Sunday Citar (Don't worry; be happy!)

Edgar Degas

You can feel the excitement and bustle of activity as these dancers get ready to perform. This is one of my favorite Degas paintings.

It's time to join in with Fresh Mommy for Sunday Citar. My kids start school in 3 days. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Here are some quotes to ease my anxious mind.

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy." - Leo Buscaglia

"Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow." - Proverb

"We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends, and living our lives." - Maya Angelou

I feel better already :) Happy Sunday!

I'm playing tag today...

My dear, talented friend, She Poet, tagged me for this meme. So here I go.

1) What’s your current obsession? poetry, cooking shows, Project Runway

2) What’s your weirdest obsession? I've been watching my favorite cartoons from the 60's and 70's: Scooby-Doo, Dasterdly & Muttley, Josie & The Pussycats

3) What are you wearing today? Very BRIGHT orange t-shirt and my comfy pants

4) Why is today special? The kids are outside playing nicely today! Alleluia!

5) What would you like to learn to do? dance, paint, sculpt

6) What’s the last thing you bought? Food and school supplies

7) What are you listening to right now? Pinky Dinky Doo cartoon and I'm singing "Come Away With Me" by Nora Roberts in my head :)

8) What’s your favorite weather? Cool autumn days and warm summer breezes

9) What’s your most challenging goal right now? Finding time to exercise regularly

10) What do you think about the person who tagged you? A gifted poet and writer with a lovely heart and creative soul. Visit She Poet. You'll love her blog too!

11) What's your favorite guilty pleasure? Chocolate in any form. I have gone on chocolate hunts through my house when I really need a chocolate "fix". I think it's an addiction now!

12) Favorite vacation spot? I would love to go to a beautiful tropical island. I did enjoy Disney World years ago, but I was so exhausted.

13) What would you like to have in your hands right now? My father's hand. Wish he was still here.

14) What would you like to get rid of? The tension on my block.

15) If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go: A safari tour of the beautiful African plains. (You know that my husband would never agree to that one:)

16) Which language do you want to learn? Russian. I would love to read some of my favorite classic Russian novelists (Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy) in their own language. It would be funny to watch my kids' faces if I barked out orders in Russian :) I also would like to know a bit about 12 year old American slang. What does my son mean when he says, "you were powned?"

17) What super power would you like to possess? Flying would be cool.

18) What’s your favorite thing about the city you live in? I live in a suburb of NYC so I will have to pick The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A place of wonder and inspiration.

19) What’s your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet? A navy jacket that dresses up any outfit.

20) What’s your dream job? Broadway actress or dancer. Wouldn't it be nice to hear applause every night?

21) If you had $/£/€150 now what would you spend it on? In US Dollars that's $215.43. Can you point me to the nearest bookstore? I also would like to finally get an Ipod:)

22) Do you admire anyone’s style? Do you know Padma Lakshmi on Top Chef? She has wonderful taste in clothes and wears them so well. It would help if I had her body :)

23) Describe your personal style. Relaxed, but neat. I love color all around me.

24) Who’s fashion show would you want tickets to? The Project Runway season finale.

25) What talent would you like to have? I love all the photography blogs that I have found. I admire my photography friends' talent and creative eye. They give me inspiration every day.

26) What are you most proud of? My kids are caring and respectful. They feel for other people.

27) If you could choose one person to have lunch with who would it be and why? Any of my blogging buddies. It would be great to have a nice conversation and some laughs in person:)

Now the rules of this tag:
1) Respond and rework: answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention.

I'm tagging these blogging friends to play along:

Jillien
Wendy
Mandy
Kim
Aleta
H F W
Shaye

I invite everyone to play too! I love learning about all you guys :)

Friday High Five

I can't believe that it's Friday already! Time to post my Friday High Five to join in with Angela's fun over at Angela's Adventures and Minor Mishaps.

FIVE EXERCISE TIPS
FOR MY FELLOW BLOGGING MAMAS

1. Don't accept a jumping jack challenge from a 9 year old boy. I made it to 25, but my bladder didn't want to cooperate for me to go 5 more. I should get more exercise points for jogging to the bathroom :)
   
   
2. Don't let your 4 year old within 10 feet of your remote during a yoga video. She thought it was funny to fast forward while Mommy was stuck in a pose.
   
   
3. Remember that your stretching may look funny from certain angles. I don't want to send my son into therapy after seeing Mommy in a not so ladylike stretch.
   
