Go For It

So... were you thinking about taking me up on the belly dancing idea? Still too shy about it?

I feel a dare coming on...

Belly Dancing

Okay ladies....

I've got something you have to try.

Belly Dancing

Now, now, before you dismiss the idea and say I am absolutely crazy, just hear me out. Not only is it a very beautiful dance, but it is incredibly good exercise too! I don't know about you, but the Nordic Track gets a bit boring day after day. Belly dancing gets those tough spots such as inner thighs, hips and stomach! And it is so much fun, it doesn't feel like exercise! (Although, you will certainly feel like you've exercised the day after! Ouch! Sore muscles in places you didn't even know could hurt!)

If you are too afraid to bare your belly, don't worry. You can dance in normal workout clothes. I just bought a hip scarf and ankle bracelet. The jingle-jangle adds a whole new dimension to the dance. Even if you want to dance in a t-shirt and sweats, get a hip scarf. You will feel so sexy!

I must add this...

You will, no doubt, have your husband's complete approval and support. I'm certain he will love to watch you practice. You sexy thing.

Welcome Spring

What a beautiful day....

Seventy-two degrees and sunny in March. That doesn't happen very often in the North Woods of Wisconsin! I decided to take some time for myself. Beautiful scenery, good wine, scrumptious cheese, tasty breadsticks, and the wonderful company of a good friend. Hmmm.... life is good. Our weather is back to normal today, which is just fine. I'll keep yesterday's image in my mind for the next few weeks. I'm sure more snow is on the way. I'm thankful for yesterday's taste of summer... a reminder that warmer days are on their way!

Kisses

A kiss

in the

kitchen

is worth

ten

in the

bedroom.

Beautiful Women

A group of women came in and said, We don't care that the Taliban are
threatening our lives, we're going to take off our veils for you, because we
want everybody in America to hear us say, you've got to help us.

~ Diane Sawyer

Eva

My girlfriend, Susan just enlightened me about a wonderful singer, named Eva Cassidy. She had a beautiful voice and incredible style. Eva died of cancer in 1996 at the young age of 33. Be sure to check out her music; you'll be glad you did. She made it onto my Chick List, and will remain a favorite for years to come.

Just Go With the Flow

Today I was on top of my game. Up early- 4:30am... exercise routine tackled, pancakes made, and a new hairstyle chosen and printed off for my much anticipated hair appointment. The house was in order, laundry in progress. Boy, I was the queen of organization. I got my two older kids out the door for school, and proceeded to get my toddlers ready to come with to the hair salon. As I was heading out the door, coffee in hand, and happy to be pampered at the salon, I suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute. My appointment isn't until AFTER my birthday!" Oh no! My appointment was next week! Bummer.

Got the kids back into the house without too much of a fuss, and I went about some more chores. Oh well, I still have a great day ahead of me. I get to work at the store all day, arranging and merchandizing... getting the creative juices flowing. Moments later I got a call that the store wasn't ready for the big project I was to work on. Hmpf! There went plan number two. Grandma was already on her way to spend the day with my little ones, with no way to reach her.

Then I had a great idea... let's go shopping! The closest town with a decent mall is over an hour away, so I packed up for the day. Snacks, stroller, water bottles, car seats. Today was going to be great. A day with my mom. Perfect.

We packed up mom's car, and started off. Got about ten feet. Flat tire. Great. Okay.... I changed the flat, and we headed to the tire shop. What's that? Yes, you read it right. I changed the flat tire. If you don't know how to change a flat ladies, I doulble dog dare you to learn! Some day you'll be glad you did! Anyways, as we were heading for the tire shop, my cell phone rang. I got called to substitute teach. There went my shopping day. What could we do, but laugh?

All of this happened by 10:15am.

As I see it, God's hand was in it all. I don't think I was supposed to leave town today. Maybe all of these things happened to prevent something terrible from happening on the road. Then again, maybe not. Perhaps God was just answering all of those prayers for patience I have prayed over the years!

I definitely learned to go with the flow!

