walked out the door he turned, looked at me and said Good Bye Mom. God how I love that kid.

Here's to another good school year with my fabulous 3 kids.

Note to self...

Note to self: Next year, take the week before school starts OFF! Holy Moly this past week had been busy, busy, busy.

• 3 kids
• 3 different schools
• 2 registrations
• 1 orientation
• 1 back to school picnic
• 1 diabetes meeting
• 1 trip to the grocery store specifically for diabetic supplies for school
• 1 phone call to new bus driver

And that doesn't even include the back-to-school shopping, which thankfully I did weeks ago, and packing backpacks!

This week has been nuts! I feared that the beginning of the school year would have me going in circles trying to figure out which kid is supposed to be where and when. Turns out it happened the week before school has even begun.

But I made it through. Made it to each destination on time and with the correct child. That alone I consider a huge accomplishment. Now I can enjoy the last weekend before the school-year routine begins.

I had a meeting at Autumn's school with her principal, new teacher and para to go over her care plan for the year. 4 years into it these meetings and they don't stress me out anymore.

At this particular meeting I was so impressed with Autumn's principal. He has been at her school for the past 3 years. In that time I have gotten to know him well. He's a very hands-on principal. He knows all 700+ kids by name. He greets them all each morning with a high-five and says good morning to them by name. The kids adore him. The staff adores him. And the parents adore him. What really impressed me this particular time was his knowledge of diabetes and Autumn's insulin pump. He WANTS to know the in's and out's of it all and WANTS to be able to care for her also. He was telling her teacher about things that took me a year to learn and I live with it every day! I am so grateful that he is the Principal and feel so comfortable having my child at the school.

Then there's Autumn's para. If you keep up on my blog, you've read about her already. (If not, search for my Guardian Angel post). She is such an amazing person. Each year I am so thankful that she will be there to take care of Autumn. She loves her as much as I do. I am thoroughly amazed by her knowledge also. Some times I think she has better answers for Autumn's care than me or her doctors. I rely on her so much and she never disappoints. I would be a mess if she wasn't there for Autumn.

So even though this week was crazy, nutso, busy, I feel good about the start of the year. Everything is in place and I will make sure my kids get to the correct school each day!

Cracker Candy

Cracker Candy is one of our favorite treats in this house. I don't make it very often, usually just for a special occassion. We had a couple reasons to make it this month so I thought I'd share the recipe.

 

Cracker Candy

2 sticks butter (not margarine)

1 cup sugar

1 sleeve saltine crackers

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil, creating sides, and line with saltines. In a sauce pan over low heat melt together butter and sugar, stirring constantly. When melted, bring to a boil on high for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. It will be a light caramel in color and will resemble melted marshmallows. Pour mixture over saltines and smooth to cover completely. Bake on top rack of oven for 5 minutes, until crackers are lightly browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers. Wait one minute then spread melted chocolate with rubber spatula. Put in freezer to cool. When hard, break into small pieces. Store in ziplock bag.

End of Summer / Birthday Special

Now through the end of August

Get 20% off the NEW

Cricut Artbooking Collection!

(Or 20% off a $99 order of your choice)

Cricut Artbooking Collection includes:

1 Cartridge with over 700 images including Font, Mini Books and Scrapbook Layouts

3 D-Size Stamp Sets

3 12x9 Dimensional Elements in coordinating shapes

Regularly $99

To qualify for the discount,

orders must be placed by emailing or calling me:

houseofstamps@comast.net

(248) 390-4362

Offer good only through the month of August 2013. Discounted price does not include tax and shipping.

Michele Gamble
Close To My Heart Independent Consultant
248.390.4362
houseofstamps@comcast.net
www.michelegamble.ctmh.com
*************************************************************
Sign up for only $49!
Be a consultant, be a hobbiest...
or just get a GREAT deal on a ton of product!!!
*************************************************************

Gentle Reminders

Last week was my 44th Birthday. During the past week I have gotten some gentle reminders about my age!

JUMP
Autumn was given a little excercise trampouline. I was in the family room watching her jump away and having just a great time. I wouldn't help but think how much fun it looked. I went on Youtube and found some fun excercises to do on it. When she wore herself out I asked if I could give it a try. She enthusiastically told me I could. I got on, jumped 2 times and ran to the bathroom. I felt like my bladder was going to pop right out! Seriously? What was THAT all about? After my bathroom visit my jumping was much better. Note to self: empty bladder before jumping.

KID ROCK
I was lucky enough to be able to go to a Kid Rock concert the night of my Birthday. This is the 2nd time I've seen him right on the day. As usual, he did not disappoint. My birthday fell on a Wednesday this year, which would have been perfect as I don't have to work until  noon on Thursdays. But this particular Thursday I had to have Joshua at the high school by 8:45 for registration. I certainly couldn't go to that looking like I just crawled out of bed. So I had to get up early enough to make myself presentable. After being out late, dancing my butt off a the concert, getting up early, working in the afternoon, I came home exhausted. I had to take a nap before bed! Note to self: you're getting too old to go to week day concerts.

BUMP
On the way home from picking my kids up in Canton I had the pleasure of having Zachary sit in the passenger seat on the way home. When Zachary is riding shotgun it means that he is in control of the radio. We've grown used to his music and the volume which he listens to it. We were at a stop light, windows down (in my rockin' mini van) and a song comes on. He instantly informs us all that it's "his jam" and turns the radio up as loud as it will go. I'm slightly horrified. First of all, I'm 44 years old, Second, I'm driving a mini van, Third, his music is NOT the type of music most moms listen to! So I turn it down and tell him it's too loud. He informs me that you have to "bump" to that song. Um...did I mention I'm 44 years old? I don't even know what that means. I didn't want to ask and look like a loser so I'm guessing it has something to do with the bass. Maybe it's the bumping of the bass that you feel in your body when the music that loud. Or maybe it's the bumping in your head afterwards from the headache you get from the loud music! Note to self: google bumping and try to find out what it really means.

