Mother

Pregnant at 19…. It was never in my ‘plan’. Having a child was item number 12 on my list, right after getting my master’s degree and getting married. What a life altering change was in store for me, when one day becoming a mother moved to the top of my list. Replacing marketing textbooks for pregnancy books and switching coffee for water, I was on a journey to become a bona fide Mom. Up until that point the only thing I knew about parenting was how to be a daughter, or so I thought. Little did I know I was about to take everything I thought I had ever known, and throw it out the window. Education started now. Life, started now.

Throughout 9months of preparation, I saw my life slowly changing. Designer clothes swapped for stretchy clothes. Chaise lounges swapped for cribs. Slowly but surely I let my former self go in layers, ready with a blank canvas to start anew again.

November 26, 2003, my painting began to take shape. As I held my innocent baby in my arms for the very first time I felt a shift in my heart as warm tears of awesome wonder trickled down my cheek….I had become a mother. I learned more in those tender moments than I did in months of reading books. I learned to love without conditions. I learned to sacrifice, even with my life. I learned to protect at all costs. I learned to forgive with my whole heart. But most importantly, I learned what if felt like to be whole.

The years to follow continued to be educational, as I was schooled on not only becoming a mother, but in my case a father as well. I learned to discipline while being the nurturer. I learned to support while raising a child. I learned to wipe away tears while shedding tears of my own. I lived off of the energy of his smile during moments of exhaustion. I craved the feel of his soft hair after working my fingers to the bone. I learned what it felt like to be alone, only to look at him and feel whole again.

January 9, 2007, a splash of color brushed across my painting. As I looked into my husband’s eyes and cradled our new baby, once again my heart shifted. I learned what it was like to have a father for my children. And I learned to let go, to trust another to love how I had love, to protect how I had protected, and to cherish as I had cherished. Both terrifying and comforting, not only letting go….but letting someone in.

December 2, 2008, the final stroke. A daughter. I had given birth to an angel. Once again my heart shifted, falling perfectly into place. I learned what it meant to be a daughter, despite having been one all my life. I learned what it felt like to not want, to be fulfilled, to feel complete. With my sons and my daughter all by my side I had all I would ever need. I learned my calling in life....nurturer, warrior, protector, comforter, provider, giver...Mother.

As I sit back and look at my painting, I can't help but see just how perfect it is. Covered in stretch marks and love. Spit up and laughter. Boo boos and tears. Dirt and imagination. What was once a blank canvas has been brushed with the education of life, the joys of parenting, and the beauty of children. My three gifts from heaven. My teachers. My muses. My masterpiece.

**This was prompt #4 for MamaKat's writer's workshop**

I'm obsessed....

I'll admit, I obsess over little trivial things to the point where its all I can think about ALL DAY LONG. Wanna know what I've been obsessing about all day long?? What the heck we're going to carve our flippin pumpkins as! You remember those pumpkins, right? The ones we moved heaven and earth to pick out...the ones that took us not one, but TWO days of searching...the ones that had Mommy ready to start twitching while rocking back and forth in the corner singing Burt Bacharach to herself. I'm so glad we found the perfect pumpkins just we could gut and mutilate them...makes perfect sense. Moving on!! So I spent the evening searching for inspiration... searching for an image of THE ONE...

I present....

{the hamburglar's coming for this one!}


{who does this???}


{too much candy corn for this little fella}


{ :) }


{“Rule 17: Don’t turn your back on bears, men you have wronged or the dominant Turkey during mating season.”- Dwight}

Hmmm....so many options, so little time...To be honest I don't care what it looks like, as long as I can make a friggin pie out of it....

SITScation '09...

Well, I think it's safe to say they liked me. I think. I hope. Let me tell you I was a nervous wreck on the way to SITScation. I got all gassy and was crop dusting through the entire airport...it was a bad deal!! Does anyone else have to poop when they get nervous? Anyone? Just me? Right then....Moving on. But SITScation has come and gone, and man, what a weekend we had!! Here's a list of my accomplishments over the weekend:

* Got mistaken for a hooker- true story. totally flattering!

* Listened to some AMAZING speakers! (I feel legit now!)

* Caught a cold. OF COURSE!

* Got some awesome swag...which may or may not have included a, ummm, toy...yeah, that kinda toy.

* Met some flippin' fabulous bloggers and now have way too many girl crushes.

* Dropped it like its hot...then picked it up and shook it like a polaroid picture...friggin' worked it.

* Got invited to Kim Kardashian's B-day party....politely declined.

So all in all, it was a rad weekend....wanna see some random pics?! OF COURSE YOU DO!! I wish I would have taken more, but I'm lame and forgot! Here goes....

{Dang paparazzi!!....always up in my grill}

{Are we smizing?!}

{Our fearless leader tearing up the floor, just LOST in the music!}

{I'll give you a dollar if you guess the bloggers!}
{Summer=GORGEOUS....Alicia=Pig flu}
{Mama Kat adopted me....jealous?}
{Even his nippies are ROCK hard! meow!}
{Oh, Dwayne!! The ladies can't resist!}
{Some of the FABULOUS ladies from SITS}

WHOOP WHOOP!! Good times in the Not-So-Sin City!!

But I'm glad to be home with my babies and my little sex-pot of a husband. I missed you all and can't wait to get caught up! Have a fabulous Monday!

Viva Las Vegas!!

Whoopity whoop whoop!! Guess where I'm going today folks?! Starts with an L...ends with 'as Vegas'.....hint hint....That's right!

LAS VEGAS FOOLS!! AH SNAP!

