Ten on Tuesday: 2013 Highlights

Since this year is ending on a Tuesday it seems only appropriate to send it out with a Ten on Tuesday list.  Technically, this is the last Ten on Tuesday list, because next Tuesday starts my collaboration with Lisa from The Golden Spoons and out #TuesdayTen.  We'll be linking up New Year's Resolutions, so I hope you check back and join us.

2013 was an interesting year around here.  Most things stayed pretty steady for us; no new jobs or kids or houses, but I like steady, so that's a good thing.  I can actually go back and recap a lot from 2013 because this was the year that I got serious about my blogging and kept up with it really well.  This post is actually taking forever to write because I keep going back to read posts from last year and getting stuck in a rabbit hole!

So, now that I've got that mostly out of my system, here are 10 noteworthy highlights for 2013:

1. Benjamin turned 3, gave up his pacifier and started wearing underpants.  That's a pretty full year for such a little guy!!
2. Henry turned six, started reading fluently and got really good at soccer.  He hasn't stopped sucking his thumb yet, but he's doing it less and less and I try not to bug him about it too much.
3. Frances turned 10, made huge improvements in violin and ballet and has become such a young lady that it shocks me to look at her.
4. I turned 35, started Zumba and actually bit the bullet to request (and receive) a raise at work.
5. Ken and I celebrated 12 years of marriage (and 17 years of togetherness).  The cool part is that from our anniversary in June until Frances' birthday in October, we had been married for 12 years and our kids were 9, 6, and 3.  Math nerd!!
6. Our family had a big trip to Disney World with Ken's dad, brother, sister and their families.  It was my first trip as well as the kids' and we had a blast!
7. My old van bit the dust and we got my dream car: a Honda Odyssey.  It is the same make, model, year and color as my mother's van.  We're twinsies!!
8. Blogging-wise I bought my own domain, finally installed an interactive commenting system, got my first paid sponsors, did my first guest posts, and started doing product reviews and giveaways.
9. Also related to blogging, but so much more: Together with 29 other awesome bloggers, I was published in a book. An actual book that you can buy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. And out of that have come away with some really awesome new friendships as well.
10. My friend Julie finally talked me into attended a Cursillo retreat and I am ever so thankful for her. I had always said I would attend this retreat when I felt like God was calling me to.  As it turns out, God sometimes sounds an awful lot like my best friend, Julie, and the timing ended up being just perfect for me to get back in touch with Him.

Still one of my favorite pictures ever!!

Tuesday Ten: Things I Love About Christmas!!

It's almost here!! The kids are so excited, and truth be told, I am too!  I love almost every single thing about the Christmas season.  Today is Tuesday, so I figured it was a good time to make a list of Ten Things I Love About Christmas!

1. The warmth.  Obviously not outside around here (except maybe lately...) but the warmth inside that people seem to be feeling this time of year.
2. The gifts.  Not getting them, but giving them.  I love to see the joy on other people's faces when they open something they have been hoping for. Or when they receive something they didn't even know they wanted!
3. Together time.  I'm not quite feeling it yet...the kids need to get used to being together for an extended time first, but we're getting there. They are mostly working together to clean their room right now.  It's pretty noisy, though, because they are playing together instead.  I'm not gonna rock that boat...at least not until after I've had a shower!
4. Cookies...and pies...and brownies! Yum!!
5. Decorations.  We love driving around and looking at the lights on Christmas Eve.  I also love having our tree and stockings up and decorated with twinkling lights.
6. Reflection. Because it's the end of the year and because Christmas memories seem so embedded in our memories, it seems that this time of year is ripe with reflection and nostalgia.  I love it!
7. Family visits. It's a great time of year to go visit with family.  We don't have much room to host here, so we tend to do the traveling, but that means I can't stress about laundry or other housework while I'm gone, so that's a good things.
8. Time off from work.  Since I work in a college setting, I have extra time off at Christmas.  Sure, that means that I miss out on some other holidays during the year, but when I've got two weeks off in a row, I'm not going to complain!
9. Gifts. OK, this time I mean gifts for me.  Be honest...Who here doesn't like getting presents?  That's what I thought!!
10. I saved the best for last: The reason for the season! I love Christmas because it is when we celebrate Jesus' birthday. We celebrate Him coming into our hearts. We celebrate light coming back to the Earth.  Christmas is such a great time for a reminder that God is always with us and that He loves us so much that he even chose to come to us as a mere baby so he could experience our lives in full and give us even more ways to relate to him.

Merry Christmas!

Ten on Tuesday: Anniversary Edition

It's my anniversary week!!  I've been blogging for almost six years!  In case you missed it, I've got a great giveaway going on here: Night on the Town Giveaway.  I've also got a BOGO deal going on for sidebar ads.  If you sign up during this anniversary week special, you can get two months for the price of one!