Today and Forever

The son of a very good friend passed away unexpectedly last week. He was 31 years old. I've known my friend for 12 years. In that time I had the pleasure of meeting her son a couple times. But I mostly knew him through her, her family, friends and facebook. He was a very likeable man. Always had a smile on his face. Was considerate and kind. Smart, funny and athletic. And was a wonderful dad to his 3 1/2 year old son.

Today was his funeral. I hadn't spoken to her since it happened, but she was in my thoughts, prayers and dreams for the past week. During this week I felt helpless. I wanted so desperately to reach out to her, to help her, to just be there for her. But in honor of her request I held back and hoped that she knew I was there for her should she need me.

Another friend arranged to do video clips at the funeral for his son so when he get's older he will know what a wonderful person his dad was. She asked for volunteers to help with the taping. I immediately volunteered.

For 3 hours this morning I video taped his friends and family sharing their love and stories of this amazing young man. It wasn't an easy job. I had to keep my emotions in check and treat it more as a "job" than a favor. Obviously these loved ones were devestated so I felt I needed to be strong and help them feel comfortable.

It turned out to be an amazing experience for me. I learned so much about him, his family and his son. I was thorougly impressed with what people had to say. And I felt like I was finally doing something that would make my friend happy. I was helping.

What I learned was he loved Michigan State. Over 1/2 of the people who made a video commented about this and stated that his son better pick a "good" school to go to! I also learned that he was quite the athlete. I knew he probably skiied and snowmobiled, having know his mom so well for so many years. But I also learned that he was quite the tennis player as well. Another thing people commented on was his love for music. Frank Senatra in particular. Very cool fact to learn about someone so young. I'm thinking his parents and grandparents were the influence of that love. A couple people told his son that he had to drive a GM car when he is old enough to drive, since his dad (my friends husband) had just retired from GM and that is all the family will drive. And everyone commented on how smart, kind, funny and full of life he was.

The funeral was packed, as expected. He comes from a large, close-knit family and had a ton of friends, as do his parents and other family members. They pulled together and made each and every person in attendance feel like they were part of their family. The Service was led by his Uncle who did an amazing job. His sister than spoke. I'm not sure how she got through it, but she did and she had the group laughing and crying at the same time. His brother-in-law spoke next and had the same effect on the group as his sister had. Next was his dad. What an amazing man to be able to get up and speak at his own sons funeral. He said he was speaking for himself and his wife (my friend) as she wasn't sure she would be able to speak herself. She, of course, jumped up and said a couple words. As I knew she would because she is just as amazing as he is. I've oftened commented that they are the perfect couple.

Each person handles grief differently. There is no right and wrong way. My friend handled hers today with laughter and the wish that we all did something special and fun in honor of her sons memory. She told me twice to hug my babies and do something special with them. Next Wednesday we are going to Michigan Adventure and not only will we be celebrating my birthday, we will be celebrating her son. That will be my gift to her.

Spring Break 1987

I'm not sure what made me think about this, but it's too good a story not to share.

It was Spring Break 1987. Daytona Beach, Florida. My best friend, Rose and I flew there and met up with our boyfriends and about 10 other guys from our school. My parents let me go mainly because my boyfriend would be there and they felt I would be safe. Huh...as a parent now I question that, but will just leave it as they must have really trusted me.

Anyway, back to Daytona. The "theme" that year was Party Naked. Yes, it really was. I, of course, came home with my neon orange Party Naked t-shirt (which I still have to this day) and a pile of Party Naked bumper stickers in assorted colors!

Note: I could wear that t-shirt to school and not get sent home. I'm sure if my kids wore it now I would be getting a phone call from the school within minutes of them being there.

This was my senior year in High School. I drove to school, had 3 classes than left at lunch time to go to work. I drove my dads 1981 Firebird. (Yes, I was the little bitch with the cool car. Little did people know that my dad had driven that poor car almost to it's grave. It looked nice but it drove ruff). And on that Firebird was one of my Party Naked bumper stickers. (My poor dad, he sometimes still drove it, bumper sticker and all).

One night some friends and I were cruisin' Main Street in downtown Plymouth. That was the thing to do that year. Drive down one way, turn around and drive down the other way. Most weekend nights the traffic was bumper to bumper. That particular night I was making my turnaround and got pulled over by a Police officer. (Note: my friends and I were ALL decked out in heels, short skirts, huge hair, lots of make-up...the works!) He asked me to step out of the car than asked me who the car belonged to. I told him my dad. He asked if my dad partied naked. I was not amused and was a total smart ass at the time so my response was "No he builds missiles". I got a strange look to that. It was the truth but I'm sure it was not the response he was expecting. He let me go with no other questions. No ticket. Nothing.

My dad actually got a kick out of the story when I told him. Apparently I got pulled over because of that bumper sticker. That's all I can figure.

Moving Down

Zachary decided he no longer wanted his loft bed. He designed a bed and asked my dad to help him build it. They've been working on it for the past couple weeks and are close to completion. This means he has to get his room ready for it. Not only does he want a new bed, he wants to pretty much re-do his whole room. I'm good with this, although a little sad that he's growing up and his room is soon going to be a teenagers room.

We live in a small house and I have to "stach" things where I can. This means I have stuff in almost every closet in the house. Including Zachary's closet. So this weekend we tackled that mess! It's a job that is way past due and surprising wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I pictured myself in the closet pulling everything out and sorting it all. What actually happened was Zachary did all the pulling and I got to sit on the floor and do the sorting!

