Future NFLer

Remember my Mom's Day post? I thought I'd share what all I ended up getting this Mother's Day:

With Chad's help, they bought me a cool shell necklace, one of those hippie, hemp style ones. My mom suggested I hide it, as I have siblings that may try to smoke it - LOL!

Also, I received two belly button rings. Shock anyone? :X

Katie bought me a pack of juicy watermelon bubble gum with her own money, and handpicked my Mother's Day card...how sweet is that?!

Then, the main gift was....a FOOTBALL. Yep, you read that right! Now, the best part of this story is my Dad'sface when I pulled a football out of the bag. His eyes were huge as he kept repeating, They got you a football?! He looked at Chad and I swear he was thinking, Boy is he in so much TROUBLE!


What Dad didn't know is, before we moved in with my parents (or Day of Humiliation as I like to call it), Chad and I would play catch with my pink softball or his baseball almost every day. For some reason we got out of that habit and I think it has contributed to my gaining 10-13 pounds over the past 10 months. That and the endless bag of Doritos I have hidden in my room ;)

So when Chad showed me a camoflauged football the week before, I said, Sure, why not? I need a jumpstart on getting active again. I didn't get a camo one, unfortunately, nor the pink one I requested (to match my softball!). But then I probably wouldn't have wanted it to get dirty.

I never did clue Dad in - it was just way too much fun to watch his face every time he looked at Chad!

My all time favorite gift this year (don't tell my kids!) is the bouquet of flowers that Chad hand picked from 5 or 6 different fields on the way home from church Sunday morning. I love flowers, but I hate paying for cut flowers. It seems like such a waste, and I rarely feel it's worth it. But he used to do this for me when we were dating, pick a bunch of wild flowers and arrange them perfectly in a cup, and it was ALWAYS a winner.

PS: Chad, if you are reading this (or any family member that wants to clue him in!) our 10th anniversary tomorrow is a worthy reason to buy cut flowers. Roses. Something ridiculously outrageous. I've earned those puppies!

So, yesterday I learned how to throw my football like a boy. It took me a while and I still get it wrong a lot. Chad just dies laughing every time I throw a perfect spiral. For some reason it just cracks him up. That or the touch down dance I do every single time.

I will say, I loved seeing the look of shock on Chad's face when I sent that ball careening in a perfect spiral toward his head...priceless! See, I gave up learning how to do it because he just kept yelling the exact same stuff at me. I mean, does that ever work? Yell louder, longer, but the same phrase and maybe I'll suddenly be like, Ohhh, you mean hold it like THIS?

But I got mad and quit listening, just chucking it at his head without even trying because he kept throwing the ball back to me. But suddenly, without thinking about it, I got it right. Then I loved it. It was addictive - seeing my football fly in a perfect spiral, one that *I* threw, AND Chad's round, bugged out eyes...perfect!

Chad, my FIL, and I are going fishing tomorrow...I'm sure I'll have plenty of good fish stories for you tomorrow!

Here are some pictures from Mother's Day:

Dad was playing a game with Micah, snapping at his fingers with some of the packaging from one of mom's presents:

Isn't Micah's face priceless?

I love this next one because Mom & Dad are both laughing

I'm reading my homemade card from Katie. Her teacher took a picture of her holding flowers for me, then laminated the whole card. Love it!

Jessica said this next one was a good one of me, and those are rare, so...

Me & my girl, Kate

Here I am showing Dad The Football...

and here is his face. For the next ten minutes.

My beautiful handpicked Mother's Day bouquet...I LOVE it!!!
Thanks, Babe!

My gift to Mom:

All the ladies at church got to pick out a plant. I got Lilies. I wanted to bring them with me to Ohio so badly!

Aren't they gorgeous? I guess I'll be planting them in Mom's flower garden....sigh.

Happy Mothers Day!

Or, as Micah yelled, Happy Muddahs Day!

My oldest child is 9 1/2 years old and my baby is 2 1/2, so my Mother's Day presents for the past few years have been mostly handmade gifts. My favorite one of all time is from when Katie was 5, while we were stationed in Japan. Her kindergarten teacher took a picture of her profile then cut it out in black cardstock, glued it to a white poster, with a poem on the bottom about her little hands & feet. Then she laminated it. Katie was wearing a pony tail the day she took the picture, which makes it even cuter.

Then some years Chad has taken them to a store to pick something out for Mother's Day. That is always interesting! One year I got a pack of Veggie Tales birthday party plates; that was the year 2 year old Ethan was obssessed with Veggie Tales and it's the only gift I remember from that year. I told Chad this week, let them pick anything they want me to have. Even if it really don't make sense, as long as they see meaning to the gift, that's all that matters. And there have been some really hard to figure out gifts over the years :D But maybe this year they'll want me to have a digital picture frame....(hint!)

So far I have already received a beautifully made card from Ethan with coupons for a free hug, free kiss, free babysitting the boys so I can rest, and a few more. Those are the gifts I love! I don't know what Chad has planned, if anything, this year. Money is tight and so is time. But I will be celebrating the big day with my own mother for the first time in 6 years, so I'm just excited to see what all she rakes in and how much she loves mine (the most, of course!). This is one of those days where having nine kids finally pays off...right, mom? Sibling rivalry is alive & kicking at teh *Smith* house ;)

Moms are a strange creature. God handmade us to show His own love toward all mankind, I believe. But from what I've seen, we tend to undervalue ourselves more than anyone else ever will.

For instance, I know a lot of moms that do not take time for themselves, something not involving their kids. Now, I am a firm believer in taking care of yourself, including your mental health, so you can be a better mom. For almost 7 years, I didn't do anything without my husband or kids being with me, except a rare run to the grocery store or BX. And for the first three years, while in Japan especially, it wasn't a problem. I did have a good friend there, Muneca, but she had 3 kids as well and a psyco husband, so we didn't do a lot without kids.

