First Day of Kindergarten - Round 2

As some of you know, we made the decision to have Cole repeat kindergarten.  Red skirting (which is starting a child in school a year late) is becoming more popular, to give kids and academic edge, but beyond that, we felt like Cole could really benefit from another year.  The good news is, I was probably the only mom in kindergarten not sobbing this morning.  The bad news is, Cole finally realized today that many of his friends aren't in his class anymore.  Even though this is something we'd discussed with him ever since making our decision, I don't think the concept fully hit him until today.  However, he did make some new friends (and is excited to learn their names).

My "bad mommy" moment came, though, when I realized I had forgotten to write his name on his supplies.  Yeah, I forgot to do it last year, too.  Maybe we'll both benefit from this second go 'round!  But, I must admit, as prepared as I was to send that big guy into the world today, I was kind of sad and bored without him here with me.  But, alas, our days will fill up with class parties, baking for school events, organizing fundraisers, socializing with the other parents and not to mention my own classes, so the boredom will pass as the year kicks in to full swing.

Not-So-"Extreme" Couponing

So, lots of my friends saw the Extreme Couponing show on TLC last week and are gung-ho to start your couponing adventures.  I was in similar shoes in December, after attending a couponing workshop with Jill Cataldo and associating with several fellow couponers at Cole's school.  Let me say, for the record, that it has seriously changed the way we shop, spend money and acquire many items for our home.  At current, our stockpile includes more pudding than you could shake a stick (or spoon) at, enough toothpaste to last us well into Cole's college years, pads and tampons out the wazoo, as well as a seemingly endless supply of formula, diapers, razors, body wash, etc.  But, it started out rough.  The first six weeks I was in the "business", it seemed like every good deal required a coupon from an earlier insert that I didn't have.  I couldn't figure out how to decide which coupons to print (I didn't want to wait, in case they ran out, but I also didn't want to waste ink).  I couldn't figure out the right order to stack coupons, sometimes I got the wrong products and sometimes I bought things that weren't really a good deal (like toothpaste for $0.50).  But, after several months of doing this, I'm now able to coupon without a lot of help, confusion or dismay.  Here are some tips for those of you interested in starting:

1. Subscribe to a newspaper.  For Rockford-area people, you'll want to subscribe to the Chicago Tribune.  Florida friends - you'll want to subscribe to The Ledger.  Get one newspaper delivered for every person in your household.  We get two (and if there are really great coupons, I'll pick up one or two additional at the store on Sunday).
2. Take some time to find what the good price points are for an item.  Hip2Save.com offers a really simple breakdown for stores - if the item is in red, it's a good price point.  For us, we won't pay more than $4.99 for diapers (and that's if we NEED them), I usually try to stay closer to $4.00.  I won't pay for toothpaste or pads.  I won't pay more than $1 for a box of tampons.  I try to stay around  5 cents a prepared ounce for formula.  For wipes, around a penny per wipe is about the best you'll find on a regular week.  Sometimes you can get them for less, but the wipes deals are few and far between.
3. Try to avoid being a product hoarder.  If you are going to buy toothpaste and you have 6 coupons and there are 6 tubes left, take 3.  Save some for the other folks, but still get a good deal for yourself.
4. Be as prepared as you can be - have your coupons clipped and ready to go when you go to the store.  Have them ready when you get in line.  If you know you'll be doing four transactions to roll RR's, etc., and there is a lady behind you with a child on the verge of meltdown who is simply trying to buy some diapers - let her go ahead of you.
5. Start a coupon network with your friends who coupon.  Facebook is a great arena for this.  Several mom's from Cole's school participate in a coupon swap.  You can go there to offer up coupons you're not going to use, as well as to obtain coupons you need/want.  We don't use cat food, so we can part with those, but we do use diapers, so we can take those off the hands of someone fortunate enough to be out of the diaper stage.  If a coupon is going to save you $.50 or more, it's worth it to even ask someone to mail it to you.  Just be kind enough to return the favor if the day ever comes.
6. Don't be overwhelmed.  Like I said, I've dealt with having deals go horribly wrong, letting $20 in RR expire, buying items that weren't truly a good deal, etc.  It happens and it will likely happen to you.  Just take it easy.  Slow and steady wins the race.  You'll come to a point where you can get a peelie at the grocery, pair it up with another item and find substantial savings on your own, but it's going to take time to get into that practice.