   
4. Eating a cookie right after exercise will cancel out all that calorie burning. I think I better padlock the pantry :)
   
   
5. Don't let the kids clock you when it comes to exercise bike time. I ran downstairs to have my own time with the bike. My kids decided to follow me and watch how many minutes I could handle. I couldn't really cheat so I pushed myself longer. Now I'm glad that I did, but during the mini bike marathon, I was praying that they would run upstairs.

Happy Friday everyone!

Thankful Anyway Thursday

The wonderfully insightful Mon, over at Holistic Mama, invites us to participate in Thankful Anyway Thursday. Mon reminds us that it is easy to be thankful for the good stuff, but can we be thankful for the not so good?

If I knew how much of parenting would be "refereeing", I would have invested in a black and white striped wardrobe. I'm called upon to be a referee way too many times in a day. School is next week so I should be able to hang up my whistle for at least part of the day. Following Mon's lead, I will try to take a positive spin on my daily referee duties.

• Hopefully, my kids are learning about compromise and negotiation. I have 12 basketballs and they all fight for the same one.
  
  
• My kids will learn how to argue a point and turn out to be all star debaters. They just need to cut down on the finger pointing and habitual whining to succeed in that role.
  
  
• My kids will admire their mother's ability to bring harmony and order to their playtime. Mom, did you see that? Mom, you always take HIS side! Mom, you don't know what we're talking about! You know how I just love these comebacks :)

Life with children, always enlightening, never boring and often thoroughly exhausting.

Time for a "Beatles" education

My son asks, "Mom, who were The Beatles?" We're sitting together now as I post this fun video. He seems intrigued. This 9 year old has great taste. He's tapping his foot along to the beat. Hope you enjoy it too!

Tot Talk Tuesday

Today, my Joe is the star of Tot Talk Tuesday. When my husband comes home each night, one of the kids usually give him an update about what we did during the day. Here is what Joe reported the other night:

"Dad, the guy with the brown shorts visited Mom again."

Don't get any ideas. I don't have any energy for a soap opera moment during the day. I guess I received too many UPS packages these past weeks.

Jump over to The Monkeys and Me to see what all the tots have to say!

Money troubles

Living paycheck to paycheck will not work for my family much longer. My husband and I are starting to drown in our bills. Being unemployed for 2 years after his layoff depleted all of our savings. We are so grateful that he is employed now, but his salary is significantly lower and does not meet our basic household needs. I need to find a way to help supplement our family income soon.

I wish I could find a legitimate way to make money online. There are so many scams trying to entice stay-at-home moms to invest in a product or program. I tell myself that there must be something online that I can do from home.

Since I love to write, I am hoping to find an online opportunity that needs writers, editors or researchers. I am really open to almost anything. If I could do it, I would even belly dance :) That would be a sight! All my dear friends, do you know of any potential income sources out there on this grand Internet?

Thanks for any help or guidance.

Poetically inclined about the pool today

A beauty by Monet. I don't swim with waterlilies. But aren't the colors so inviting?


"Water Therapy"

Four decades may sit on my shoulders,
but my eyes will dive through blue.

The warmest sun freckles my arms,
as I lay back to accept the cool.

Worries evaporate for an ounce of time,
but caution keeps young mermaid close.

A boisterous setting to meditate,
as welcome water filters unease.

Jillian would love that I referred to her as a mermaid :) Can you tell that I'm missing the pool today? Our town pool closed yesterday. Unfortunately, thunder decided to interrupt our pool plans on that last day. After devoting 30 minutes towards sun lotion application on all 6 of us, I wasn't too thrilled to have to turn around right after we parked the minivan. The kids weren't happy either. At least, I'm glad that we did get a lot of pool time in this summer. It was a great sanctuary for me :) I guess cool showers will be my next best substitute.

Sunday Citar - Novelists

Vincent van Gogh

For today's Sunday Citar with Fresh Mommy, I found these quotes from famous novelists:

A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used, to utter fully human speech as possible. Powerlessness and silence go together. - Margaret Atwood

All humanity is passion; without passion, religion, history, novels, art would be ineffectual. - Honore de Balzac

Everything I've ever done, in the writing world, has been to expand articulation, rather than to close it. - Toni Morrison

Writing is like getting married. One should never commit oneself until one is amazed at one's luck. - Iris Murdoch

What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other? - George Eliot

The van Gogh painting may not necessarily work for all these quotes, but I wanted to post this lovely picture anyway :)

Happy Sunday everyone!

