Post Its With SupahMommy

As is traditional with my blog, I am joining Supahmommy for Post It Tuesdays.  This week, though, I am going to include some extra comments about why the Post It is.

Now if you would like to join us, please do. I actually adore doing these. If you need help learning how to make your very own post-its, please go here.  Please be sure to link up with Supahmommy as well.

Housekeeping first:

Other stuff:

More to come need to run to my brother's now.  I won't be able to get to everyone's this week to respond.  My email is down.  My computer is down.  I'm suppose to get the computer back on Friday and I'll be on old desktop til then.  Its slower than molasses.  But I'm trying to get to you all.

Menopause Jewelry

My husband, being unhappy with my menopausal mood swings, bought me a mood ring the other day so he would be able to monitor my moods.

We've discovered that when I'm in a good mood, it turns a beautiful blue-green.

When I'm in a bad mood, it leaves a big red mark on his forehead.

Maybe next time he'll buy me a diamond (hint, hint!)

Memories of Christmas Past

I can remember being a child and being downstairs with all the other kids on Christmas Eve. We were sitting on the steps looking up trying to see anything under the door... we saw Santa's red boot under the door. Just a bit... we all scrambled so fast to our new assigned beds. Usually we slept upstairs. And so the dreams of Santa continued on that night. By this point, my brother was telling us that he wasn't real. I think he was more excited that night than we were.

(I'm in the middle)

Then there was the year that I had the chicken pox on Christmas day. I'm walking around polka dotted in the living room and crying cusp we couldn't go see my grandma and grandpa. God bless his soul. The cheer and laughter that was shared among my family was so amazing. The look of happiness upon my mother's face as we all giggled and unwrapped gifts. My mom has always done Christmas to the hilt. She has always spoiled us all rotten. Christmas was to me as a child one of the most joyous occasions. It was one of the most special moments of seeing my mother so incredibly happy.

As I grew older and got married the first time, I remember the very first Christmas that Michael and I shared as a married couple.  The love that was in our hearts and not much else.  We had just gotten married come this Monday, December 14.  The excitement that was on his face.  The joy in my heart.  We had his foster family around us to celebrate.  Marsha (my kid's biological mom) was part of that joy.  She was 4 years old.  There was so much laughter in the air.  We decorated trees and we laughed together.  Michael told me that year that if he had known me before he would have changed everything about himself.  We didn't know that in a month he would have no sight.  We were dirt poor and so in love that it simply didn't matter.  Isn't that a wonderful feeling? 

After he was gone, I created a new tradition where I would go to my sisters and send them out for the night so that my niece and nephews could make a gingerbread house.  We would laugh and giggle as the house would fall apart on some occasions.  I remember watching as the gingerbread house started from one little house to a landscaped house later on in another year.  I knew by this point that I would not be having in children so I chose to take whatever time I could with my nieces and nephews to fill that void in me.

Then there was that beautiful first Christmas with my husband, Ken.  My family had always been dysfunctional.  Actually sometimes I think we gave new meaning to that word.  Here I was in a family that was so incredibly close to me.  Let me tell you it scared me.  I didn't understand this closeness.  I always (even to this day) have to put space between us.  I didn't grow up with this closeness in a family.  Oh I dreamed about it but to see it up close for the first time.  It was sooo eye opening and my heart felt as if it would burst at any time.  That first year when Ken goofed up with my present..we bought the same presents for each other.  Something that I knew he wanted.  He thought my hints trying to figure out what he wanted was about what I wanted so he bought me the same thing.  Honestly, at this point in our relationship, I didn't think that we were going anywhere together.  I never dreamed there was a future.  Ken was so young.  I do mean young.  He was 22 years old.  I was 32 years old.  I knew that he saw life through totally different eyes than I did.  But he didn't.  I just wasn't aware that he had such an old soul.  That year he apologized because his cousin was giving his girlfriend an engagement ring.  Ken wasn't giving me one.  It was way too early and I never dreamed we would get married.

But the following year, Ken did get me an engagement ring for Christmas.  We were so in love.  I told him that we had to wait for a while until he grew up.  Yes I did say that.  I was so scared to marry him.  I knew that I couldn't have kids.  I didn't think that I should make him miss out on being a father.  He told me that it didn't matter he didn't want kids.  Problem was he was 23 years old.  I don't know most men that don't some day want kids.  I was suddenly part of the family for real.  I can't explain it but it did feel like his family treated me differently since I was going to be in their family legally.  I know they didn't mean to.

Then came the Christmas before we got married.  We both knew it was the last one.  We were getting married on Valentine's weekend.  We were teased that it was the last time.  We were so very much in love and we were fighting constantly.  I was being plagued with these doubts about never having kids.  The doubts were stupid but they were there.  You see, I couldn't shake the notion that Ken would eventually leave me so that he could have kids.  Or the thought that I didn't have the right to take that from him.  I so desperately wanted children myself that it was inconceivable that I could do this to him.  Thank Goodness we survived that.

The following Christmas was a totally different experience.  We had Faith for two months by then.  We were struggling financially but so very much in love.  Ken decorated our house for the first time.  We decorated the house very lightly.  I kept saying that Faith wouldn't know.  But that thought changed when Faith's face would light up with every twinkle of a light.  But sadness was in the air.  Ken's father had passed away on December 14 of that year.  His mother wasn't his mother anymore.  She never has fully come back to us.  And Ken was suffering with thoughts that his dad should be there to help him raise his daughter.