Here are some blogs I like for saving money:

savingmoney-101.blogspot.com
hip2save.com
stretchingabuckblog.com
totallytarget.com
wildforwags.com

There are others, of course, but those really helped me in the beginning and continue to help me.  For starting out, I highly recommend to use Walgreens.  It's pretty simple to get started there, it's not a huge store to navigate and there are really good deals.  Walgreens is my primary store on a weekly basis.  Since CVS is so far away, I try not to get involved in their ECB's program because it doesn't make since for me to go there weekly.  I also don't go to Target very much.  Again, it's a distance thing.  If I know I'll be going there, I'll look up their deals that week, but beyond that, I don't make a special trip.  I do go to Hilander/Kroger for my weekly grocery shopping and search coupontom.com to see if there are any coupons I can use for my grocery list, plus look up any deals that might be of interest.  I also look for "expiring soon" coupons that I might use, just for snacks, etc.

I would be happy to help any of you as much as I can.  If I can't help you, I can probably find someone to help you.  Good luck!

Our Mini Alarm Clock...

Last night, Hunter woke up and Doug nudged me to get him.  After rolling over, he mutters, "That's unbelievably crazy."  I looked at the clock and knew instantly what he meant when I saw, "3:32" lit up in red.  Hunter wakes up every single night at the exact same precise minute.  Every single night without fail.  The minute does not change.  It's never 3:33, or 3:31.  3:32.  Always.  I could literally set my clock by his middle of the night waking.  Doug and I think it's remarkably crazy.  I know a persons internal clock is pretty consistent, but for a 6 month old to have a down to the minute waking is insane, in my opinion.  But, it is what it is.  I, however, have recently found a way to make life easier.

We used to grab him and put him in bed with us, which would induce another 2 hours of sleep, followed by him waking and being ready for the day.  I'd feed him and put him back in his bassinet until 6:30, when I wake up.  I'm not really sure if he ever went back to sleep, if he laid there and played.  Heck, he might have run to Walgreens to catch a good diaper deal.  One can never be sure...But, in his advanced stage of life, he's learned to hold his own bottle.  So, two nights ago, in my drowsy state, I made his bottle and let him feed himself while he laid next to me in the bed.  Last night, however, I got a little more ambitious...I left him in his bassinet, made him a bottle, handed it over and woke up this morning to a happy, talking baby and an empty bottle by his side.  Again, I'm not sure if he hit up the town once he was done eating, or if he went back to sleep or just laid there and played, but I know I am feeling FABULOUS today!  I got the closest thing to a full night of sleep I've had since late in my second trimester!

Now, I realize that feeding a baby who is laying down can lead to ear infections, or that feeding is supposed to be a time of bonding and snuggling, etc., but I also understand what my needs are and the quality of mothering my children get when I'm exhausted.  I think the benefits, in this case, outweigh the potential damage Hunter will have from feeding himself a few times.  I like to think that I'm teaching him independence and self reliance.  Haha!

And so now, to all you mom's who have informed me that your children didn't sleep through the night until well into their toddler years - I say, BRING IT ON!!  Haha!!!!

The Very Sleepy Caterpillar...

Cole has a tendency to find things and insist on keeping them.  Thursday was no different.  He found a caterpillar in our woods and brought it inside, begging to keep it, as if it were an adorable stray puppy.  I obliged him, and cut holes in the lid of a piece of disposable "Tupperware".  He gathered sticks and grass and all other things he assumed would make a nice home for his new furry friend and off they went.  I had my reservations about the liveliness of this little guy from the moment we first met - but Cole insisted he was very much alive, just cold from being outside and would perk right up out of his fluffy balled up position now that he was inside our warm home.