Come Swing

Come swing with me
Under the light of the moon.
We’ll sit side by side
Serenaded by nature’s tune

How lovely it will be
A sweet memory we’ll treasure
As fireflies perform
A great show beyond measure

The wildflowers will dance
A sight to behold
And the tree frogs, they say
Tell great stories of old

The goldfish will jump
From the pond, three by three
As the birds sing a chorus
From the canopy of trees

We’ll rock ever so gently
As crickets lull us to sleep
And dream of warm summer days
And more memories to keep

~Lisa M. Johnson

Living or Watching?

I used to want the words "She tried" on my tombstone.

Now I want "She did it." ~Katherine Dunham

Are you truly living your life, or are you watching others live via the television? Last year, I realized that I was watching others instead of living my own. Yes, I was happy being a mom and everything that comes with that, but it dawned on me that I had lost myself. Who was I? If I didn't have four kids to take care of, what would I be doing? If I had just met my husband, would he find me exciting and attractive? Hmmm... these things needed to be addressed.

I decided to join a group at church called, God's Adventure Girls. Once a month we went on an adventure... rock climbing, kayaking, trap-shooting, and dog sledding, just to name a few. I really had to push through fear like never before on some of our adventures, and I couldn't believe how great that felt!

All of my adventures led to my Dare wall. In my kitchen, I have a wall full of picture frames, and a metal sign that says, DARE. Whenever someone in my family does something daring, their picture is added to the wall. It is one of my favorite things in my house!

I can honestly say I am much happier. And you know what they say... when Mamma's happy, everyone is happy!

So, what is stopping you from living? Get up off of that couch! You'll be much happier living your own adventures, than watching the desperate housewives live theirs on the television!

By the way... have you danced in the kitchen lately?

Update on Bella a.k.a. Smokey

Those of you who are worried about the cat whose tail caught on fire, don't fret; she is just fine. Bella has really long fur on her tail, and the fire never reached her actual tail. She was completely clueless as to what was going on.

State Fair

If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to a state fair.
Because five minutes at the fair, you'll be going, 'you know, we're alright. We are dang near royalty.'

Jeff Foxworthy

Smoke Signals

Do you have one of those friends who will come for lunch to help you get rid of left-overs? I love that. Nothing fancy, just two friends enjoying a simple meal, some good laughs, and great conversation.

I have a few great friends who would join me for a meal of left-overs. The one I have in the town I'm now living in, is Susan. She's a whole lot of fun, and is the kind of friend that doesn't care if your house is in shambles, and you greet her at the door in your sweats, no make-up... basically looking like something the cat dragged in. Everyone needs a friend like that. Those friends of mine... you know who you are... God bless you!

Well, it was twenty minutes before Susan was to arrive, and I was doing some last-minute preparations. Candles were lit in the window which opens the kitchen to the living room. Love candles. Even the simplest of occasions calls for candles! I happened to look over to that same window, and to my surprise, I saw smoke billowing from my counter-top to my ceiling!! Are you ever amazed at how many thoughts rush through your mind in an instant? I actually reminded myself that no, it could not be the lunch I had on the stove, because my stove is on the other end of my kitchen! I stood there and looked at our cat, Bella. She had a look on her face as if she was saying, "What? What'd I do? Why are you looking at me like that?" It was in that moment that I realized that the smoke was coming from Bella! When she came through the window, her tail caught on fire! Okay, let me tell you, that you would be amazed at two things: 1. How much smoke can come from burned cat fur. 2. How incredibly horrid burned cat fur smells!

Well, great. Twenty minutes until lunch, and my house now smells like burned cat fur. Ugh! I quickly opened windows, and got the Febreze out. Did I mention that I threw the cat out? Let her send smoke signals outside! (Don't worry... I made sure I completely extinguished her tail first.)

Susan arrived. No lie... she said, "Wow it smells good in here. It smells like a hair salon!"

What's With That?

Okay... So I thought I had it down. Last kid. Potty training. It should be a breeze by the time the fourth one comes along, right? I knew well enough to wait until she was ready. No Potty Training Camp for Mom! She did great! One day she decided that was it, she no longer needed diapers. Super! Just over 2 1/2, and it was accomplished just like that! One accident during naptime, days were a cinch. Boy, do I know what I'm doing, or what? Out on the town... no problem! What a wise woman I have become.