But then we moved to Maryland, two more kids came along, and Chad started getting involved in fishing. Suddenly I was starting to understand just a little bit more how moms go off the deep end and end up hurting themselves or their children. I didn't do this, thank God, and I think a big part of the reason why is that my husband noticed me slowly losing it and *insisted* on me getting out of the house by myself.

So, the last three years we were in the Air Force, he would kick me out the door and tell me to go get a Starbucks, or go shopping, or go read a book in a parking lot, but LEAVE. It was hard. I felt guilty. I didn't want to take a shower required to go out in public, I didn't want to shop alone...I always had an excuse. I used to ask him to let me just take a long, uninterrupted bath. But after the first few times, I realized I had to leave the house in order for the kids to remember they had a second parent, and that second parent to realize he had to watch those kids like a hawk if I was to have any peace in the tub.

Then I met Jacklynn. Oh my gosh...Jesus made her just for me!

It started at Katie's birthday party; she was the only mom to stay while I refereed 8 girls. As we talked, I realized I was comfortable with her. Besides my sisters, there has been only two women that made me feel that way. Totally comfortable to be myself, say whatever I really think, and be the person I am behind closed doors with her: Muneca, my crazy Mexican friend, and now Jacklynn.

We didn't do a whole lot by ourselves. We usually had the 7 kids with us. But I began to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I realized that calls home to sisters and mom wasn't enough, I needed a girlfriend. I needed to have time to think my own thoughts without constant interruption, to have an adult conversation without asking the person to hold on while I chase down a kid, and on and on.

Now I'm living within a few miles of all of my family and I have plenty of opportunities to get out with the girls. Funny thing about moms...we don't need a lot of time. After just two hours, I'm ready to go home. It's rare that I go four hours. Ususally only if the kids are in bed, so I know they aren't missing me. But by then Chad IS, so I come home to happy kids, an even happier husband, and thanks to my time away, I'm happy to see them.

Everything in balance, everything in moderation.

It won't always be 50-50, the time each parent needs for themselves. And, as a mom, it shouldn't be, in my opinion. But the best advice I can give about being a mom is to take care of yourself and take care of your relationship with your husband. The best present you can ever give your kids is a happy, well adjusted parent, and a happily married mom & dad.

So, here's hoping for some laughs, tons of hugs, and lots of sloppy kisses today. And, my favorite, not having to cook or clean for at least 8 hours :)

Happy Mom Day!

Is it *my* turn yet?

Husbands kill me sometimes. Mine most recently ;)

See, he went fishing Wednesday morning, on his first of two days off. Some humongus bass was out there calling his name (though, come to find out, the fish was just joshin' him). So, he goes fishing, leaving me for about 6 hours.

Now, the plan was, when he got home, I would go hang out with a sister or 3 for some quality girl time (aka American Idol & Greys Anatomy time).

Except, as I go to walk out the door, the Love of My Life (or LOML as I sometimes think of him) pulls the guilt card:

"Are you sure you want to leave me?

Not permanently; just for, oh, six hours or so.

"But didn't you miss me while I was gone?"

Yes, and it was so much fun, I want *you* to try it.

"But, what will I do with out you?"

Oh, this is going to be fun....you'll chase Ben & Micah out of the mud about 132145346 times, change their clothes at least twice due to the times they made it to the mud while you were busy chewing/sleeping/blinking. And don't forget the 34 drinks you'll pour, the 8 apples you'll peel, and the 234 fights you'll referee.

But good news! You'll miss me so much after 4 hours of all that, you'll be ready to kiss my feet, give me that last bite of candy bar, and not think about leaving me to fish again for, oh, about 12 hours.

Enough said.

And I left. Of course, Ben followed me to the car, crying to "doe wiff you, mommy." When they do this to Chad, he barely misses a step. I sat in the driveway for 5 minutes, comforting Ben, then reassuring myself he wasn't still sobbing his heart out as I drove away.

I did have fun, though I tend to rush through everything, trying to get in as much "fun" as I can before the guilt gets totally overwhelming. Thank God for DVR & Beth! We fast forwarded through commercials, Paula's drunk ramblings, and Kara's over emphasized everything.

My favorite sound bite from the night:

As Kara rambles on and on about Adam being a ROCK GOD (*gag*), Jessica screams at the tv,
"Give Paula back her pills, crazy!"

I must say, I was shocked when Kris Allen (aka Goat Boy as I like to call him) was safe. He is my fave on the show, then Goecky or whatever his name is. Adam makes me want to take a shower...wash some of the dirt off. Seriously, if he's here, who's running Hell?!

I love to say that last one to Chad when he's in a really bad mood and watch his head explode :)

I must add, I came home that night to find the two most adorable little boys waiting up way past their bedtime, just to see me (Katie & Ethan had school the next morning). My grin was a mile wide, my heart so happy to see them after just 3 hours away. We laid on the bed talking for 20 minutes about God, monners (monsters), Jesus living in our hearts, and tunner (thunder).

I had the sweetest video of part of our conversation from that night that I planned on sharing, but I accidentally erased it from the memory card before saving it on my laptop. But I have one picture of that night. They were describing thunder to me and how it sounds, using their little hands to show how loud it was:

Little Ben is so serious! He said, Tunner makes me huwt (hurt).

Throwing in some pictures of hot hubby pushing the boys on the swing Wednesday:

Check out Ben's sweet smile! I couldn't get both of them to focus at the same time, but each one had enormous grins on their faces.

Micah has the more infectious smile & laugh. Looks like he's about to jump LOL!

P.S. There is nothing sexier than a father playing with his children. Melts my heart everytime. Doesn't hurt he's the cutest thing since, well, anyone!