This has my "seal" of approval

You know how I love to share my favorite songs. I'll be dancing around (hopefully, somewhat gracefully) to this one while I do the dishes. Hope you enjoy it too :)

Off to the mall we go

I'm happy to say that I survived my mall trip with the kids today. Instead of going to our local mall, I decided to go to the Danbury mall in CT. I thought a little change of scenery would be a nice change. My husband's "encouraging" remark: "Good luck. You'll probably need it."

When the kids drive with me, all sorts of craziness may be happening in the van. Today, we had chanting about favorite hockey teams, singing funny songs to make Jillian happy, debates about lunch choices and random noise-making challenges. Maybe 5 - 10% of these activities would occur if my husband was behind the wheel. You should see how much work it takes for me to keep the peace while he drives. I'm wiped out before we even get to our destination :)

I like that the kids want to have fun while I drive. I do my best to tune out most of the chaos as I focus on the road. I think I tuned out too well because I noticed that they were playing a "rip up every piece of paper" game. My husband would have gone crazy if it was his SUV.

Overall, we had a fun day and the kids enjoyed window shopping. When my husband comes to the mall, he is all business. Where do you have to go? Are we almost done? Which way to the exit by the van? The kids and I like roaming around without a specific agenda or time line. I tell my husband that we will miss these days when the kids are always with us. Soon enough, they will be off with their friends, and they will not be as ready to go anywhere with their parents. I want to treasure this time while I can.

As we passed a smiling woman offering massages at a booth, I told her that I wish I could stop for a quickie massage. She suggested that I get the massage while the kids watch. I told her that the kids staying still for those ten minutes was not conceivably possible. Also, I wouldn't be able to relax while checking on them each minute. As most moms know, it's practically impossible to shop for one little thing for yourself when the kids are around. A massage would be a real stretch. However, I do think the kids would have thought it was funny to see me in the massage chair.

We've been back for about a half hour, and the kids have already asked about when we're going to the pool. I sent them to clean up all that paper in my van. I wonder how long that will keep them busy. I wish I could borrow their energy :)

Here's a little Family Circus comic fun for you today.

My gentle bear

My six year old son is a gentle bear of a kid. He loves to give intense, linebacker-style hugs. His physical strength amazes me some days. We are glad that he is closest in age to Jillian. He has been officially dubbed "Jillian's protector" as she ventures through her school days :)

All rough and tough at times on the outside, he is all "mush" on the inside. Of all my children, I think he has inherited my super sensitivity gene. He can get upset very easily. Many times during kindergarten last year, he would get visibly teary eyed when called to do a new task or present anything to his class. I worried about his sense of comfort each day. As I worked around the house, I would continually ask myself, "I hope Joe is happy right now. I hope he's not too nervous." His teacher would let me know if Joe had a particularly nervous day. Amazingly, he didn't miss a day of kindergarten. He is so proud of that fact. Joe worked hard throughout kindergarten, and I'm proud of his determination and achievement.

Today we are two weeks from the first day of school. Joe is moody and acting out a lot. I can tell that he is getting nervous. So am I. As he gets older, I hope that his nervousness subsides.

He truly is my gentle bear. He is full of hugs and kisses for all of us in the family. When he feels hurt, he also feels that emotion very strongly. He looks for my comfort often. I do feel that he has learned to "self-comfort" pretty well in school. He just needs to not show his nervousness so much. The other kids start to point it out and that can make things worse for him.

Well, there's my latest worry about my kids. Keep your fingers crossed for my Joe as he gets on the bus on the first day of school. Think of nervous me too as I wave good-bye to him.

My husband thinks that I'm super "mushy" too :)

Tot Talk Tuesday

Here's the scenario. It sounded like the WWE was sponsoring an all out brawl in my downstairs play area. All thirty something pounds of Jillian marched over to the top of the stairs with her hands on her hips. She yelled down to her wild brothers, "How many times do I have to tell you guys to settle down? You don't want me coming down there and ending all your fun." I'll have to make a video of one of these Jillian Mama moments. At least, Jillian remembers what I say. She's like a walking tape recorder.

Jillian is my understudy Mama. I can count on her to corral those rambunctious boys :)

Jump over to The Monkeys and Me to see what all the tots have to say!

