Lettuce Guess

While in the car, on the way home from school, Lily wrinkles up her nose and says, "Something in here 'mells stinky."
Me: What does it smell like?
Lily: I don't know, but it's stinky.  Maybe Sophia went poopie in her pants.  Sophia!  Sophia, did you go poo-poo in your pants?
Sophia: No
Lily: Sophia says no mommy.
Me: Does it smell like strawberries?
Lily: No
Me: Does it smell like apples?
Lily: No, not apples.  I know what it smells like. 
Me: What?
Lily: It smells like lettuce.
Me: (laughing, lots and lots of laughing)

This truly is just another...

Bringing Down The House

"Robin Hood meets the Rat Pack when the best and brightest of M.I.T.'s math students and engineers take up blackjack under the guidance of an eccentric mastermind.  Their small blackjack club develops from an experiment in counting cards on M.I.T.'s campus into a ring of card savants with a system for playing large and winning big.  In less than two years they take some of the world's most sophisticated casinos for more than three million dollars.  But their success also brings with it a formidable ire of casino owners and launches them into the seedy underworld of corporate Vegas with its private investigators and other violent heavies.

Filled with tense action, high stakes, and incredibly close calls, Bringing Down the House is a nail-biting read that chronicles a real-life Ocean's Eleven.  It's one story that Vegas does not want you to read.

Some of you may have remembered a movie that was out not too long ago based on this book.  I believe the name of the movie was the same as the book, Bringing Down the House.  Of course, this is not to be confused with the movie with the same title starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah (which I would not recommend).

Having already seen the movie, I wasn't sure about reading the book.  I figured I saw what it was all about, so there couldn't be anything new.  Of course, I was wrong.  This book kept me in suspense and entertained from start to finish.  This book is for men and women to read because both will enjoy it.  If you do decide to read this book, I recommend watching the movie after.

ENJOY!!

Time for a Change

If you haven't already noticed, I got a new page design today and I LOVE IT!!  The work was done by one of my oldest, sweetest friends, Jodi.  Doesn't she do great work??  and it even comes with this cute little signature...

Thanks again Jodi!

What's the Diagnosis?

This morning my two baby toes were introduced to the foot of my ottoman in a most uncomfortable way.  After holding back the scream in my throat and the nausea in my stomach, I sat down to inspect the toes and found that the swelling was at a minimum.  I knew that regardless if my toe was broken or just bruised, there is not much that can be done for it.  Still, with this 2 day walk coming up, I wanted to double check and get a doctor's opinion.  Of course what I got was more than that.


I took the girls with me because Joe was still at work.  Lily kept checking on me to see how my toes were because Lily insisted that, "I am the mommy today."  Apparently mommy wasn't the only role she was playing.  While in the waiting room, she took one look at my toe and diagnosed me with having

BROKEN TOE-ITIS

After an x-ray, the real doctor ruled out any fractures.  Thank goodness!

On the way home, Dr. Lily informed me that since my x-ray showed nothing was broken, then it could not be BROKEN TOE-ITIS.

Her final diagnosis: 

 "In fact mommy, what you have is BRUISED TOE-ITIS."

Thank you Dr. Lily!  Please bill my insurance company for payment.

Overabundance

After waking at 9 a.m. this morning, I was greeted by the two girls that made this day my day to celebrate.  They were eager to shower me with gifts and Lily was thrilled that she finally got to give me my surprise after keeping it a secret for the past week (months in toddler time).

The girls gave me many gifts to show their love for me.  There was an overabundance of mementos...

By far the most special gift I received...

I was treated to my favorite restaurant, P.F. Chang's, where there was an overabundance of food...

I was given hugs and kisses from my girls all day long.  Not an overabundance of them, but just enough because there can never be too many hugs and kisses from your children...

Today I was shown an overabundance of love from my girls and my husband, but aside from the gifts, today wasn't  really any different than other days.  Being a mom is the best thing that could ever happen to me.  I never knew my heart could be filled with so much love.  Although today is called "Mother's Day", every day is a day worth celebrating and the only two gifts I will ever need, I already have.  I love you and am so grateful to be your mommy!

In the words of Lily,

"HAPPY MUTTERS DAY!!!"

A Mother Is...

I am a mother.  In my opinion, I have the hardest yet most fulfilling job in the world.  My job is one I take very seriously because I want my girls to be safe and smart and above all, happy.  But how do you know what to do to make that happen?  "Mother's Intuition" is a phrase I hear often, and although I agree with it, I truly believe that you cannot go on intuition alone.  You need to learn to be a mom.  You need to learn by the example of another mother.  Lucky for me, I have that teacher.


Throughout my life, I had one person I knew I could always count on.
She is by my side through all of my good and bad times.
Yet at the same time, I know that she will always stand behind me and the choices that I make.
She is a person that I can go to when I need someone to talk to.
She is a person who will never judge me.
She is woman who has sacrificed so much of herself to provide for me.
She is so very smart.
She is so very kind.
She is a person I respect.
She is a person I admire.
She is my friend and I am so lucky to say, 
She is my mother.


My grandmother once said that the greatest hope you can have is that your children grow to be smarter than you.  I agree.  For them, I hope that is true.  For me, the greatest hope that I have is that I can someday be as great of a mother as the the woman who raised me.  So dearest mom, just know that even though today has been declared "Mother's Day", you are a woman I celebrate every day.  You deserve to be recognized.  You are the definition of a good woman and the epitome of a great mother.


I love you and thank you! 

Little Bee

"This is the story of two women.  Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face.  Two years later, they meet again-the story starts there...

Once you have read it, you'll want to tell your friends about it.  When you do, please don't tell them what happens.  The magic is in how the story unfolds."

I will obey the requests of the author and not give any of the story away.  I will tell you that the way in which he writes it, alternating chapters between the two main characters, is something I do not recall ever coming across in books I have read.  Recently anyway.  It kept me very interested.  I am trying my best not to give too much information, so I will just tell you that I enjoyed it, even through the heavy story line.  So for me, it's a must read.