Mama of 2 P's in a Pod

There are a few things that I could seriously irrate or very irritated about at least. At while some of it still tweaks me a little, I've decided today that its just not worth the pain and sorrow it could easily bring. Its been a very emotional rollercoaster that has plum worn me out! So part of my conversation with myself includes not letting things that are clearly out of my control take over my life. So Kris and the P's and I will move on, it may be a little bit bumpy but we'll figure it out, because home is truly where ever we are as a family, TOGETHER. And how blessed we are! Here are a few pictures of the P's at their friend Riley's party this past weekend - the joy on their faces truly says how much they are looking forw ard to the joys of summer ! This one kind is a little scarey looking but rest assured - she was enjoying every minute of speeding down the slide at full force! That is Little P's nature after all - enjoy life - embrace it and giggle along...

Whoa, what did I type as my headline for this post? Yep "Stop the BS!" I'm not going to go into much detail about what that is all about as I am going to say it is a good thing! I've blogged and vowed many times to take care of something for myself that I have yet to follow through with. And maybe its because I need to have the conversation DEEP within myself before I can highlight that conversation publicly! But when I do, trust me, it will be worth the wait. Just know this, the time Liz found her shine and her spark is here and all it takes is a little willpower and motivation and I've got some pretty amazing things to keep me motivated! I can name 4 right now: Liz (yes ME!), Kris (the best friend I could ever ask for), Big P (our sweet, head-strong girl!) and Little P (the smile maker!) It's on and as Jillian Michaels says: "Stop the BS!"

Kris is boarding a plane as I type. He and a few of his fellow firefighters are heading up to Mall Hockey (Milwaukee) for an Honor Guard training. (Little P calls it Mall Hockey! =) I have to admit, I've been kind of pouty this week about that trip, I mean he gets to "get away!" who wouldnt' be jealous?! But then I got to thinking about the kind of training they are doing and it will not be entirely all fun for them. They are training on how to be a better detail at EMS/Firefighter funerals....that alone is pretty sad to think about. Although, I'm sure they will find some fun to fill the rest of their time so there is still a little green monster left in me! So that said, just me and the P's for 4 1/2 days. A little overwhelming at first thought but I've decided to make this a fun week of just us girls. I've got a list of projects I'd like to at least get started when he's gone. Wouldn't it be nice to come home to a clean and organized and ...

I have been blessed with another birthday! SO VERY blessed! In fact, I don't mind these birthdays and find it kind of humorous when people say they're 29 five years running. Why do people panic about birthdays? Yes, I am aware that each one reminds us that we are in fact getting older, but so what?! That means we've made it through another year of trials, tears, laughs, joys and so many more blessings than I think most of us are aware we even have! I have so much in my life, much more than I ever imagined and more than I could ever need. I have the love of a man who is truly my best friend, and yes, the past 10 years have been a roller coaster ride, but I wouldn't want that ride with anyone else! I am so "lucky to be in love with my best friend", thank you Jason Mraz and Colbie Calliat for that song. I am reminded every day by this man of how wonderful I am in his eyes and I could not ask for more! I also have the love of two very important little ladies. They...

What a wonderful weekend! We got a lot of celebration time in with both grandmas and together as a family. We were able to go to the "big circus" as big P calls it, thanks to a radio station give-a-way! The P's and I had dinner with my parents while Kris held down the fort at Station 8! And then on Mother's Day, I got up bright and early with a very loud and very sweet "Happy Mother's Day" at 6:45am! I wasn't upset about being woke up so early on a Sunday, how could I be? All three of them were so excited to start the day with me! And what a day?! After being presented with very sweet cards, flowers and a new I-Pod, Kris kidnapped us three girls and took us to Kansas City for a fun day of shopping and eating and hanging out as a family. I am truly blessed to be called his wife and their mama....what a great weekend and it was so needed! Here's a picture of the Divas themselves! We got them alot of really nice Disney gear at the Disney store at ve...

I knew this day was coming eventually. The girls have hit milestones, some right on time and some very early. Last night Big P hit one very early and one I'm not sure if mommy is quite prepared for! She has a wiggly tooth. The pure joy on her face of having us confirm it is indeed a wiggly tooth, was enough to melt my heart. She is so excited, so ready to show her classmates! She keeps doing that cute little tongue-wiggle thing and I keep thinking of when she got that tooth! It was her first tooth! She got her teeth early, she seems to do everything early and that part scares me a little! She is a very persistant child so I know its just a matter of a day or so before we put that tooth out for the Tooth Fairy! I just can't believe our little girl is old enough to lose a tooth, that really has hit me! Can I just bottle this time up? I'm so excited for her though, the excitement and pure joy she has in her little soul is so contagious! Little P of course wants to know when sh...

What is self-esteem? According to Wikipedia: In psychology , self-esteem reflects a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Synonyms or near-synonyms of self-esteem include: self-worth, [1] self-regard, [2] self-respect, [3] [4] self-love (which can express overtones of self-promotion), [5] self-integrity. Self-esteem is distinct from self-confidence and self-efficacy , which involve beliefs about ability and future performance. So how does one go about instilling something like self-esteem, self-worth and self-love in their children? Particularly when a parent has their OWN issues with self-esteem? I think we all have moments where we question our self-worth. Its such an easy trap to get into, but the last thing I think any of us want to do is to cause our children to question theirs. According to Kidshealth.org: What Is Self-Esteem? To understand self-esteem, it helps to break the term into two words. Let's take a look at the word esteem first...