One of those girls

About 45 minutes ago, I was alone for the first time today. On this warm and muggy night in NY, I was pushing my creaky shopping cart to my lonely minivan. I had to get some food for my fridge. After a weekend of sun and fun, our household was in dire need of provisions.

As I pushed my cart, a car filled with laughing and chatting teen girls drove by. They were excitedly gesturing to a parked car with a few teen boys hanging out together for the night. I think some harmless, teasing exchange occurred as the girls drove off to another destination.

It has been twenty-five years since I was one of those laughing girls. Now that statement just freaked me out a bit! Where did all that time go?

I thought about all that carefree fun as I unloaded my groceries. Time has changed my body (that's for sure:), but I still feel like I could giggle with the best of them if invited to play along with the girls again!

No more time for fantasy talk. Laundry duty awaits.

Sunday Citar - Legends of Music

artist unknown

Happy Sunday everyone! I thought it would be interesting to share quotes from some legendary musical performers for today's Sunday Citar.

Visit Fresh Mommy for more quotes to ponder :)

My role in society, or any artist's or poet's role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.
John Lennon

Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
Stevie Wonder

Musicians don't retire; they stop when there's no more music in them.
Louis Armstrong

It's like a novelist writing far out things. If it makes a point and makes sense, then people like to read that. But if it's off in left field and goes over the edge, you lose it. The same with musical talent, I think.
Johnny Cash

This is what I want in heaven... words to become notes and conversations to be symphonies.
Tina Turner

Friday High Five

I'm sneaking in my Friday High Five, hosted by Angela over at Angela's Adventures and Minor Mishaps. Jump over to Angela's blog to join in the fun. My list was inspired by a recently uncovered picture of me at 17. My kids got a chuckle at my expense:)

FIVE OF MY WACKY
FASHION DECISIONS WHEN I WAS 17

1. Red leopard Hammer-style pants
2. Long earrings that looked like a solar system project
3. A shirt that looked like a cat tore into it
4. Some kind of overly buckled boot/shoe type of footwear
5. HUGE pocketbook with fringes galore

I remember thinking that I was pretty cool. Most of my money went into these crazy outfits. I guess I'll not be too judgmental when my kids want to "express" themselves in unique ways:)

Laugh with Seinfeld

I saw a Seinfeld rerun yesterday. I forgot how much they could make me laugh. I hope you enjoy these funny clips from the show!

Wild times back in the 15th century

Silence may follow
stiletto's merge with traitor
heart grasps freshest wound

Physical love warped
crude disposal of souls
numb and dead to touch

So did those haikus spark your interest? They are inspired by the book I just finished, The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis. This book kept me up for the past week. Kalogridis knows how to keep your interest as she weaves a tale based on some juicy historical facts about the papal court of Pope Alexander VI. Talk about a world full of treachery, ambition, immorality and inhumanity! The story is told candidly and vividly through the eyes of Sancha, Princess of Aragon and wife to the Pope's illegitimate son, Jofre. Sancha is a historical fiction character that will be hard to forget. Considering the amount of debauchery described in this novel, I was surprised to learn that most of it was not sensationalized by the author's imagination. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that papal court. There was no safe place to hide from those hungry for more power and perversity.

Well written and thoroughly researched, I would recommend this book to any historical fiction buff. Images from this book are still in my head. There is some good movie material here.

Off to my next reading adventure!

Poetry Quickfire

Do you know how the chefs have to do a quickfire challenge on Top Chef? They must put together some kind of dish in a short time. Well, I'm doing my own kind of poetry quickfire today for fun. Here is a poem that I wrote in about 5 minutes while watching Jillian play an online game. It's rough around the edges, but there may be something to work with here.

Fold it neatly
my soul's promise.

A love lyric to self
with care to watch.

Those fleeting moments
seeking a perch.

A word may present
to caress the unknown.

Note to waiting soul
unfolds eternity's window.

Pieces of a journey
lay before me a road.


I think this may be an interesting way for me to push myself into getting a poem out each day. Like those chefs during their quickfire challenge, I'll work with whatever is on hand and hope something worthwhile comes out on my "plate". Thanks for reading everyone!

This song never grows old for me

Time for a rock and roll confession. Any other Def Leppard fans out there? Teenage Kelly is coming out tonight to sing along with this long time favorite of mine. I can even see myself rocking this one in my golden years.

