madameblogalot

My mom is awesome! She has been an awesome mom my whole life. One of the things I most treasure is her friendship, both when I was a kid and today as an adult and mother struggling with raising my own kids. Mom has always been there when I needed to talk. And even at times when I didn’t want to talk yet, I knew she was there for me. She would “tuck me in” every night. She even continued this tradition when I was in high school. These were the special, quiet moments when it was safe and I was free to talk. She would help me work through things.

Today, my mom is only a phone call away. She is still helping me talk through things and working out things, especially how to be a better mother myself. She is a special mom who deserves to be treated with special thanks. With mother’s day being only a few days away, I have a good idea of what I’d like to give her. I think flowers are nice, but this year I have a special surprise ready for her too! I hope she can use it and I think she will really like it!!

Believe it or not, our county is under yet another flash flood warning tonight. It is the third one in the last ten days! We had been experiencing near drought conditions and now are worrying about overflowing creeks and bayous. We lost a car in the first flash flood, were trapped at my uncle’s house during the second. They say things come in threes….I sure hope we don’t have any other adventures in flooding again tonight!

As our kids have reached the teenage years, it has become increasingly important to us to teach them financial ability and confidence. In teaching kids the basics of handling money, it seems that actually handling money is vital. Letting them make their own spending decisions, teaching them to save up for items and even learning some hard lessons from monetary mistakes can be key to a child’s future financial savvy.

As kids hit the teenage years, this seems like a very important step for them to make as they transition into the adult world. Savings accounts, CDs, checking accounts and debit cards are all things that parents need to help their teens learn to manage.

I know that some of the older teens in our youth group have a Prepaid Visa card. This seems like a good idea for the older teen. The parents can put a certain amount of money into the account and the young adult has to learn to make the money last. The prepaid card allows easy money transfers, email and text account balance alerts and is free from many fees, including activation, transaction and weekly fees. It sounds like something that might be a good way for teens to practice financial know-how while still having some guidance and boundaries set by parents.

I have a very close friend who has been going through a lot of pain and heartache lately. We have been talking and praying together quite a bit this week. I shared a little story with my friend that I wanted to jot down. It spoke to me and I hope it will help my friend as well.

Earlier this year I began having a good deal of pain in my foot. It was brought about rather quickly and unexpectedly. It sort of built up over a period of time. But I ignored it. I tried to work through it. I hoped it would go away. I talked about it. I cried over it. I pulled back a little. At times the pain would ease, but it never went completely away. Then several weeks ago I began treatment with a chiropractic doctor.

I was unsure. It is expensive. I didn’t know if it would work. But I went. I was scared. It was awkward. It hurt. At one point the treatment hurt so bad that I could not walk. This pain was almost more unbearable than the original pain. I doubted if this was worth it. I doubted the healing process was working.

But I knew I could not continue my lifestyle if I did not get rid of the pain. And the only option I had was to continue the healing procedure. I went back to the doctor. The pain is fresh every time he touches a tender spot. It is still awkward. And I get scared thinking about some of the methods he uses to abate the pain. But I am noticing a difference. The swelling is gone. The pain is much less. It is less tender every time he treats it. I am now able to run six miles a few times a week.

Overcoming pain and heartache in life is just like the healing process I am going through with my foot. It hurts. It can be awkward. It can be expensive. It is very scary. And sometimes there is more pain before the healing begins. Trusting the Healer and the healing process is sometimes the only thing that can get us through. And then one day, we will be able to run freely again.

I remember when cb radios were a big hit. Kids would walk around using cb lingo. Folks would talk to each other while driving. And of course, you could be warned about cops ahead! CBs are still being used today. I came across a website where you can order all the cb parts and accessories, even kits. The site is user friendly and has lots to offer cb veterans as well as the new-comer. You can search for what you need by brand or by vehicle. You can read up on information in the resource library. You can find discount pricing available. This site also strives to set themselves apart. I learned that they offer only customer technical reviews. They ship nearly every order by 2:00 pm same day. They also offer a 120% guarantee! Sounds like a good deal.