One month later...
What in the heck? I am suddenly finding "presents" around the house. Out of the blue, this sweet, potty-trained little thing has decided not to use the toilet. I guess it got old, and she needed a change of scenery to do her duty. Her little outhouse has been in the hallway, on her bedroom floor, poo poo on my sweatshirt, okay it was not put away, and was on my bedroom floor, but please! Then, there was the hidden treasure. I noticed that the ski on my Nordic Track was slipping a bit, so I lifted the ski to see what the problem was. Lo and behold, I found pee pee, poo poo, and toilet paper in my Nordic Track! Okay ladies, you think it is hard peeing in a coffee can when you're camping? This girl has got some talent! She aimed right in those ski tracks and hit the target!

I just want to know...
What's with that?!

Are You a Bus Kind of Friend?

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is
someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.

~Oprah Winfrey

I love this quote! Not that I would know what it's like to have a limo, but I get what she's saying! I am so happy that I have friends who would definitely ride the bus with me! No matter how many kids I have had (I now have 4), how great my husband is, or how much I love my job, I have always needed my girlfriends. They're irreplacable!

I Dare Ya!

Well...
I said it...
It's out there...
I can't take it back. Ugh.

I will ski the Birkie next year! I have been known to say that I hope to never ski it again, but (sigh), I have now said it out loud, so it's there, and I must conquer it again. (For those of you who don't know what the Birkie is, it is the American Birkebeiner, a 53K cross-country World Loppet ski race that takes place from Cable to Hayward, WI. It is gruelling hill after hill after hill...)

And just why am I willing to go through this again, you say? Well it all comes down to this: because I can. My hero, Steve, who is also my brother, has come down with a terrible illness that has completely changed his lifestyle. He is the one who loves to ski the Birkie every year. Unfortunately, he could not ski it this year, and it broke his heart. I want to ski it in his honor. I pray to God that he will be able to ski it next year; what a miricle that would be!

I am not writing this as if to say, "Wow... what a great thing I'm doing." No, not at all. I am sharing this because I want to dare all of you women to do something beyond what you think you can do. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone. As moms, so much of our life is centered on meals, house cleaning, carpools and peace-keeping. I challenge you to be daring. Sign up for a dance class, marathon, art class, or ski race! You will be so happy that you did, and your kids will admire your courage. And trust me on this one ladies... the man in your life will find you to be sexier than ever!

So, there you have it. The next year for me consists of getting reaquainted with my Nordic Track, running up hills, doing many ab-crunches, and feeling better than I have ever felt in my life! It's a funny thing... the more I exercise, the better I feel, the happier I am, and self-confidence oozes out of me. Why then, is it so hard to keep up a healthy lifestyle? Hmm. It doesn't make much sense, does it?

The challenge is out there... dare to grab a hold of it!

Gotta Love Erma

Do you know what you call those who use towels and never wash them, eat meals and never do the dishes, sit in rooms they never clean, and are entertained till they drop? If you have just answered, "A house guest," you're wrong because I have just described my kids.

~Erma Bombeck

Snow Day!

Ahhh... a snow day!
I've decided that moms need snow days just as much as kids do. We've had our second snow day in a row, and I'm loving it! Living in town means that you're never really snowbound... especially when a Suburban is parked in your garage! Yesterday the snow could not keep me in... four-wheel drive is a lot of fun! I actually got to go out on a date with my husband last night... just had to trade my chick boots (you know... the knee high leather boots with a heel. They look great with just about anything!) for Sorrells. Anyway, today I am pretending that I am truly snowbound, despite the Suburban. I'm still in my sweats. Feels good. My toddlers just put on their snow gear over their feet pajamas. Works great. I actually got to sit and read a book until I dozed off this afternoon. Ahhh... snow days!
As for now, the house is still. Kids are out playing in the fresh fallen snow, Eric Clapton is on in the kitchen, supper on the stove, and life is good. I can't imagine moving away from the North. It's amazing what a snow day does for the soul.