Funny to check out those 80's hairstyles and tight pants :) I like these stripped down early MTV videos. It was all about the song and the performance. The videos weren't sophisticated or spectacular. I kind of like these amateurish videos that look like they were shot in a garage or empty lot. Nothing too distracting. I was always more of a radio girl anyway. The video was just a chance to hear the song again.

As I look at the lead singer's hair, I think I may be still sporting 80's curls too!! By the way, my self-proclaimed music expert (my 12 year old son) even admits that this song is pretty good. Hope you guys enjoy it too. My son now asks that I stop playing it over and over again. I wonder if I can use that same line on him when he gets into his music zone :)

Tot Talk Tuesday

Here's my Tot Talk Tuesday highlight of my conversation with Jillian last night.

I nursed all my kids. I think I had a baby attached to my chest during most of my 30's :) Anyway, Jillian likes to call that part of the female anatomy, "nurse". She giggles when she points out her Barbie doll's nurse for visitors to her room.

Here is another classic Jillian type of observation:

"Mom, good thing that Daddy doesn't have nurse. He would look weird."

I agree :) Happy Tuesday everyone! Jump over to The Monkeys and Me to hear what all the tots have to say.

Watching the hurt

I stop to take notice.
A quick glance to check.

Something unsettling floats.
Expression betrays storm.

Words may claim no worry.
Face and tone say opposite.

Emotions tie him up.
Reason hides in a cloud.

Abrupt comments challenge.
Debate without turns.

Mama bangs upon a door.
A key may never appear.

For my kids, I tend to want to fix everything. Mama will make it all right. I find it hard right now to accept the realization that my kids will deal with situations or emotions without me as they get older. I can't get into that almost teenage head. Being the mother to a teenager will definitely have its challenges. I'm having some difficulty transitioning away from the Mama who could figure out each of my child's needs. The kids go through their emotional ups and downs, and I sure have my own. I have to learn how to reign in my worry and trust that I'll find a way to help my children without necessarily knowing all the details of their hurt. I don't know if I'm ready for the teen years. I guess my son and I will grow together through this process.

Quotes about hope

Mary Cassatt

When I look at this picture, I think of the hope and love in this mother's heart for her child. I decided to focus on hope for today's Sunday Citar with Fresh Mommy.

"Hope is the dream of a soul awake." - French proverb

"Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all." - Emily Dickinson

At the bowling alley

Hi everyone! Here's a picture of me with my gang at the bowling alley yesterday. They had a great time. Hope you are all having a wonderful Saturday!

Friday High Five

Friday High Five time with Angela, over at Angela's Adventures and Minor Mishaps. Today I'll share with you what I hear from the backseat peanut gallery when I drive.

1. "Everyone have their helmets on?" - husband's favorite comment
   
   
2. "Do you have to let everyone go?" - I like to help someone out when it's a tricky left.
   
   
3. "Mom, do we have to listen to your music?" - Sorry kids. I need my sanity music.
   
   
4. "Kids, we'll get there eventually." - husband's second favorite comment
   
   
5. "Mom, is the A/C on all the way?" - They want it to feel like a freezer.

Have some fun and join in with Angela. Happy Friday everyone!

I dare you to...

I can still hear my childhood friend's voice in my mind as she would say, "Kelly, I DOUBLE DARE you to..." I thought it might be fun to see what kind of things you guys would "willingly" try.

Let's pretend that we have that same daring spirit of a 9 year old.

Each dare has two choices for your consideration:

DARE ONE

I dare you to wear a bikini (girls) or speedo (boys)

OR

have a SAFE minivan drag race past the police station.


DARE TWO

I dare you to bungee jump

OR

eat some exotic insect delicacy.

DARE THREE

I dare you to do a comedy act at a club

OR

attempt to dance at a ballet practice

I know that this is silly, but I felt so serious yesterday. Time for a little fun :)

Here are my answers: I think I'll drag race. The bikini makes me more nervous than the cops. I would bungee jump. There is no way that I can eat a bug, even if dipped in chocolate :) And of course, I'll try ballet. You know how I would get a vicarious "dancing thrill" being with all those professional dancers. (To all my So You Think You Can Dance buddies, who do you think is going to win? I have a feeling that it may be Jeanine.)

So which dare would you pick? Thanks for humoring me with this one! Happy Thursday!