Cleaning is not something I ever want to do. I don't enjoy it. I have to force myself to do it. But cleaning Zachary's closet was actually fun. Autumn was at a friends house and Joshua had a friend over. So I got a couple hours alone with Zachary. In my world one-on-one with my kids doesn't happen very often. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing things with all 3 of them, but there's something special about those rare one-on-ones. I'm sure the whole time he was counting down the minutes until it would be done, especially when he found his writing folder from 2nd grade and had to listen to me read about his winter break that year, and the paper that predicted what he would be doing when he was a teenager and an adult. Absolutely PRICELESS! What a find!

I also got one-on-one time with Joshua this weekend. He decided to move down into a regular bed too. Since Zachary had dibs with Grandpa, Joshua decided to use a bed that my parents had at their house. He got his room all ready for it and Friday evening we brought the bed home.

Joshua has a beautfiul armore that my dad built him when he was a baby. I used it as a changing table in the early years. Than later as a closet. Now the top is full of hunting clothes. He asked me if I would make his bed for him and help sort/fold all his hunting things. Woo Hoo! One-on-one with my eldest! I'll take it! Even if it means cleaning, sorting and folding.

I am grateful for these precious moments I got to spend with my boys this weekend. I doubt they even thought twice about it. But to me it was an unexpected treat.

Creative Juices

I think I'm a pretty creative person. I create at work and at home. I was a Graphic Artist before people even knew what that was. I worked on a MAC computer when they first came out, way before the iphones and all the other technology Apple has since introduced.

I was a crafty kid growing up. With parents like mine it was a given. Before kids I made cards and did a little cross stitching, amongst other crafts. After kids I became obsessed with scrapbooking.

I find myself having creative blocks every now and than. At work I put the job aside and revisit it after I have time to think it over. Usually that does the trick. At home it's because of: lack of time, lack of motivation, and/or messy surroundings. The space where I created at home is normally a disaster. I don't know what it is about papercrafting, but I could have a 12 foot by 12 foot clean area and within minutes I'm working in a 2x2 area surrounded by chaos!

So when I create at home, the first step is usually cleaning up. Not always the most fun thing in the world to do.

This summer I haven't felt very creative. Maybe because I don't want to be in the house when it's so pretty outside. Maybe because my area was such a mess. Or maybe because I didn't have anything I really wanted to work on.

Than I got new product from Close To My Heart. The company I'm an independent consultant for. August 1st is the release date for our new idea book. As a consultant I get mine a month earlier and can order from it a month earlier.

This book contains a new Cricut cartridge called Artbooking. It's a MUST HAVE for scrapbookers and people who like to make mini albums.

The other night I got to cleaning, pulled out my new supplies, including Artbooking, and got to work. The creative juices were in full swing and before I knew it, it was 11:00 at night! I seriously wanted to make everything in the book.

Here is a layout I got done: (My kids were impressed that they contained pictures that were not 4 years old)

And believe me when I say, that I am the LAST person who wants to be thinking about fall, but I just couldn't resist making this layout:

Of course I had to play with the August Stamp Of The Month too! Here is the card I will be doing at gatherings in August: (And did I mention that the Stamp of the Month set is FREE in August with a $50 order???) I used the new cartridge on this too!

If you want to check out the new idea book, contact me or visit my website: www.michelegamble.ctmh.com

But remember...the new book isn't live to customers until August 1st.

Stay tuned for more creativeness! I'm on a roll!

Happy Anniversary...to me!

12 years ago I became a Close To My Heart Consultant!

When I signed up with this amazing company I was a stay-at-home-mom. The boys were 1 and 2 years old. I had worked since I was 16 years old and staying home with 2 little ones was making me a kind of stir crazy. I needed to find something to do. Preferably something that included adult conversation.

My friend, Tina, had gone to a Close To My Heart gathering and bought 2 ink pads, 2 sets of stamps and a paper packet. Her and I used those few little materials on EVERYTHING! I knew I loved this product (even though those were the only things I had seen and used from the line), so I contacted Close To My Heart and they put my in touch with Dana.

Dana was pretty new to the company also and was excited to have me sign up under her. My goal was to get out of the house 1 or 2 times a month, support my own hobby and have something to do for the next 4 years until I could go back to work.

I had no idea it would take off like it did. Before long I was doing gatherings every week, I was making money, and I was having a ball. And I was getting out of the house, I was appreciating those 2 little boys more and I was becoming more confident.

As the years went on, I earned 4 cruises, I started a team, and this "thing" that I thought would be a little something extra do to became a career. I was making money, decent money. I could make my own hours. I made a TON of great friends and I loved it!

And as luck would have it, the day after Zachary started kindergarten, I gave birth to my precious baby girl. Going back to my "real" job was now put on hold for another 5 years. No problem...I still had Close To My Heart.

12 Years later I still love the company. Still love the products. And still enjoy doing the gatherings, workshops and crops. Close To My Heart has become a part of me. A part I love and am proud of. A part of me that has made me into a better person. I am honored to be celebrating 12 years with this company.

Check out my website to see the awesome products for yourself:
www.michelegamble.ctmh.com

Flashback Friday

April 2010.

This flashback isn't from that long ago, but to me it seems like a lifetime ago.

We were at the hospital with Autumn. She had been there for just under 24 hours and they wanted her to talk with a phychologis/phychiatrist (I'm not sure which one). She was only 4 1/2 years old. I wasn't sure how it was going to go but they didn't give me a choice.

This lovely young women came in, introduced herself and asked to speak with Autumn. I was allowed to stay in the room but it was obvious that it was preferred that the conversation between them wasn't to include me.

The doctor pulled out a doll. We later learned that they are called trama dolls. It was a muslin doll. No face, no clothes. Just a doll. The doctor told Autumn to give her a name. She named her Amanda. She than asked her to draw a face on Amanda with some markers she had. Next she had her select a hospital gown for her new friend to wear.