The following Christmases have been totally amazing.  There was Faith's next Christmas where she was walking.

The year that she knew what Christmas was.

The year that my grandma and her great grandma was able to be there.  See the idiots in the back?  My family won't let you take pictures of them.  Sighs.

Which was the same year that my sister's bird came.  Faith was fascinated with it.  I was terrified for Faith.

Then as she started to grow up and understand all the great things about Christmas.  We were broke that year.  We had just remodeled our kitchen.   See the awesome counters?  We went to Home Emporium for them.  They were 1/2 of the price of what Home Depot wanted.  I am telling you if you are remodeling check to see if you have one local.  Of course, our counter tops are granite.  They came from the Tile Shop.  Absolutely awesome having granite in our house.  It cleans up so well and very sanitary.

They call it Green Diamond but it looks Black with gray in it.  Its absolutely gorgeous.  Funny store... we were so poor that I lived with a cardboard counter for almost 2 years waiting on us to have the money for the countertop.

We have been so blessed and then Jason came to the family.  We went through a year of hell with foster care as we tried to get Jason into our family.  Christmas as a complete family was incredible.  When I say complete, its because all of a sudden we felt complete.  We had our boy.  Of course we never realized that until after we got him.  We went to the train display with him.  We had his first real Christmas with him.  The first one that he remembered well.

And that brings us to Christmas Current... what wonderful gifts do we have in store.  What memories do you have?

Side note:  Why do men think they can get you an engagement ring for Christmas and nothing else?  And why do they try to combine Mother's Day with your birthday? 

Marriage Jokes

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment.  The next week the man realized that he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 a.m. for an early morning business flight to Chicago.  Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, he finally wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 a.m."

The next morning the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 a.m., and that he had missed his flight.  Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't woken him when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.  It said, "It is 5:00 a.m., wake up." - found at 101FunJokes.com.

 

Magical Moments on Tuesday

It's time for Magical Moment on Tuesday for HeartsMakeFamilies! For those of you visiting for the first time, the goal is to talk about one thing during the week that was magical to you. I mean that you were over the top about. It could be a project you completed, something your child did, a grand new idea, something you saw, etc. Something that was so magical that you have to tell us about it. I know. I know. This is why we all have blogs. But sometimes we just write about the negative things because we had a bad week. So if we all write about a Magical Moment then we might uplift another blogger. This is the very reason that I have this blog so that one day my children can see. You do not have to be a mom to do this. To join us, on Tuesday post what your Magical Moment was (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and then be sure to stop here to link up and meet other moms at HeartsMakeFamilies to see what their Magical Moment was.


This week my Magical Moment was with my husband.  I've been married a long time now.  We've been married seven years and together 11 years.  I love my husband with all my heart.  I know that he loves me as well.  But we got into a rut.  You see, our lives became typical.  It was about work, kids and school.  We lost that magical connection that we always had.  I know this is true for a lot of relationships after time.  It is not that we wouldn't do whatever is necesary for the other.  It's that you forget the little things that make you who you are together.

On Friday, we went to the Newport Aquarium with Faith's class.  There were just enough parents to go that were approved by the state.  You have to have a FBI check done before you can help out with the class.  So that meant that Ken and I both got our own group of girls.  I knew ahead of time that was going to happen.  I had told the teacher to let Ken have Faith in his group since all the kids know me.  I volunteer twice a week when Jason is going through his little preschool thingy.  All morning long, Ken and I were sharing these little smiles with something that the kids were doing.  We kept our groups together even though the class divided up and went their separate ways.  We had six girls between the two of us.  Let me tell you Faith was the worst.  But then we are her parents.  She thinks she can get away with anyone when we are there.  sigh.

We got to sharks, giant turtles, dolphins, penguins, octupus, etc.  The kids were so incredibly excited when Scuba Santa made an appearance in one of the tanks as well.  It was a lot of fun.  But all things must come to an end.  Ken and I had driven down to the Aquarium.  So when the girls went back to school, I was to find out that Ken had planned on us going to Joe's Crab Shack.  It has always been one of my favorite fish places in town. 

Ken insisted that we sit together in the booth on one side.  That hasn't happened since we were dating.  So here we are sitting next to each other.  Ken orders an appetizer, Garlicky Mussels.  My first thought was you want me to kiss you after you eat that?  I don't usually like garlic but this was soooo good.  So I reach for the menu.  Ken quietly pushs it away from me.  He orders the Joe's Steam Pot for two.  Oh boy, I'm thinking I'm going to be in heaven.  It comes out pipping hot in a bucket.   I do mean a bucket.  In the bucket is two kinds of crab, sausage, corn on the cob, small red potatoes, and shrimp. 

We were sitting in this booth smiling and giggling at each other.  Yes my husband was giggling.  We were talking about the kids and about the aquarium.  Ken was stealing a kiss here and there.  And we were holding hands.  The waiter actually asked if we were newlyweds.  We just smiled and said that we had been married 7 years and had NO ITCH.  The waiter told us that he hoped he was like we were when he was married that long.

Being together as we are meant to be.  Loving each other simply for the little bit of time we had together.  There is no more Magical Moment between Ken and I that I would adore.  giggle  It wasn't even about sex.  Taking this time out to reconnect with my husband is one of the best things I've done in a while.


Now it is your turn. Please post about what your Magical Moment was (add my button from the right side bar or link to me) and then be sure to stop here to link up and meet other moms at HeartsMakeFamilies to see what their Magical Moment was.