Alone on my battlefield

Frustration

That tightness begins to ascend,
coiling through all of me.
Take away this choke,
as it grabs and lets go.
Failing over and over,
my mind tires to fight.
That familiar grasp squeezes,
as hope slumbers away.
Pry myself away to breathe,
to crawl upward and out.

Almost thirteen years of motherhood and I worry about these feelings of inadequacy as a parent. At times, I feel like I'm on a battlefield and not making any ground. As the kids get older, the parenting really wears on me some days. I don't know if they "get" what I'm trying to say. I always seem to be coming back to square one. Progress must be happening. I wish I could see it better.

Some interview questions

Shan, over at Tales From The Fairy Blogmother, is hosting "Knowing Me, Knowing You", and asks these interview questions for August:

1. Would you rather swim in a pool or lake? A nice, cool pool is just right for me. I wish I could spend time in a pool all year round. When I was a kid, my parents would take us to a lake every summer. We loved swimming around the lake and exploring the surrounding woods. My lake exploring days are over.
   
   
2. Where do you do most of your internetting, from a desktop or a laptop? Some days I spend more time with my laptop than Hubby. Laptop never asks about what's for dinner :)
   
   
3. What did you do today? Laundry, dishes, blogging. My usual trio. Also, I took my sister to her CPR training class. It's a prerequisite for the LPN program that she is entering in September. I took her son and my kids to McDonald's for lunch. I think every other mother had the same idea. It was a zoo. Now the challenge is to keep the kids from wrestling each other downstairs. They are out of my sight so I better hurry up with this post :)
   
   
4. Have you had enough of this cool rainy summer? Rain, rain go away.
   
   
5. Chocolate pudding or butterscotch? I bow to you chocolate. You definitely have a way with me!

Have some fun and visit Shan to link up with your answers!

Tot Talk Tuesday

It's Tot Talk Tuesday over at The Monkeys and Me. Jillian, who proudly states that she is 4 now, had a few things to say this weekend.

After watching me put drops of red food color into the white frosting for her cake, Jillian said, "Mommy, can I borrow that stuff so I can make everything pink? You know how I love pink." I quickly hid the bottle :)

Jillian's older brother was teasing her about her new capris. She loves to show them off as she walks into the living room. When her brother teased her this time, she stopped and said, "Just talk to the hand." She had the whole teen girl attitude and pose when she said it. I think I'll be in trouble during her teen years :)

Jump over to Niecey's blog to see what all the tots have to say. Happy Tuesday!

Harmonious morning and yoga update

THREE CHEERS FOR MOMENTS OF HARMONY

Here is a brother o.k. with losing the game. Testosterone competitive level must be low.

A happy little girl watching Yo Gabba Gabba. She's mesmerized right now by the dancing green guy. This show's creators know how to entertain the young ones.

Restful night for a change. Only one kid came by for a late night visit.

Maybe I'll finish my book today. Do you ever just want to finish a book so you can get to the next one?

Only one time I had to reprimand. That's a record for this summer.

No big mess from yesterday's party. I expected to find pink icing on the couch cushions :)

Yeah! I'm actually feeling quite peaceful today. I have to treasure this feeling.

I know that it's only 11:06 a.m., but a Mama has to hope :) I still have a long afternoon ahead of me. Wait until I hear the groans when I announce that we're off to the supermarket.

Yoga update: I survived my first yoga session. I felt much better after it was over. My muscles appreciated some overdue stretching. The kids thought that Mr. Finger (my exuberant video yoga instructor) was hilarious so they actually watched the yoga tape with interest. They especially liked when Mr. Finger said, "Please separate the fleshy part of your buttocks when you get into position." To my embarrassment, the kids liked repeating this yoga instruction to Jillian's party guests yesterday.

Thanks to everyone for your nice birthday wishes for Jillian! She had a Disney princess party so I am surrounded this morning by Cinderella, Belle and Snow White. I think Jillian wants to keep this princess decor in the dining room indefinitely :) Jillian made sure that only "girls" got the princess plates and cups. My boys were "told" by little princess Jillian that they can find their car plates in the cupboard. This four years old rules the roost!

Happy Birthday to my little girl!

Guess who is turning 4 today? Happy Birthday to my sweet Jillian!

We all love you :)

For Sunday Citar with Fresh Mommy, here are some lovely quotes about children:

"Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven."
Henry Ward Beecher

"Hugs can do great amounts of good — especially for children."
Princess Diana