It's been two days since we've welcomed him into our family, and he's yet to make any physical progress from his initial appearance.  Last night, I asked Doug, our resident caterpillar expert, if he thought he was alive.  At first, he was as confident as Cole.  But, after poking him and making attempts at stirring some movement from this little guy, his confidence plummeted.  However, Cole, ever the optimist insisted, "He's just tired, it's past his bed time, you know."  So, if this little creature goes to bed so early, surely he'd be up this morning, right?  Wrong.  "He's a late sleeper - he stays up all night, like a bat," Cole informed me.

So, my friends, what I think has happened is that I've allowed my child to acquire a dead animal, build it a home and create whatever kind of attachment one can have to a happened upon caterpillar.  Now, I just have to find the best way to break the news to him - your caterpillar isn't sleeping, just like he wasn't cold.  Your caterpillar is dead.  Tough break, kid.  It happens to the best of us.  There will be many more caterpillars.  He's in the beautiful cocoon in the sky.  He's gone to caterpillar Heaven, where all good and wonderful caterpillars go.  Rest in peace, little friend.  I feel like we hardly knew you at all...

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The International Caterpillar Rescue Foundation.

Happy birthday, "Stanley"!

Six years ago today, my life changed in ways I never imagined.  When becoming a mom, you have nine months to "prepare" for what's to come - to anticipate the challenges and joys motherhood will bring, to create ways to divert disaster, to envision what your new life will be like...and once that tiny baby is in your arms, it's all out the window.  Nothing will ever prepare you for the overwhelming pride the first time your baby walks.  You will never be prepared to hold back the tears on the first day of kindergarten.  You will never know the right words to give the answers when the hard questions come up.  You can't prepare yourself for the first heartbreak, the first meltdown or the first argument.  I was once told, before Cole could even say his first words, that being a mom is an especially difficult job, because although you get the first I love you, you'll also get the first I hate you.  That's true.  Nothing can prepare you for either one of those moments.  Nothing will prepare you for the amazement in your child's eyes the first time he walks in to meet his little brother.  If you thought you were in awe at new life, try seeing it through the eyes of a five year old.  No books, movies or magazines can ever prepare you to be a mom.  But everyone unprepared moment is so perfectly unique and amazing and worth it.  There is nothing more worth it on this Earth.

With Cole, we've relished so many wonderful moments of success and achievement.  We've grown with him and because of him.  We were "babies having a baby" when he came into our lives and the three of us figured it out together.  We figured it out because of each other.  We learned that just because Eddie Bauer makes the stroller, doesn't mean it's the best - it actually means it's the most complicated.  We learned that being parents doesn't mean making everyone else proud of your job - it means making tough decisions that will one day allow your grown child to look back and be proud of your job.  We've learned that the gratification of raising a child comes daily, but that we probably won't be thanked until he's a father of his own.  (Though, he tells me that he doesn't think he's going to get married and have kids, he thinks he's just going to stay with us forever.  Haha!)

So, today, on your 6th birthday, know that we love you more than you will ever know, Cole.  Know that you so wonderfully changed our lives in ways we could never have imagined.  We are better people because of you.  Know that you can brighten a day with your big hugs, that you so freely give to everyone who comes into your life.  Know that your witty remarks can make a room roar with laughter.  As you grow up, always be true to yourself.  Always be who YOU are.  Always laugh more than you want to, and love more than think you can.  Be honest and trust people - find the good in bad situations and have faith that is always stronger than your questions and your challenges.  Dream big dreams and watch them come true.  When the odds are against you, beat them.  And when and if the world seems to much, you will never be too big to fit in my arms, to sit on my lap or to have your back rubbed.  And NEVER forget: "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

Happy birthday, "Stanley"!