This old dog tried some new tricks today. I started a new workout routine. I have not had a new routine in years. My husband says it’s good to confuse the muscles and change routines regularly. I found one online that I felt would be a good challenge and give me some work in areas I need toning and strengthening.

I hate finding out just how weak I am. There are only seven exercises to the routine. Actually each one is two body parts included in each movement, so I guess it’s like there are fourteen. I was standing near the windows at the gym, and it was pretty warm. But I could not believe the amount of sweat dripping from me. And it’s not because I was lifting lots of weight. Some of the moves I had to go through with no weight at all until I could get the form and balance! The concentration it took for me just to balance through the new moves really got my attention. I think it’s a good think I tried some new tricks today!

I told my husband today that I would never be able to make it through life without chocolate. I just love it. I don’t actually crave it as much as I used to. But if I am going to give in to a dessert, it better be good chocolate. I have pretty much given up on run of the mill chocolate bars. I want good chocolate. I do keep a “gourmet” dark chocolate mint candy bar on hand, just in case! It goes great with a cup of hot chai tea before bed. Of course, I am not giving up all together on warm gooey chocolate desserts-cookies, brownies, cakes-those usually worth the indulgence for me. Though I admit I have a hard time stopping myself after just one serving…

I took my daughter to see Broadway Across America’s Wizard of Oz today. (Great show!) Just after intermission, I got a call from my neighbor. I did not answer since the show was underway again. After the show, my daughter said she had also gotten a text from another young neighbor. I knew something was wrong then…

I called back to find out that our neighborhood had flooded while we were gone! Everything was fine, no water in the house, though it did come up to the door and in the garage. The car that my son drives was parked out on the street. The water was up to the side door windows! By the time we got home, the water had gone down, but was still standing inside the Jeep (Cherokee)! It was gross! And we’ll see how well we are able to dry it out.

I also heard that around the corner, folks got water in their houses. I hope not. Many on that street are just having repairs from Ike finished up!

I guess most folks are glad though that the drought is over…

Yesterday I applied for a part time job. I found the listing on Monster.com. It is for a distributor of hospital gowns. The contractor chooses his/her own hours, so I thought working two or three afternoons a week would maybe work out for me. Of course, this is my thought without having talked to the company. I had to submit a resume to apply for the job. I have not submitted much less written a resume in years. It was kind of weird and funny to put it together.

I did not know exactly what to put on the resume. I looked online for a template . I found a free one, but could not print it for free. So I made my own following the template. I listed many different things on there including working for my mom’s office as a part-time contractor doing various duties, teaching bible classes, distributing magazines, working in a pharmacy fifteen years ago (!), data entry jobs, and even blog writing.

I know. That one may not be appropriate to put on there. But I figure it shows self-discipline and self-motivation. Ha. As for accomplishments, I listed homeschooling, finishing two triathlons and a half marathon.

Are these the kind of things that are appropriate on a resume or am I only presenting myself as unintelligent, too far removed from the real world, a freak, or something…!?

As a parent noticing how hard it is to be a kid growing up today, parenting is pretty scary too! I have a good friend who moved away last summer. Our kids are close in age and are going through lots of the same things. We would often compare notes and share our joys and woes. Since she’s moved, we get to talk some, but not enough. I got to ride with her this weekend to our camp and so we got to spend some good time sharing some burdens on our heart and talking through some things. It is great to have such a friend as a sounding board.

Not every parent has such a treasured friend with whom they can turn to with questions. Every stage of parenting brings such difficult questions and we often second guess ourselves. From diaper, feeding and sleep questions early on to teaching teens responsibility, letting them suffer consequences from foolish decisions, and staying sane while they learn to drive, there is a lot that parents worry about. And there are times we just don’t feel comfortable asking questions of folks who know us and know our kids. At times like these, we may turn to internet sources to maintain our anonymity while finding information and seeking answers. Of course we have to be careful when dealing with things online, not knowing who we are really talking to, but in parenting forums, it’s great to find out we are not alone in our struggles, worries and triumphs with our kids.