Than they had a nice little chat through Amanda. Amanda also was just diagnosed with Diabetes and my precious little girl fell in love with her and was excited to take care of her.

Their talk went well. I was amazed how smoothly it went, how much Autumn shared and what a cool idea that doll was.

We left the hospital 2 days later. Amanda was safely tucked in Autumns arms for her car ride to her new home. And not only did we have plenty of supplies for Autumn, we also had a stash of supplies for Amanda.

Amanda was Autumn's best friend in those early days of diagnosis. She didn't go anywhere without her. She took good care of her and loved her with all her heart.

As the days passed Amanda seemed to be needed less and less. I knew exactly when Autumn felt safe and in a routine with her new way of life. I knew because she no longer needed Amanda like she did in the beginning.

3 years later, Amanda is still on her bed but she is rarely played with. We will keep her forever because she was the one thing who got Autumn through the hardest time in her life. I will always be thankful to that doll for what she did for my daughter.

And in the past 3 years my mom, along with Autumn's help, has made well over 100 trama dolls and hospital gowns to donate to Children's Hospital. Our hope is that those dolls helped other kids as much as they helped mine.

Flashback Friday

It was August 1, 1981. My best friend was Heidi. We were in middle school. I think 7th grade. (My math skills are too horrible to try and give you the exact grade.) It was the day that MTV was making it's debut.

We didn't have cable at our house and Heidi was the only person I knew who had it. We were at her house that day and we watched that first video being aired. Video Killed The Radio Star by the Buggles. I remember thinking how cool it was to see a band/performer on TV along with this short movie-like thing going along to their music. I was hooked.

I spent a lot of time at Heidi's house that year. And spent MANY hours watching MTV.

I googled to see exactly what the playlist was for that first day and was surprised to see that the videos I remember most didn't actually air that day.

I remember the Lover Boy videos and those tight red leather pants. (If you are in my generation, you know what I'm talking about).

And I remember the David Bowie videos. These videos made me a big fan of his. The song Fashion is still one of my favorite songs. Ashes to Ashes was another favorite.

I remember thinking that they played the same videos over and over. It seemed like the playlist was maybe 10 videos in the beginning. When I googled I discovered it was much larger than that. But back than there wasn't 30 minutes of videos and 30 minutes of commercials. I'm guessing the average video was 4 minutes long (again...horrible math skills, I'm not even going to figure more out). I guess when you take maybe 40 videos and 24 hours in a day they would repeat a lot. (If anyone cares to figure this out for me, please post a response).

It was years before MTV added their shows and other craziness into the mix of videos. I miss the beginning years. We recently got rid of the channel with our cable provider. I didn't think there was anything appropriate on the channel for anyone under the age of 18. And they didn't even air videos anymore. It was full of stupid reality shows.

I know, we have youtube now, but you have to search out certain performers/songs. You can't just flip on a channel and watch continuous videos not knowing which will be aired next.

Oh....the good old days!

Male Etiquette

A couple came in to work to find out about ordering wedding invitations. They were an older couple. This would be the 2nd marriage for both of them. When they left I happened to look outside and saw the man walk his fiance to the passengers side of their car, open the door for her, help her in, close her door for her, than went and got himself in on the drivers side.

I looked at my boss, told him what I had just saw and made the comment "How am I going to teach my boys to be like that when so few people are now and days?" I think it definately is a generation thing. My mom has never pumped her own gas, my dad has always done it for her. I pump my own gas and open my own doors.

I googled Male Etiquette and this is what I found:

• Make others feel like they're the center of attention
• Watch your mouth
• Remove your hat indoors
• Wait for others to get their food before eating
• Stand when a women enters/leaves the room
• Help a lady with her chair
• Hold her the door
• Reach for the check
• Open her car door
• Walk on the curb side of the street (This one reminded me of my high school sweetheart. His mom told him the man should always sit by the isle in a movie theatre in case someone came by with a knife and tried to stab you. Horrible thought, but he always sat on the isle. He had a good mom, she taught him well. I wonder if it stuck?)
• Offer her your arm

This site I found this list on ended the list with this quote:
"Being a modern gentleman doesn't have to be hard, and, in fact, it's easier than ever. It's all about self-awareness and consideration for those around you. Those never go out of style."

So in my mind because I found a list, I feel that Male Etiquette should still be taught to young men. I'm going to print this list out and hang it in both my boys rooms. I want them to be respectful when they start dating and later get married. I want their significant other to feel like she is the most special person in the world. I want her to feel like she is loved and taken care of. If my boys cannot learn by example, they shall learn by me hounding them! And hopefully one day someone will look out the window and see one of MY boys opening a car door for someone and think how wonderful that is.

The Police

Growing up we saw a lot of the police on our street. Thanks to my brothers (mostly one of them). The neighbors called because of go-carts, mini bikes, fast cars and cars parked in the street too long.

It was a typical day to watch my brother come up the driveway like a bat-out-of-hell on whatever vehicle he was driving (like a maniac). He would drive into the garage and slam the door down real quick. A couple seconds later the police would be driving down our street, real slow, looking for him. He would wait a little while and go out again. My mom took it all in stride. Very seldom did they actually come to the door. (Or at least I don't remember them coming to the door).

The police have paid us a couple visits since the boys have gotten a little older. (Okay, maybe more than a couple visits, LOL!)

Last night Josh was at a friends house and her mom and I were chatting in the yard for a while. Zachary had just left with Josh's 4-wheeler. 5 minutes later a police car came driving down the street, slowly. They turned around and left. Kim (Josh's friends mom) looked at me and said "That's strange, the police never come down here". I had to chuckle, as I figured someone had mostly likely called them about Zachary and the 4-wheeler.

