I'm sorry...

Nathan, I'm sorry I wasn't there when you fell off the swingset today - I should have been there.

Losing...

momentum on this fun little challenge to the point that I'm actually backdating my posts so I don't lose a day. How sad is that? Welcome to my world!

Working Mom Woes

As a working mom, I have a lot of guilt for not being a stay at home mom. Some stay at home moms might think that sending your child off to an in home daycare 8 hours a day would provide a much needed 'mommy' break. I get that. I understand needing a mommy break. But if I were to measure my day out by percentage of a mommy break, it only makes up about 25% of the day because the other 75% of my day is made up of the stress of work AND good old fashioned GUILT.

Guilt drives me to do things I might not otherwise do. Here is a perfect example of a guilt driven project. One day I felt that I was not doing enough to 'teach' my one and only son the things I feel are important. When this thought settled in my mind, I was packed and on the train with a one way ticket for a guilt trip!

As a result of my guilt trip, I decided to create this very elaborate 'Learning Center' to teach my one and only son about things that I figured I should probably be teaching him; Months, Days of the Week, Special Events, Scripture, etc.



We've had this in place for a couple of weeks now and most days, my one and only son is eager to learn about the day. On those days, I feel like a good mom. I've done well and my efforts have paid off! Pat on the back.

Then there are days, where my one and only son could care less. Then I'm bitter because I put a lot of time and hard work in creating this stupid board. And he won't even muster up a little effort to stand there and move the cards around. Then I realized the hidden blessing in those days...it lessens my GUILT- it doesn't matter because he doesn't even care! Pat on the back anyway, I tried.

Beauty Secret Revealed!

All right calling this a 'Beauty' Secret is probably stretching it but here is some information you probably didn't know which makes this.....(watch video clip)


Earlier this year, by chance, I met a licensed Esthetician (skin care specialist) and I asked her what brand of facial soap/makeup remover could she recommend that would not cost me a small fortune. She passed on this Brand New Information! to me.

She recommended this soap, which is also recommended by dermatologists. You can find it for $6-8 at almost any store. She said it is equal to the expensive stuff you buy at department or specialty stores. Found it, bought it, check!



I also asked her about ex-foliating (removing dead skin) and she then recommended this next product and said it's the same as the $60 jar of some-high-dollar-brand-name, which now escapes my memory. Talk about a secret! Found it, bought it, check!


I've been using both of these ever since! They are inexpensive products so I've saved money. They are easily accessible and I can pick them up at almost any store. You'll hear no complaints from me! Seriously though, I haven't had a pimple this year. Just saying.

Safety First!

Nathan standing at the front of a Firetruck.

One weekend, Nathan and I went to Target and we stumbled upon our town's Safety Fair completely by accident. Having no other agenda for the day, we stopped.

It's kinda funny when something that is meant for the 'kids' ends being cool to you as the adult parent. For example, the Police Department opened up a SWAT truck for everyone to sit inside and check out. It was very cool for me to see something that I've only ever seen on tv and in movies!


They also had a display table with gear and artillery.






They also had a helicopter, super cool to me since I've had a long standing fascination with helicopters. Unfortunately, Nathan doesn't share this passion with me, he seems to prefer the helicopters stay in the sky.


Sitting at the wheel of the big red firetruck was Nathan's absolute favorite part of the day.


I love how the hat fell over Nathan's face in this next picture.


They also had a Bomb Squad truck on display, I captured this brief video of the Bomb Squad's robot that they use for disarming dangerous bombs.


What an unexpected, surprisingly fun time for both of us! And it was FREE!

Creature of Habit

If Greg had a blog this is what he would post about, per Greg Friday morning. Greg is such a Creature of Habit that when I'm able to get Honey Nut Cheerios at .97 cents a box and I buy 14 boxes. It makes him very happy. :o)

There's no greater disappointment for a Creature of Habit then heading to the kitchen for your daily bowl of Cheerios and then remembering your OUTTTT. For the Creature of Habit, it throws the entire day off and if the Creature of Habit was in a good mood as he headed to the kitchen, it's been soured just a bit because of the Habit has been interrupted.

Fourteen boxes for the Creature of Habit means he won't be running out for at least 2 months!

So glad I could make my husband happy with something so simple. :o)

Hull Family Pictures 2009 - Not a Bust!

Does anyone remember this post from last year? Hull Family Pictures a BUST for 2008!

Well, this year our family pictures were NOT a Bust and I am over the moon kind of happy!
The picture above is my absolute favorite of all the pictures and it's the only one I'm planning to show right now. hahaha! What a teaser huh?

I have looked at this picture over and over and over. I love it because I feel it totally encapsulates the specialness of how I feel about my husband. If I were a real writer, I would be able to put words around what my heart feels when I gaze at him. The admiration, the respect, and awe...yet it's so much 'more' than that. So much more. I don't know how to explain that I could look at him every day of my life and just 'appreciate' him. I can't imagine that anyone could possibly understand what I'm trying to explain but I can 'see' it in this picture. So because the words fail me, this picture will just have to do.