Searching for Calcutta

In a world filled with so many searching, hurting, and struggling I believe in a Divine Design. I believe EVERY life has a purpose, every human has a calling, a God Ordained Passion,ready and waiting for us to take that first leap of Faith. It's a hard leap and at times a shaky one, but that's all that's needed.  Knowing the calling, recognizing it, and seeking it is the hardest part. Not knowing the outcome of pursuing that passion is where belief takes flight.
Things can be so complex and we get bogged down with the day to day responsibilities that a lifetime goes by and before you know it our dreams and passions have gone, disappeared, maybe changed. Sometimes those responsibilities become our reasoning for doing NOTHING. It's a routine, one we like, love, and is comfy. I no longer want to be comfortable. I want to jump wholeheartedly into the Cause.

 I don't want my impact to be slight, I want to impact the world in such a mighty way, and not for the reasons you may think. But because I believe that we were all created for such things, for things known as God Ordained Passions. Therein lies the difference between Dream Catchers and Dream Chasers.

Some of our worlds Greatest Knowns and Unknowns have had them, Dreams, and God Ordained Passions. Reasons and Causes to pursue and change the world. And THEY did.
For Fifty years a woman that we all know as Mother Teresa worked among the poorest slums in a place called Calcutta, India. Little did she know what HER impact on the world was going to be as day by day she labored FOR those around her. WOW look at all the lives she touched. She was asked often by admirers, and those around her for  advice on how they could help to change the world. Do you know her response? Nothing froofroo. Simply
"Find your own Calcutta".

                  If you knew that your actions could change just one life, what would you do?

Life's Lessons

You know there's a lot of lessons in life. Some good, some bad, some useless, and some that enhance your life forever. I've learned a lot in my days and as a parent struggle to figure out which ones to very gently or quite animately pass on to my children. I am a believer (to an extent) that you learn your own lessons in life, love, and everything after. But without guidance those lessons can quickly snowball into mistakes. So being the nurturing being that I am I did infact pass on a little knowledge this week to the heathens and here are those lessons...with the appropriate warnings that SHOULD have been attached when I stumbled upon such wisdom.

Lesson #1...NEVER I repeat NEVER clean a bathroom with enough chemicals to run the Hindenburg without proper ventilation. Furthermore don't tell your children to stay out of the said bathroom because it's the equivalent of a methlab on the off chance that the neighbor comes by to say "hey" giving  them the opportunity to offhandedly tell her "you stepped out back to get some air after being in your methlab". mmmm Thanks Ethan.

Lesson #2 When discussing OVERLY priced Christmas list in ANY conversation NEVER state "Well it's the only thing he really wants so I guess even if I have to work the corner we gotta get it" apparently this will plague your offspring to the point of nervous breakdowns. Not only does it make them skittish about the impending holidays but they might second guess everything you've ever  purchased on the chance it was bought with "corner money". Parental FAIL

Lesson#3. When trying to have a great Saturday morning just you and your spawns I do not recommend starting with Krispy Kreme, Lowe's workshop, and then a fire prevention parade because it will apparently end in you teaching them how to Crip Walk....which will seem like a great idea...every parent teaches this right??? They may find themselves in a sketchy situation one day and it could save their lives right?? Well a sketchy situation does NOT include ANY activity at church, Which is where my two decided to show off their new dance moves....much to my dismay and lots of "wait a minute, I know that dance glares" and "where did on earth did they learn that stares" oiy when will I ever learn?

(A More Real) Love Story

A Twitter What?

I don't consider myself  to be behind the times, socially slow or a loser...But am I?
Never mind that I was a band geek, didn't have my first cellphone till I was 22, way over stayed my welcome on Myspace, Play Frontierville on Facebook, never use all my texts for the month,and am still stumbling through the blogsphere trying to figure out the stinking tabs thingy.....I DON'T TWITTER...I know gasp.

Should I? I'm not sure.