That brought up the go-cart memory. Josh's friend was at our house, years ago and the mail lady called the police on them because she was nervous about them driving the go-cart when she was doing her deliveries. Come to find out, that is one of the friends favorite stories to tell! Her mom is hoping that will be the only time the police will be called on her!

Other times have included calls for large bonfires, bonfires on the ice/lake, the 4-wheelers, the go-cart...I'm sure I'm missing some, but you get the idea. And like my mom, I take it all in stride.

And I will say, the Oakland County Sheriffs whom I've had the pleasure of speaking with have been GREAT! My kids have not been called on for doing anything harmful, illegal (well...not the BAD illegal stuff!) or destructive. We live in a community where it's common to see these vehicals and bonfires on a regular basis. Every now and they we get the nervous-nelly's who just have to make that call. Again...I will take it all in stride.

Flashback Fridays

The radio station I listen to in the morning always does a Flashback Friday on Friday mornings. They play a group of songs from the 80's/early 90's than have a contest to guess flashback songs. I thought that would be a great idea for my blog. So my goal is to post each Friday a flashback.

I dropped Autumn off at my parents house yesterday before work and decided to check her sugar before I left. It was 535. Very high. Scary high. I called my boss and said I would be a little late. I wanted to wait 30 minutes, re-check her and make sure it was coming down. After the 1/2 hour it was coming down so I left.

On the way to work I was thinking about when she was first diagnosed and the 3 1/2 days we spent at Children's hospital. Thinking about those days still brings tears to my eyes.

What I was mostly thinking about was the shots. If you had told me weeks before that that I would be giving her 4+ shots a day, I would have said you were crazy. I was the person who had to put my head between my legs when I got a shot myself, and had to look away, or better yet, be out of the room when my kids got a shot. I couldn't even watch someone getting one on TV.

Within hours of getting to the hospital I could see a difference in Autumn. She was quickly returning to her happy self. It's amazing what insulin does for us. The reason we had to be in the hospital so long was we needed to be trained on how to take care of her. She could have easily gone home the next day had we known what we were doing.

Training to give a shot is very quick. A nurse came in, showed us how to do it, we practiced on an orange and the next time she needed a shot we had to do it. There is no messing around with this. You don't get a week to practice and get up the nerve to actually do it. You're thrown in and it gets done NOW.

The first shot after training was her lunch shot. I was shaking from head to foot. I felt like I could throw up. I was dizzy. I hadn't slept in 48 hours. I hadn't eaten in I don't know how long. I looked at Todd and said "You have to do this one. I will get it together and do the next one, I promise". He did the shot. He cried, Autumn cried, I fell apart. I had to leave the room I was such a mess. But I got it together. I went back into the room, hung out with my amazing little girl and braced myself for the big moment.

Dinner time came and it was my turn. I looked at Autumn and told her I knew she was scared. I told her I was scared too. But I was going to do this. I was going to be brave. I was going to take care of her. We would get through it together. I got the shot ready, gave it to her. She looked at me and said "That hardly hurt at all!" I couldn't believe it. This amazing little girl was extra brave and such a trooper. With tears and laughs I hugged her tight and told her I would always be there for her. We were a team. We could do this.

And we have and will continue to. She is now on a pump so we only have to do the site insertion once every 3 days. Much better than 4+ shots a day. I'm so proud of her and I'm pretty proud of myself also. I had an inner strength in me that I had no idea was there. I've even offered to give shots to friends who have needed them for various reasons. I still don't like watching a shot being given by someone other than myself, but I've come a LONG way with them in the past 3 years.

I love Mondays!

I used to think the saying above was true. But this week I have changed my mind. I love Mondays. I think they are going to be my favorite day of the week this summer.

I am taking Mondays off work for the whole summer. When I told my best friend, Teri, she was more excited than my kids and promptly told me she was coming over every Monday! We live almost an hour drive from each other, so we don't get to see each other that often. Being together every week will be a HUGE treat!

She arrived our first Monday around 1:00pm with her 2 boys. My kids were anxiously awaiting her arrival. We loaded up our snacks, towels, beverages and sunscreen and hit the lake. The day was pure heaven. I got to chat with her for 5 solid hours! The kids were all happy. The weather was AMAZING. It was a perfect day.

We already have our plans for next week. Who knew I would ever look forward to Monday's?

I love summer!!!

It may not officially be summer by the calendar, but in Mommy-World the second school is out for Summer break, the season begins.

This also means, for me, that I am officially a mom of a high schooler! I'm not sure how that happened. When and how did I get old enough for that? It seems like yesterday he was in preschool and I was crying my eyes out in the parking lot. He's already a great, independent kid, but I know high school will bring more independence and more changes. I want to say I'm ready for them, but I'm not sure. These next 4 years are going to fly by and before I know it my first born will be an adult.

This also means, for me, that I will have a child in each school this next school year. Autumn in 3rd grade elementary, Zachary in 8th grade middle school, and Josh (sniff, sniff) in 9th grade high school! If I feel old today I can only image what September is going to bring when I can't remember who needs to be where and when! So maybe that independent high schooler won't be so bad! I may have to make him into my assistant to help keep everything straight!

Our first full day of summer break is today. I don't have to work until noon. Autumn came in and asked if she could crawl into bed with me this morning. I had no idea what time it was. 9:30! I can't remember the last time I slept that late. I love summer! Zachary and his 2 friends (one of which is planning on just moving in until September) got up at 10:00ish. Joshua is still in bed. Did I mention that I love summer?

Looking forward to these lazy mornings, of which I can participate 4 days a week!!! Looking forward to my Monday's off work, on which my BFF has promised to keep open so we can hang out!!! Looking forward to NOT packing lunches every day!!! Looking forward to eating dinner on the deck under my new umbrella!!! Looking forward to the beach and lake!!! Looking forward to spending quality time with my kids.

