For Any Teen Who May Actually Read This

Tonight is a night for celebrating the new year.. as a culture we tend to party in excess and take risks that maybe on another night we don't. But I am asking each of you to please think of those around you that love you...

Before you take that drink, think...
Before you get in that car.. think
Before you trust the sobriety of another... think
Before you mock your parents for insisting that they drive...think

You are loved, cared for... and we want to see you tomorrow safe and sound..

Wow!! an award

One of the very best things I have found with blogging is the sense of community that is out there. It is amazing how very many people there are who understand where I am coming from and then another entirely different set who appreciate my advice.. life sure is interesting..

but this past weekend I was honored with the Promenade award by Lola at lolasdiner once again I find myself amazed to be the recipient but completely grateful...

The award states "This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I’m passing this award on to the 8 recipients listed below. Please feel free to pass it on and share the love.

Here my recipients (in no particular order)!

B Boys Mom @ Crazy Mom With 4 Boys
Tammy @ Mom Knows Everything just saying that makes me smile
Lisa @ Adventures in JujuBoo
Liz @ A Mom on a Spin
Diana @ Diana Rambles
On the Verge
Erin @ The Mom Buzz
Julie @ A Mom Two Ways
For Women over 40 and Loving it

each has their own distinctive flair, each has a promise, a witty word or a way of pulling you in and i find myself traveling back to each of these blogs on a regular basis. Please if you haven't tripped that way yet do so, they are wonderful.

and if you havent made it over to lola's page i suggest you do so..

What passes for Scintilizing Conversation

So it's the day after Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring (unless it's that louse)

Seriously, after a reasonably good Christmas was I a fool to think that they could get along? Today the conversation went something like this

hand me the paper?

the what?

the paper....

oh..... (nothing gets handed)

(in a louder voice) HAND ME THE PAPER (remember we are living in a one room hotel right now so how far away could it be?)

the what?

THE PAPER.....

(in a near scream) HAND ME THE PAPER... oh NEVER MIND You are so fricken lazy... (gets up moves three inches gets the paper)

oh you wanted the paper?

yeah, I asked for the paper...

did not

did so

did not

did soo............ etc....

oh yeah.. have I mentioned they are 17 and 18???

sheesh...

Hope your holidays are as happy as mine...

Thank You God for the Wonderful Day

today was fun, quiet for one of our family Christmas's but as the children grow older and start to have their own lives. I have to wonder will this be the last when we are all together?
Each moment with them is a precious one (even the ones when I am considering alternative parenting methods...like closet locking). I know they are all so close to spreading their wings and moving on.

yes I often comment about how in 3 1/2 years I will start my life, or life begins at 50 or all sorts of comments like that but really.. I have been blessed with some pretty awesome kids and I will miss them when they go.

so yes, today was a good day... one more Christmas where all of my children were home, together, healthy, happy and not fighting (hey it happens once a year.. this year it was Christmas day)

other than a few embarrassing mishaps.. Christmas was good.. and how was yours?

Merrry Christmas to All

Tonight when you drift off to sleep, thinking about all of the Christmas issues that still must be resolved, completed or just plain ignored... remember this.. this single Holiday represents the birth of hope..

Take a moment to look at your sleeping children (yes the teenagers too) and remember how very lucky you are. Are the fed? sheltered?clothed? healthy? any of the above is good if you have them all.... you have hit the lottery.. anything else is just plain amazing.

As I spend my day tomorrow not wanting to clobber them, I will remember to be grateful for having all of the above. It doesnt really matter where they live, how they dress or even what they eat.. thank You God.... the are all healthy.

Merry Christmas All

If it's not one thing it's another

Last night was a traumatic one, sad to say the laptop died... we will be having a funeral for it soon... feel free to send flowers, heck send a new laptop, I am not proud.. but seriously, until I am able to drag the monster out of storage and get a wireless card for it. I am going to be computer defecient for a while.

I will be able to post my blogs, but my entre card drops are going to go way down... I am still going to visit as many of you as I can but my time on the public computer is limited so I am not sure how many or how often I will be visiting.

So if I don't see you before hand... Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!! and a Happy New Year.

Shauni

Standing Together

What I consider my greatest accomplishment is the fact that my children stand together. Oh, they bicker and badger and oft times dream of how to destroy the other but in general when life gets hard, they stand as a unit.

When they were children, I used to jokingly say my children run as a pack. It was a joke but in many ways, true. Oh, they have their own friends and their own interests but when push comes to shove..

I do laugh at times when they find themselves in this situation, they sorta look at me like, how did this happen? It pretty much tickles me.

Being close in age (way to close I sometimes think) their friends overlap and many of their interests do as well. Because they are such unique individuals they stand alone very often, they will be off doing something interesting, then have to stop and rush to the defense of a sibling. Often confusing the individual they are defending them from.. Almost always they wonder why? They actually have to be told that my children are siblings.. Which is an entire other post...