@)(*$)&@#$*))&

So, when contemplating what to give up for Lent, several ideas came to mind: laundry, dishes and housework, amongst others.  But, when I seriously sat down and considered it, I wanted to do something that would make me a better Christian, a better mom and a better person.  Was I a better Christian because I gave up drinking everything but water?  No.  Was I a better Christian because I quit eating fried food?  No.  Now, I don't judge people who give up these things, because it might take some people a lot of prayer and soul searching to abstain from such pleasures for 40 days.  But, for me, it just wasn't something I felt really brought me to the heart of Lent and what sacrifice in the name of the Lord meant.  However, in recent weeks, I've really reevaluated a lot of the language I used on a day to day basis.  Hunter will soon be at an age where he repeats everything we say.  Cole is at an age where he is learning appropriateness.  How can I expect my children to know that there are certain places you can say naughty words and not be in violation of social norms, but there are other places where it's unacceptable?  How ignorant am I to expect my children to understand and believe that "adults can say naughty words, but you can't"?

That being said, I've placed it on my heart to quit cussing.  It's taking a conscious effort to quit.  It's something that I need to pray about.  It's something that will make me and my family better.  Heck, just this morning I caught myself saying, "Hunter has a stinky @$$."  Not okay.  I quickly caught myself, and prayed for the ability to think before I say something.  But, believe you me - Fat Tuesday gave me LOTS of reasons to cuss.  I was so mad at a situation regarding our house in Florida that I said some unlady like things yesterday.  But, now I'm going to be challenged to move forward without continuing with those words.  In an effort to better serve the Lord, when I slip up, I will add $1 for every cuss word I say to my weekly tithe.  Congrats, Immanuel Lutheran - so far you've earned a dollar!

I'm going to challenge my whole family to this task - including Cole.  While his naughty words are more like "stupid" and "dumb", they're still words that shouldn't be in his vocabulary, so for every word he says, he'll be adding a quarter to his chapel offering.  I'm hoping Doug gets on board with this, too.  And, if you catch me cussing, call me out!  Hopefully I can hang up my sailor hat by the time this is over with.  ;-)

(And kudos if you got that final witty comment! LOL!)

Raising Kids...

As parents, we are given children and sometimes a small skill set to prepare us, and then we are left to our own devices.  We hope and pray at the end of the day that we make the right decisions for them, that we grow them to be people who are capable of making the right decisions for themselves and that they turn out to be good, honest, loving people.  But how do we know we're making the right choices?  How do we know that we have the right answers, or if there even is an answer?  How do we take these little, formidable people and mold them into something strong and capable and honorable?  And how do we know, along the way, that we haven't made some major mistake that will impact them for the rest of their lives?

I want for my kids to grow up and share stories of their wonderful childhood, of the fun they had, the things they did and what they learned.  I want them to be proud of us as parents and to want to be parents like us.  And how do you get past this overwhelming feeling that you've failed them?  That you could have done something different, something better, something more?

I'm trying to believe that I have been the best parent I could be, and to learn from my mistakes and shortcomings and to be better, to grow and to provide more for them in every capacity.  I'm trying to rely on my faith that the Lord wouldn't have given me these children if I wasn't able to parent them successfully.  I'm trying to see things through their eyes, to teach them in ways they can learn.  I'm trying to dedicate time and effort to their success in a different and more meaningful way.

That's all we can do, right?  To learn with them and change when we see our current method isn't working.  To pray that God is doing bigger and better work in their lives than we can ever imagine.  To trust in His plan and know it is better and greater than ours.  So, with a new perspective, I am challenging myself to be more for them.

What Valentine's Means To Me...

"Sometimes, in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives you a fairytale."

I have mixed feelings about Valentine's Day.  Sure, it's nice to take a day out of the year to celebrate your love for someone (whether it be a significant other, a child, a family member, a friend or even a stranger who is simply less fortunate), but isn't love about celebrating each other and the special connection you have every. single. day?

I was recently let down when my husband confessed he wasn't doing anything for me for Valentine's Day.  Am I not a good enough wife that I deserve just one day of being counted as special?!?!  But, over the past couple days, I've thought more about his lack of action and I've come to some pretty insightful revelations - I don't want a husband who makes me feel special one day a year - I want a husband who makes me feel special every day of our lives.  And, you know what?  I'm pretty fortunate to have that.  The man I have been blessed with gets up every morning and goes to work to make a living.  He works hard and sometimes he's at work for 10+ hours, but he does this for our family, and so that I have the privilege and opportunity to stay at home with our children.  He makes sure we have a nice home, that our kids can go to a private school and that there's always good food on the table.  He does this every day, without complaining or without asking much in return.