I love summer!!!

Manners count

I've always had high expectations of my kids with manners. I expect please and thank you's at all times. Some times they have to be reminded, most times they don't.

The other might Zachary wanted to go to a school function. The texts involved went like this:

Z - Will u take me and Mitchell to the school at 7

M - For what?

Z - For Record Mimes

I was just leaving work when I got this text so I waited until I got home to find out exactly what he was talking about. It was a class presentation that one of his friends was involved in. So at 7 I took them. I told Zachary to text me when I needed to come get him. Here is the text:

Z - Meet us at bk at 805

M - Don't you mean can you PLEASE meet us at BK at 8:05?

No response from Z

M - Say please or I'm not going to get you
Z - Please

A little while later:

Z - Actually meet us by the busses please

Notice the please at the end of the last text? The kids is smart, he knows that I would have been mean enough to make him walk the 2 1/2 miles homes had he not corrected what I took as a snotty-demanding text and said please.

I would love to think at age 13 I wouldn't need to remind him. And I could make excuses and say he didn't ask nicely because he was texting, but it only takes a couple extra seconds to type in the word please.

Manners count.

5 minutes, please!

It's been WEEKS since I've had a nice long conversation with my BFF. I was thinking this weekend if I could just have 5 minutes to give her a call, I would be so happy. But than after a little more thought I realized that 5 minutes wouldn't be nearly long enough. I'm thinking we need a good 2 hour chunk (minimum) to at least TRY to get caught up.

We have kept up somewhat on Facebook, texting and emails. But it's just not the same as a nice long chat. A phone call would be acceptable at this point. An afternoon with just the 2 of us would be pure heaven.

My kids are very rarely without friends when they're out of school. And they're socializing all day in school. I admit, I'm a little jealous. When did it happen that my friends had to be pushed to the side so I could make sure my kids had time with their friends? As they get older it gets both harder and easier. Harder because I have to carpool them around everywhere and keep an eye on them to make sure nothing inappropriate is happening while in my care. Easier because they only need me to drive and feed them when they're with friends.

I would like to set a goal of a couple hours a week devoted to just her and I, but reality is...we are both moms first. And we are GOOD moms, so we put our kids first.

I have faith that I will get that conversation soon. I know she is missing me as I am missing her.

Mommy Chaperone

I've been the parent of an elementary school aged child for 9 years now! If you are a "senior" parent like me, you've learned all the in's and out's of the good, the bad and the ugly of these wonderful elementary school years. (And I still have 3 more years to go!)

One of which is fieldtrips. I was shocked that first year of kindergarten when the note came home for their fieldtrip and it said something like "champerones will be picked on a first come, first served basis". What? Not every parent could go? I was lucky enough to be one of the chosen for that particular trip.

Other years your name would be put into a hat and the teacher would draw the number of chaperones needed. I think I got picked a lot not because I was lucky with the draw, but because I was active in the school and the teacher and students all knew me. There were very few trips I missed with my boys. I enjoyed those trips (aside from the long bus rides) and am glad I was a parent who was able to do them.

Autumn was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) the spring before she started kindergarten. Suddenly these fieldtrips had me feeling sick to my stomach. What if I didn't get picked? I couldn't let her leave the school for an entire day on a fieldtrip without me. At this time I knew nothing about 504's and school plans for Diabetics. Lucky for me the principal at the school was wonderful and helped me with it all. She strongly advised that it be put in Autumn's 504 that I attend every fieldtrip. Woo Hoo! I was in no matter what! Not only could I take care of my child, I would get to experience all the excitement and fun with the other kids.

Monday we went to the zoo. It had been a good 3-4 years since I have been to the Detroit Zoo. (The Toledo Zoo is our zoo of choice). When the bus was on the exit ramp waiting to turn onto the bridge I looked over at the zoo and saw what looked like a million kids and at least a thousand school buses! I have to admit, I got a little nervous. I was only in charge of 5 kids. But mix 5 kids in with a million others and things could get ugly.

My group came up with a plan. We would head to the back of the zoo first and make our way back. It was the perfect plan. It wasn't as crowded as I feared and the kids stayed with me. We had a wonderful time.

Being a chaperone to the boys now is a whole different story. They don't want me to go on their fieldtrips anymore. It hurts a little, but I respect it. I remember what it was like to be a teenager. Now I'm just a vehicle to take them from place-to-place in the off-school hours. I don't dare get out of the car though. Drop off's only! Their friends do hang out at my house and I'm allowed to talk to them, so I guess I'm not that embarrassing!

Either way...fieldtrips or transportation...just call me Mommy Chaperone!

Blog, blog, blog

If you are on FaceBook, Twitter or one of the many sites where you post things, you've probably felt like I often feel...everything turns into a post in your mind.

Someone can cut me off on the road and I'm mentally composing a post about it. While I don't post everything, I think about posting most of it. I'm pretty active on Facebook. Sometimes I wonder if people are really interested in what I have to say. Writing this blog in another outlet for me. Where I can go into more detail and share an entire story instead of one simple event. If you start reading it and don't find it interesting, you can simply move on. For me this is a form of therapy.

I've never thought about being a writer, but I always envied those who could. If I had an entire week to myself I would most likely spend it reading and being creative. My 2 favorite things to do. I'm always amazed that authors can write a book and turn around and write another one. It's a real talent.

I follow a couple blogs. They are moms like me who post mostly about daily events, their family and their feelings. I live for those blogs. I get that email letting me know they've added a post and I can't wait to snuggle up with my computer and read what they have to say.