On one hand I don't want everyone in the Universe knowing when I pee (I know don't tweet it) It scares me. Am I gonna know when other people pee? I know I have NO idea what it's all about. But like right now while eating my Honey Nut Cheerios would I be expected to post that? Would it consume way more of my life than the other social networks already have? Cause lets face it I'm trolling this crap for hours on end. Would my family feel abandoned with my Twitter obsession like they did during the six months I was addicted to Farmville and then during my recovery...knowing all my crops were withering? I've got an addictive personality people.  Something sparks my attention and daggoneit I go down in flames!



But on the other hand....it's sooo good for promoting blogs (well it would be if I actually wrote something worth reading) So do I follow in all the Greats footsteps and Twitter up a storm? Will I magically attract more readers? Cause lets be real. Every little face that pops up in the google network that actually likes what I'm babbling about is like having your first baby. It just makes you want more. I totally identify with Brangelina ...again ADDICTIVE PERSONALITY.

SO should I, shouldn't I...do you Twitter?

Would you Twitter with me.

I'm on a ledge here people!?

From the Mouths of Babes

Just a few of the lil quips from the passengers of The CrAzY TrAin that I found noteworthy this week. Not sure if I should be appalled, giggle, proud or dismayed, but whatever the reaction they were quoted and make for interesting blog fodder...

"This is like a bad episode of Oprah" ~ Ethan

(I was unaware Oprah makes his afternoon watch list)

"Well Ethan, this is just another case of you wasting your intelligence" ~ Izayah

"That's why they invented hand sanitizer...no need to shower" ~ Ethan

(wonder what Oprah'd say about that one?)

"Yeah her death stare is worse than her throwing a shoe" ~ Izayah

(I don't throw shoes at my children...ok maybe just once ahem)

"My Spanish teacher is grumpy. But she's from Cuba, so I'm pretty sure Castro has something to do with her mood" ~ Ethan 

"You're really in college?? I thought you just faked studying so you didn't have to clean" ~ Izayah

(yes I am growing aware of this child's image of me blah)

Kids say the darndest things, mine especially!

My sister and I have joked that we're gonna start "quote books" for all of our clans. I think it would be such a cute idea and what memories to pass down to my kiddos kiddies!

So do your offspring have any quotable moments? I'd love to hear them =}

Finding Grace

It's that time again, not quite sure if I'm tired of hearing about it, reveling in the thought of it, or just plain glad it's said, done and over with....Back to School. Today is the boys' second day back, this year it's new schools and un-chartered territory for us....somewhat inner-city schools on top of middle school. So it's been an emotional few days. On my part anyway =}

 I believe that Shanna, a contributor over at Don't Call Me Edith!, wrapped it up pretty well in her post about the expectations of the summer and the relief of parents at this time of year. I whole heartedly agree with her, and no matter how you view sending your kiddos off during the days to some one else you have to ponder the lessons of as Shanna calls it "yesteryears".

 And a pondering I did do. In just the two days of having my days back to being "mine" (although being a Mommy nothing is ever FULLY "mine" again) I've had the chance to breath and actually miss my children. As I've gone through the house picking up wayward socks, straightening haphazardly made beds, refolding clean laundry, and wiping toilet seats,without anyone to gripe at and insist that they redo the above mentioned chores I've reflected. Reflected on the so called nagging, and the molding of my mini-men. And I've wondered where did all the grace go?

You know Grace? Mercy? Cutting someone some Slack ?Websters dictionary defines it as:

n.

1.

The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed orprivilege conferred.

So it makes me wonder. When they were little I showed the boys Grace over accidents, spilled milk, spats, broken toys, and all the other things that make up life with toddlers. But how much Grace do I show them now? All the forgotten chores, hidden messes, fights & bickering and all the other things that make up life with little people. Somewhere somehow am I missing the mark?