Recently, I was challenged to ask him three things that irritate him - the only one he could think of was that sometimes I don't kiss him goodnight and tell him I love him before going to bed.  Anyone who knows me, knows I have A LOT of irritating qualities, but that was the only thing he could think of.  And I am beyond blessed to have a husband who looks beyond my faults every single day.  And since then, I have made a point to make sure I am never too tired to kiss him goodnight and tell him I love him.

I have a husband who is selling his snowmobile because he wants to devote his finances and time to something more family friendly - he wants to spend time with me and our children, even if it means giving up something that he's wanted for so long and enjoys so much.  He makes these sacrifices every single day.

So, today I am thankful for having such an amazing husband.  One who loves me, regardless of my faults.  One who values our relationship and our family.  One who works hard to provide a comfortable life for us.  And no, he didn't get me anything today - but he gives me his all every single day.  And so maybe it's not about having flowers delivered, or chocolates to eat.  Maybe it's not about jewelry or cards or material things.  Maybe it's about having someone who makes every day a special occasion in their own little way and by doing things that are often overlooked or taken for granted.  And you know what?  I'm glad I have someone like him.

I love you, Puffin - I have loved you every day for seven years, four months, three weeks and four days.  I will love you every single day until my time on Earth is through.  Thank you for being you and for loving me.

Birthday Parties...

I love to celebrate the birth of my children.  Maybe it stems from not having large parties to celebrate my birth as a child, or maybe it just comes from my love of hosting gatherings, party planning and seeing everything come together at the last minute.  But, I can't help but think every year, people open their mailboxes in mid-February and groan at the thought of having to attend yet another party - one with a theme, and a cute poem on the invitation, lots of small children and messy cake.  Now that I have two children for whom to have parties, I thought I needed to make a change.  I can't honestly expect everyone to trek to my house bearing unnecessary gifts (because believe me, my kids don't need anything else) twice a year.  Conveniently enough, exactly six months apart.  It gets time consuming and expensive.  So, I decided to use a method that my friend Tiffany (www.theirbunmyoven.blogspot.com) executes for her family, with a few of my own modifications...

She has four daughters and they each get a birthday party on their even-yeared birthdays.  I've decided to go ahead and allow the boys to have a school party every year - their classmates change and it's rare that they get to see them outside of school.  But, we're limiting family/personal friends celebrations to odd-yeared birthdays.  Of course, we'll have the grandparents to celebrate with dinner on their actual day of birth, but this two-parties-in-one-day-so-my-house-doesn't-fall-to-the-basement-from-the-weight-of-bouncing-kids thing is not happening this year.  You see, in the past, we've hosted his school party in the AM, allowed just enough time to clean up before we hosted his family party in the evening.  It's hard work and last year, being in the first trimester of pregnancy, I didn't know if I'd be able to wake from my post-pre-party nap to entertain the second round of guests.  By the time everyone leaves, I'm dead on my feet.  So, I'm treating myself this year - I'm letting the kind folks at Don Carter Lanes do all the work.  I'm simply ordering a cake and showing up.  I may really go all-out and add a few personal touches to their goody bags, but that's about it.  And I look forward to actually having time to brush my teeth the day of the party and coming home to a clean house with nothing to do but relax with my family after a meager two and a half hour event.

So, in 2011, friends and family - all we'll be doing is having a party for Hunter when he turns one (and that doesn't have to come...he can stay my sweet little baby FOREVER!)  But, if you're lucky enough to have a child in Cole's class - you might wanna be watching your mailboxes in the next week or so - we're going BOWLING!  =D

Cheers to Greg!