One of the blogs is a friend of a friend who I have met, but don't really know. It's fun to read about the challenges she faces in her day to day life. She is also close to my age and posts a lot about being in the 40-zone! If you are in that zone or have already passed it, you know what I mean. Things start changing mentally and physically. Things you are not prepared for. Good to know I'm not the only one.

The other is the wife of a guy I have known since my crazy party days. Reading this blog almost makes me feel like I am stalking him! I talk to him a couple times a week and we often have conversations about the blog. He doesn't keep up on it like I do so he's always curious to see if he's on the shit-list or not. The funny part is, she doesn't write about him often. She does however post wonderful pictures of him. Pictures in the bathroom, pictures of him sleeping. These crack me up.

Then there are a couple blogs I follow that are parents of diabetic children. These are the blogs that show me that us moms are doing the best we can. We make mistakes, we are not perfect and diabetes is a never-ending guessing game. They share things that our kids doctors would cringe at. But this is reality people. Life is not text book perfect.

Blogs to me are like books. They're telling a story. It's even more fun when the stories are about people I know. I hope one day someone will feel like that about my blog.

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my dads 75th Birthday. I don't think he would mind me sharing his age with the world. At 75 he is more active than me!

My dad provided such a wonderful, caring, secure and loving childhood for me and my brothers. We all were definately a family unit. He was my inspiration for how I wanted my own family to be one day.

He put up with me through my horrible teenage years (and when I say they were horrible, I am not exaggerating in the least). He taught me how to drive, he helped me with the first car I purchased, he helped me move out and move back a couple times, he walked me down the isle when I got married. He was at the hospital when all 3 of my kids were born. He is always there for a shoulder to cry on and to offer support. He is my rock. I appreciate him every single day.

He is the best Dad anyone could ask for. And he's the best Grandpa I could have hoped for for my kids. He loves them with all his heart. He is also there for them for everything and enjoys every single minute with them. He spoils them in ways I can't and I let him. That is what makes him happy and when he is happy, I am happy.

My brother and I are having a birthday party for him on Sunday. I can't wait to celebrate and tell him again how much he means to me and give him the best birthday ever.

I'm so ready!

The countdown until Summer break has begun. 10 1/2 school days left. And I am SOOOO ready! This morning was a perfect example of how done we are with the school year routine. No one (including me) wanted to get out of bed. There was very little conversation. We each did our thing and headed on our way.

Nights have been tricky also. Who wants to go to bed when it's still light out? Not my kids. We've been sneaking a couple extra minutes in every evening. I'm looking forward to not having to stress about it and knowing they can sleep in the next morning.

A break from packing lunches is on the top of my "Woo Hoo for Summer" list! I pack each of them a lunch every day. And for some crazy reason, I'm the mom who cannot pack it the night before. I can't stand the thought of it sitting in the refrigerator all night. It has to be freshly made/packed in the morning.

So every morning...3 lunches.
Every morning...breakfast for everyone.
Every morning...me up first getting everyone else on their way while rushing to get myself on my way.

Soon it will be...get myself up and going!

The other thing is dinner time. I grew up in a house where dinner was on the table at the exact same time EVERY night! My mom didn't tell us what time to be home, we KNEW what time because it was the same time every night. Dinner time at my house is 6ish (give or take 15 minutes), so I'm pretty good with the whole schedule thing also. And having a diabetic child I know the importance of keeping that schedule. Summer will not change me having a specific time, that time will just be a little later. And I can be a little more flexible with that time. Which means I won't have to rush home from work and throw something together quickly. Maybe I will actually cook a decent meal or two!

Spending time at the beach and in our lake is always at the top of our to-do list. We load up with snacks, drinks, toys, towels, sunscreen and spend the day laying in the sun, floating in the lake, playing in the sand...absolute heaven! I CAN WAIT for that first beach day!

Bring it on summer...I am SO ready for you!

It's the little things...

Money has always been tight for us. When we do anything "extra" we have to carefully decide if we can afford it or not.

As a parent this can cause a lot of stress. I would love to spoil my kids and never have to say no. But the reality is, if they want something big, they have to save for it. My kids know that and very seldom ask for anything that they know I cannot afford to get them. And they appreciate the things I do get for them.

This weekend was a long weekend and everyone went their separate ways. Joshua went hunting, Zachary hung out with friends and Autumn and I had a girls weekend. I knew the boys wanted some extra spending money for the weekend but neither one asked. So Saturday morning I told them if they did chores for me I would pay them. Normally chores are unpaid in my house, but I not only wanted them to have the extra money, I also wanted my house clean! Win, win for everyone. For a good 2 hours there were no complaints and solid work being done. My house and backyard looked fabulous and I had happy kids!

On Sunday Joshua was hunting and Zachary went to a Carnival/Fair for 10 hours. I asked Autumn if she wanted to go to the Carnival also but she declined. Instead her and I went to a wonderful park close to our house. She played on the playground for a while than we visited the animals. We were treated to a beautiful show from a peacock! He had his feathers spread wide for us, than turned around to show us the back. Very cool!

After that I surprised her with a manicure. This was her first. I think she was a little nervous, but very excited. We sat next to each other and enjoyed getting our nails done. Huge success. Happy girl. I think she thanked me 100 times that day.

We didn't spend a lot of money that day, but I'm sure Autumn would tell you it was one of the best days she ever had. If nothing else, I'm teaching her to appreciate the little things.

3 Ingredient Dips

My 4 favorite dips to make all have one thing in common, they each have 3 ingredients! I just made my Sausage Dip and can't wait to dig into it later. I thought I would share these recipes today. Enjoy!

Sausage Dip
1 block cream cheese
1 package breakfast sausage roll
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes

Crumble breakfast sausage roll in a pan, cook until done. Add cream cheese and Ro-tel tomatoes (do not drain tomatoes). Heat until cream cheese is melted and blended and tomatoes are warm.

Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Pepperoni Dip
1 block cream cheese
1 can cream of celery soup
1 package of pepperoni

Heat cream cheese and cream of celery soup until warm and blended, add chopped pepperoni. Heat until all is blended and warm.

Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Crab Dip
1 block cream cheese
1 can lump crap meat
1/2 cup cocktail sauce

Soften cream cheese, spread on a plate, top with crab meat than cocktail sauce. (You can also mix all 3 ingredients in a bowl instead of layering).

Serve with crackers of tortilla chips.

Fruit Dip
1 container cool whip
1 package vanilla instant pudding
1 3/4 cup milk

Combine milk and pudding mix. Beat until blended, 1-2 minutes. Let pudding set. Fold in cool whip until blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Serve with fresh fruit.

So much for that plan!

The kids have a 4-day weekend this weekend. Earlier in the week we formulated our plan. Friday morning we would pack up the car, they would go to my parents for the day, I would go to work. After work I would go to my parents house, we'd all go out to dinner than the kids and I would head to "the farm" for some turkey hunting and fishing.

We came up with this plan because Joshua has been anxious to get there and do some hunting. The farm (as we call it) is his favorite place to be. Zachary had plans with friends but wanted to go to the farm for a day also. So we were to go Friday night, Todd would get there Saturday night after work than Zachary, Autumn and I would head back home. Todd and Josh would stay until Monday evening. A plan to make everyone happy.

Everything went as scheduled until we left my parents house. Joshua wanted to stop by Dunhams real quick before we hit the road. I turned into the parking lot, my van made a horrible noise and my power steering went out! Since we were so close to my parents house, I called my dad first...no answer. Than I called my brother...no answer. So Todd came to rescue us. We took the van back to my parents house, loaded up all our stuff in our truck and my dads truck and came home.

I need to mention that a couple months ago we were at Dick's Sporting Goods and the van battery died! What is it with sporting good stores and my van? I told the kids this was the last time I was taking them to a place like that. I'm not going to take my chances for that 3rd strike!

So this morning instead of turkey hunting, fishing and enjoying the beautiful property of the farm...we cleaned the house and I made dinner for my brother who fixed the van for me. Not very exciting and certainly not what we had planned. But that seems to be the way we roll in this house.

Joshua is on his way to the farm now. I know he was disappointed last night but I'm glad he still got to go. I'm even hoping he get's a turkey, but only because it will make him happy.

Hoping for no more unexpected surprises this weekend.

I miss you every day

6 weeks ago I had to say good bye to my beloved dog, Madison. It was one of the hardest days of my life. I had been blessed to have her for over 16 years. I think about her and miss her every day.

February 1997: I wasn't married yet. Living in a rental home in Commerce Township. It was a Saturday morning. Todd and I went to the gym (back when I actually did things like that), than we went to the pet store for bird food. It was adopt-a-dog day. I walked in, looked at him and said "We're getting a dog." Both of us were big fans of Lab's so we headed over to a box full of lab puppies. In the corner of that box was a little black fur ball. She was only 6 weeks old. I looked at her and knew she was the one. We were told that she was a border collie and would grow to be about 35-45 pounds. Perfect. Neither of us knew a thing about that breed of dog, but we were in love and she was going home with us.

After an extensive interview process, in which we had to lie and say we were already married, we took our new baby home. We soon discovered that this particular breed of dog is a very busy breed. She was a horrible puppy. Got into everything, chewed everything, but I loved her with all my heart. I think I made more phone calls to the vet that first year than I did to the pediatrician with all 3 kids combined! She gave me a run for my money, but I wouldn't have given her up for the world. And after that first year she settled down and turned into the best dog a person could ask for.

She grew quickly and passed that estimated weight of 35-45 pounds. When she was done growing she was close to 100 pounds. It didn't matter, big dogs were what we were used to.

We discovered that she was a mix of border collie and regular collie. The vet said more regular than border. She was solid black except for a small patch of white on her chest that you could only see if you moved the other hair around it.

She was with me when I got married, bought my first house, had all 3 of my kids and so many other life-changing events. She was always happy to see me, always thankful for whatever I gave her to eat and was always by my side. My mornings started with greeting her and my days ended with saying good night to her.

There is a huge void in my life now. I still look for her, I swore I heard her for weeks after, I smell her and I just can't believe she is gone. I always referred to her as my first child and I will miss her every day of my life.

73 cents

I think most adults have a morning routine and one thing that get's them going every morning. My guess is for most it is a cup of coffee. Others may enjoy a cup of tea. For me it's my 73 cent Big Gulp!

I work 6 miles away from home. And can go to one of three 7-Eleven's on my way to work! My experience has shown that not all 7-Eleven's are created equally. My favorite was owned by a guy that I had actually met through a room mate in my younger years. This one was always clean, well, stocked, the people who worked there were so friendly and they became friends. Last year that location was sold. The new owner...not so friendly. The staff now changes as often as a normal person changes their underwear. No new friends were to be made there. AND they got rid of Coke Zero in the self-serve pop machine.

I had to find a new favorite 7-Eleven. The next one I went to, I quickly discovered was owned by the new owner of my previous favorite. Darn it. BUT they had Coke Zero in their machine so this is where I started to go.

One day I took a different route to work, stopped at yet another 7-Eleven. This one was SO clean, so well organized, super nice people...but no Coke Zero! I suffered through a diet dr pepper that day. Back to the other location it is.

I don't know what it is about fountain pop that is so appealing. I've tried buying 2-liters and taking my own cup of pop instead of stopping. It's more cost effective that way, but it's just not the same. Not only do I think I'm worth 73 cents a day, it's worth the price to lift my spirits and start my day on a happy note. Maybe it's because everything else in my world revolves around others. This Big Gulp each day is just for me!