As much as all the responsibility molds and makes our children who they are so do the unspoken acts of Kindness, Mercy and  Grace. Do I show them as much as I could or am I busy with all the fifty million-thousand other things I have to accomplish? Over the summer I've become extremely quick to snap, grumble, yell, scold, and shew away...cause Mommy's BUSY!

But it seems to me that children naturally grasp the concept of grace and mercy, it's after years of being shown none or very little that they themselves adopt most adults attitudes on the subject. They naturally forgive, forget, and move on. They don't dwell on the shirts you forget to wash, the cookies you didn't get time to make, or the books you can't find the time to read them. They cut you slack and show you Grace and continue loving you. I'd like to learn from them.

That's what I hope to do, to show my boys what Grace really is. I've spent years looking for it and working for it, when all I really had to do was start exercising it. Because now I do know, to GET Grace, you've got to GIVE Grace. And I think a journey to Grace is a trip worth taking, one that allows you and all those around you to blossom and be the people they were meant to be.

Somebody Could Have Warned Me!

How appropriate that Mama Kat posted this prompt for her writing workshop after my super wonderful Mothering posts the last few days. You've gotten to get a peek at the mothers round me and how they make me a step closer to saint hood j/k but in my eyes I can pretend what I want. Yesterday we took a little trip delving into maybe what the kids might see when looking at us. And today you get the TRUTH, well, as told by me and all the little things I overlooked not knowing until the minions arrived :)

So here are ten things I had no freakin idea about until I became a Mom...

1. Breakfast should always be ready...if you are awake or not...because THEY will ravage through a kitchen like a tornado and the looters that accompany them.

2. You can save yourself 2 million dollars by only buying Ramen Noodles, children (or mine anyway) will more than willingly eat those for every meal and indeed want seconds. So why bother.

3. If you are the spanking parent..you probably have good kids...but in some places it's frowned upon. CHILDREN KNOW THIS...who the hell told them? SO they might respond to their punishment with "I'll call CPS" and you can respond with..."well they'll have to find your body first" :)

4. Laundry baskets are a ploy to get all our hard earned money. You can spend a butt load on the coolest, most awesome, change your life kind of basket...there will never be any clothes IN it..beside it maybe, but never IN it. It will be used to build forts, carry supplies, and as a sled when it snows. I promise!

5. T.V.s and video games should never be put in your kids rooms. This is a grave mistake but you won't know it until report cards come home. *fingers crossed for Monday*

6. No one ever told me I would cry hysterically on BOTH my boys first days of school not wanting to let them go but then be reduced to tears every time the weather man wants them to stay home.

7. Chores are an easy concept one that I am willing to share equally with my family:) But be prepared to chose your delegation wisely or you will never know when you are out of dog food, detergent, windex, guinea pig bedding, or that the toilet brush is missing....until you need them.

8. No matter how healthy and germ free you try to be it's impossible with kids, they share everything! Socks, underwear, whistles, water bottles,toothbrushes, forks! And with all the tromping through the creeks and woods, rolling in the mud, storing turtles and frogs and what have yous in coolers and never washing their hands it's a germ heaven and a Mom's nightmare. On top of the fact if you have boys that never want to miss out on a moment of fun there is NO way they are gonna tell you their throat or head hurts. Which only means that you are the one that catches whatever they've had and then when you're finally sick...they hurt too :(

9. You'll be best friends with the School Secretary, between everything that the kiddos forget and you day after day give to her, and all the times that "they are sooo sick" and miraculously are cured when they get home will make you and her fast friends. Most of your daily communication via email will be with their teachers...cause you're a parent to what well call the "class sparkler" aka freakin class clown. And most of those emails will begin "Hey Lady, It's me again"
At least you have adult interaction???

10. They steal your heart, and it's the one thing you don't demand they give back! On a daily basis you will laugh over their shenanigans, cry over their growth and relish every minute you have left with them, even though they drive you crazy. They have your heart and nothing can change that. They are the best therapy for what ever emotion you need to work through, and I would risk life and limb for them. And that's something I never really understood until they were here <3
If someone would have only warned me :)