So, you know how sometimes, in your young and wild years, you have those nights which you'd so much rather forget, but everyone else remembers so very well?  Yes, those nights that seem to come up at any given opportunity and with each new telling, details emerge that hadn't the thousands of times before?  This very description matches the night of my bachelorette party.  This weekend marks over a year since I returned to the scene - a local bar in the Springfield area.  I figured I'd given it enough time that anyone who was present on that night would have found employment elsewhere.  So, imagine my surprise when the first bartender I see says, "Oh, I remember you!  You had your bachelorette party here!"  Crap.  (Mental note: add "not easily recognized" to the "reasons to lose weight" list.)  "Yeah, I was hoping no one remembered..."  I laughed it off.  Throughout the night, several other "remember when's" were shared (and no, I didn't remember...), but the highlight of the craziest night of my life (that has been likened to The Hangover) was when one fearless man, who is still brave enough to show his face around town, took me and my fellow ladies to Steak 'N Shake at 4 in the morning.  No one would have taken us ANYWHERE, and he escorted us to a public restaurant.  My aunt proceeded to seat customers (even though she was not, nor has ever been employed there), I requested, "lots and lots of fries", we harassed every patron who entered and I don't think any of us managed to sit upright the entire duration of the meal.  There were several other events that took place inside the four walls of the Springfield Steak 'N Shake, but those are the ones we don't speak of (and I figure, if I don't truly remember them, they never really happened!)

The point in sharing all of this is to honor that special person, the perpetual designated driver, the gentleman who is up for anything and never judges.  He suggested I share the trip and I found a way to do so, without reliving the shame I felt the following morning and I figured I owed him that much.  After all, he made the favorite part of my party happen!  So, this one's for you Greg Walter!  Thanks a million!!

So, I thought I was "put together"...

I like to think that I exude this aura of "put together mom".  I know, I completely don't, but I like to pretend.  It is obvious that I don't have it together at all by the fact that I take my son to school in pajamas and slippers (don't worry, I don't get out of the car...and imagine the extreme humiliation that overcame me when I was once called, right outside the parking lot, because he was faking sick and they wanted me to come get him.  In that moment, I panicked.  Not because my child was potentially sick, but because I was in no position to go retrieve him.  I was torn between returning immediately and pretending I was further away than I was, in an effort to buy enough time to go home and make myself moderately presentable.  Fortunately, he was just faking and we were able to come to an understanding with threats that if he was sick and I came back, he would spend the day in bed!)  This is also evident by the fact that my child wore the same sleeper through the day yesterday that he had worn the night before - and slept in it AGAIN.  But, perhaps the most obvious sign of them all is that our Friday drives to school are filled with learning the memory verse that he's had all week to learn and I've neglected to teach him.  Especially today, when I knew he wouldn't be guarded by the other children in his "group" as he recited them.

But, in those moments when everything is falling apart and I try with the might of a warrior to make it appear otherwise, I realize that I don't have to have it all put together.  My children love me the most when we just "go with it".  Cole gets the biggest laughs when disaster strikes and he sees me paddling like a duck.  Hunter doesn't care if laundry is done, the house is clean or dinner is made, as long as his snuggle time isn't compromised.  And my husband, who knows my faults and loves me in spite of them, knows that my intentions are always in the right place and my heart is always trying its hardest.  So, no, I may not have it all together.  Sometimes my dishes aren't done, my kid has to wear pants twice before they get washed, my other child wears the same outfit repeatedly and my husband can't find his belt, but that's okay - they love my flaws and they love me.  And at the end of the day, that's all I need, because we might not have it all together, but together we have it all.

Mount O-Laundrous

I think, in the back corners of the deepest, darkest closet of my home, there is a family of elves.  This family stirs at night, running rampant through our house, dirtying laundry and throwing it in a pile.  There is no way a family of four can accumulate the amount of laundry that we do.  And just when I think I might be making a small amount of head way, an almost-six-year-old (that shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) comes trudging down the stairs with another heaping basket and says, "I don't have any uniform pants clean."  How is that even possible?!?!  I dig through the dryer and find a solemn pair of navy blue pants.  SCORE!