{SITScation 2009...calling all bloggers!}

I've packed my bags and I'm flying the friendly skies to Sin City! Where I will NOT be sinning...because that's how I roll, yo. I'm gonna get crazy and start sober-dialing everyone....it's gonna be amazing! So don't be alarmed if I call you professing my love for you. I may even start singing "Have I told you lately...that I love you...". Because I do. And I'm going to miss you while I'm gone. I'll miss you like the desert misses the rain...mmhhmmm.

I have to admit though, I'm a wee bit nervous to go. I mean...what if they don't like me?! GASP!! THE HORROR! What if they just think I'm the crazy girl who talks about having hot mustard gas because of her IBS and who lets her daughter crap out legos....yeah...or about how I adore The Hoff and Chuck Norris...maybe their not cool with that. Guess I'll find out! Just in case I've got a few tricks up my sleeve to win them over. I figured I'd start with my rather fantastic imitation of a chicken. I can cluck like it's nobody's business. For real. And if that doesn't work I figured I'd lure them in with my mad ability to freestyle rap. That should really seal the deal. Besides, they'll love me when I'm the one holding their hair back while they make out with the porcelain throne!!

But I'll be thinking of you all the whole time...I'll be with you in spirit. You know who else I'll be thinking of? My 3 little hooligans known as my children, who will be spending THE WHOLE weekend with my hunka-hunka burning love they call Daddy! GLOOORIOUS! But not really, because I'm going to miss them like mad... in fact I already miss them and I haven't even left yet! But I can't start writing about that because I'll start crying and get all snot-faced and puffy...nobody wants that. Dang it...I'm crying now. See what you guys made me do?!

So have a fabulous weekend everyone! I'll be thinking of you while I make the strip by biznatch! BOOYA! I can't wait to come back and tell you all about the craziness that's about to ensue. Because remember....

What happens in Vegas, end up on the blog!!

You have to watch this....

Seriously. This is the most amazing video. A friend of mine showed it to me last night and I couldn't peel my eyes from the screen. Such a beautiful, emotional, and insanely talented piece of work. It's amazing how her hands move the sand...You have to watch at least for a minute...

Background info...The gorgeous artist is named Kseniya Simonova and in this piece she's touching on World War II and the Germany invasion of the Soviet Union....

Language of loooove....

Men just have a way with words, don't they? I mean they can make ANYTHING sound DIRTY romantic! For instance...last night Jordan was loading the kids up in the car and as I open the passenger door to get in, he has the radio blaring and he's belting out "Watching in slow motion as you turn around and say....TAKE MY BREATHE AWAAAAAAAAY ..."

I respond to his serenade with a sarcastic "Settle down Maverick."

Without missing a beat he turns to me with those bedroom eyes, or come to think of it maybe it was gas, I get the two looks confused sometimes...and with a raise of the eyebrow he says "Wanna get Goosed?"....Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln, do you see what I have to put up with???

And just to really drive the point home, he takes one last stab at it and purrs in my ear "I'll take your breathe away.."

OH FREAK! Yes, honey. How can I refuse such romantic gestures? I don't even know how my pantaloons just didn't drop....honestly now! I'm swooning over here!

Well, at least I can say the love is alive! HAA! But not only can he turn anything ummm, 'romantic', but my little casanova has some killer pick up phrases to go with those come-hither eye brow raises.... Like these:


* Is your daddy a baker? Because your buns look delicious.

* Do you have a map? Because I keep on getting lost in your eyes.

* Can I have a picture of you so I can show Santa what I want for Christmas?

* Do you have a band-aid? I scraped my knee when I fell for you.

* Did you eat lucky charms for breakfast? Because you're looking magically delicious.

* Are you a parking ticket? Because you've got fine written all over you.

* Let's make like fabric softener and snuggle.

* Can I borrow your library card? Because I'm checking you out.

* You're dad must have been a butcher, because you've got two fine hams stuffed down the back of your pants.



So what about you....what's your favorite pick up line? I need some good ones to throw back at him!

Pumpkin Patch....Round 2

Well, crap. It's Monday already. Just shoot me in the face now...I've lost my will to live...but I'd settle for a nap and a Red Bull. But on the bright side, we had an awesome trip to a REAL pumpkin patch this weekend...not one of those lame-patch of dirt-broken wagon-rotting pumpkins-dumps in the middle of the market parking lot...I'm STILL bitter... This place was LEGIT! We're talking legit, like a ref with a whistle. Straight official! Complete with train rides, apple cider, petting zoo, hay rides, tractors, caramel apples, corn maze, and fields upon fields upon FIELDS of gorgeous pumpkins. The children of the corn (hahaa, get it, corn?) had a blast and we even managed to come home with some pumpkins! VICTORY!! Feast your eyes folks...

{My little train conductor...whoo whoo!}

{Typical male...just wants to play with the machinery}

{Boogie taking his turn at the controls...}

{Watch out ladies...this one's a heart breaker!}
{That's a lot of bacon...oink oink}

{My 3 favorite boys...}

{My rootin' tootin' cowboys...}

{The ladies of the Cline Casa}

{Future heart throb of America...}
{Isn't she a pretty ghoul? haha, get it, ghoul...girl..}
{Boogie bonding with the goats...}
{Bet you didn't know I was the goat whisperer...yup}
{When goats attack!!}

{The Little Miss looking cute as always!}

{Our little pumpkin...}

{Mmm...break me off a piece of that scrumptious specimen...grrr}

But perhaps my favorite picture of the day....the moment that made the entire day worth the trip...was letting the kids wander in fields and fields of this....

Don't you just love moments like this?