Right now, I will admit, with my head hung in shame, that we have two baskets in front of the washer and four more baskets in our bedroom full of dirty clothes.  Somehow, we still manage to have closets full of clean clothes, which leads me to my favorite excuse, "If all these clothes were clean, I would have nowhere to put them."  I've always admired, and wanted to be, one of those moms that can keep up with laundry by doing a daily load of the clothing her family wore yesterday.  A friend of mine has a husband who does his own laundry, and I am seething with envy of her.  I have hired my mom to do my laundry in the past, which has been projected as a one day project and ended up spanning a week (or more).  My mother-in-law does a load every time she comes over and still, we cannot ever manage to keep up.  I have every intention, every day, of dedicating it fully to laundry.  Today, my DVR is full and I'm thinking, "This is the day, I can fold and watch TV, then move to the next load."  But, alas, I am now drying the same load that I've dried three times before.  There is basket of now wrinkled clean clothes sitting in the dining area and here I am, writing about what I should be doing.

So, assure me, friends and readers, that I am not the only one who will one day come up missing, only to be found amidst piles of once worn clothing.  Assure me that one day, I will conquer this battle and be victorious once and for all.  Tell me that snuggling my baby is far more important than laundering and folding denim and cotton articles.  But most importantly, tell me there is nothing you'd rather do than to come over for coffee and to clean my laundry.

Half a century...

Am I where I thought I'd be at 25?  Probably not, but I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

A lot can happen in a day, week, month and year.  But in 25 - that's a lot of memories, experiences, heart aches and laughs.  I like to think I've learned a few things along the way, and that I still have lots left to learn, and a lot of years left to learn it.  Today, I'll share some of my most valuable lessons learned:

1. The best things in life are worth waiting for.  Regardless of how you feel in the moment, once you get what it is you've been waiting for, you'll find that the timing was perfect and because of all you've endured, you appreciate it that much more.

2. You will lose people you love.  It might be a boyfriend, a parent, a friend, etc., but you will lose people.  You'll lose people to death, to change and to life.  You have to hold tight to the memories you have with those people, remember the good times and move on.

3. Don't buy shoes that don't fit.  You'll regret it after the first time you wear them outside of the store.  Your feet will hate you.  You will hate you.

4. Kiss your children every single day.  Even when you're mad.  They need to know they're loved and you need to know you've showed them that.  Even when your little boy is almost six - still kiss him.  Even if he wipes it off.

5. Value the friendships in your life - they are invaluable.  Friends are the people who are there for you when your whole world is falling apart.  They are the people who know just what to say when there is nothing to say.  And when you find your best friend - marry him.  Even if he leaves his shoes in the doorway.

6. Don't get so drunk you're ashamed to look at the pictures.  Just trust me on this one.

7. Your checking account doesn't like Starbucks nearly as much as you do.  Again, just trust me on this one.

8. Buy expensive purses.  If they make you happy, buy them.  Your children will understand that in your will, you may have no money to leave to them, but they'd much rather have a fabulous Coach handbag.  Unless you have two boys - then just hope their wives like handbags...

9. Say you're sorry.  There's nothing worth staying mad over.  Swallow your pride and say it.

10. Tell your mother every single day how much you love her (and your daddy, too).  Tomorrow isn't promised and even if she's perpetually late, completely disorganized and couldn't be more different than you if she tried, make sure she knows every day how much you love her.  It's not easy being a parent, we say things we don't mean, we make mistakes, we need second chances and sometimes we think we've ruined your entire life because we forgot to feed you breakfast.  But, we love you and we need to know that, despite the fact that you have to wait until lunch to have your first meal of the day and that we try to send you back to school a day early, you love us, too.

Those are some of the things I've learned.  Today, as I turn 25, I have a little boy at kindergarten and a 15 week old napping in my bed.  My husband is working hard to provide our family with everything we need and want.  My dad's watching me from Heaven and my mom's just down the road.  I have a college degree, I have the best friends and family on the face of the earth and I'd say it's a good day.  I'd say I have a pretty great life.  And I'd say that very little of it has to do with me, and more of it has to do with the people who love me and with what the good Lord has blessed me with.  So, happy birthday to me!!