Now, on to the Ten on Tuesday post for today! Since it's my anniversary week and I am posting all about my love of blogging, I thought today would be a good time to make a list of the ten things I love about blogging.  I honestly thought I had done a post like that before, but when I searched my site I couldn't find it. Even if I did make a list like this in the past, it's time to update it anyway!!

1. The primary reason I started blogging in the first place was so that I could have a place to record memories.  That's what this blog has become for me.  A virtual diary that I don't have to worry about misplacing or losing. I can get to it any time from any where.
2. Perspective--I mentioned this last Friday: sometimes I'll write out a whole post about something that is upsetting me or bothering me.  By the time I get to the end, I have figured out the best course of action for myself.  That usually means deleting everything I just wrote, but that's fine with me because the writing served its purpose.
3. I have made so many friends through blogging!  I am afraid to name people because I don't want people to feel left out.  I used to participate in a meme called "Friday Fill Ins."  I'm not sure what happened to the moderator, but I got to know some fun people from that and I still try and visit them regularly.  I really got to know a lot of awesome women through...
4. Our book: The Mother of all Meltdowns!  I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm not sure what made Crystal pick me, but I am so glad she did!  The friendships we've made as well as the awesome satisfaction of having a book for sale at Amazon is just incredible!!
5. A lesson in persistence: Having this blog has really taught me a lot, and one thing that has been especially obvious lately is persistence.  I made a commitment at the beginning of this year to blog every day Monday through Friday.  Here we are 16 days from the end of the year and I am proud to say that I've only missed a handful of days.  
6. I have had fun guest posting at other websites.  I've had a post featured over at Margarita Mommies, I've posted for my friend Lydia.  It's been fun getting my words out to a slightly different audience and getting to know new people/
7. Reviews and Giveaways--I used to see other bloggers do product reviews and wonder how to get into that.  I've been using a website called Tomoson.com to sign up for reviews as well as getting involved with Influenster to try out some new stuff.  I'll be honest, it's fun having someone send you free stuff in the mail.
8. Making a bit of extra money is never a bad thing, right?  I've been seeing some money come in through Google Ads on my site as well as getting sponsors for my sidebar.  I haven't yet made enough money to quit my day job, but having a hobby that gives back is a good thing!
9. Besides being a place to keep my memories, this blog has turned out to be a good way to keep track of other things going on in my life.  When the boys were little I used it as a place to keep track of how many words they knew. Now I can use it as a way to remind myself which pumpkin patches we went to or when the kids wore for school pictures.
10. Getting involved in partnerships!  This is something especially exciting to me because it hasn't quite happened yet!  Lisa at the Golden Spoons is someone I met through our book.  She has been doing a list of ten things every Tuesday for a while now too.  She and I have gotten together to make an official link up called Tuesday Ten.  It's going live Tuesday, January 7, 2014, so be sure to keep an eye out for it.  If you typically write a list of Resolutions, we will have a great place for you to link up!

10 on Tuesday: Christmas and Advent Books for Kids

I love Advent! I love the preparation time for Jesus' birth; for light coming back into the world.  And I love experiencing it with my kids!  Today's list is all about great books I've read with my kids (or would like to read with them) during the holiday season. These are also affiliate links, so if you purchase any of these books through my blog, you will be helping out our family as well!



1.     This book is a precious little rhyme about all the animals getting the stable ready for Jesus to be born. 

2.     Who could resist The Polar Express and believing in the magic of Christmas?


3.     This is actually a set of books, one for each day of December until Christmas. The books can even be hung on the tree as decorations after reading them!

4.     I love Tomie dePaola and his retelling of legends.  This one features the story of the poinsettia and one girl's gift to the Christ child.


5.     Have your kids ever wondered how the Santa story and the story of Jesus' birth mesh?  This books tackles that subject in an engaging way.

6.     My kids LOVE I Spy! books.  This is a fun Christmas one!!

7.   This may not count as a book, but it's a book-like set, so I went with it!  It comes with a manger scene and little gift boxes to unwrap that tell the meaning of Christmas.

8.     This story explains Christmas is a way that your littlest ones can understand with text and pictures that your older kids will appreciate.

9.     This version is set in the old west with a contemporary mother explaining the story of Jesus' birth to her son.  Written by a historian, it is a great story for older kids.
 
10.     Max Lucado is a great author for adults, but it turns out he writes equally well for children.  This is a great story illustrating that God has a special plan for each and every one of us.

Ten Things I Forget to be Thankful For

I've seen a big focus this month on thankfulness. It's nice to see because we often don't take the time the be thankful for things.  Some people have posted daily on facebook or on their blog about things they are thankful for, and while I haven't done that; I am thankful for a good many things.  Most of the time when I am thankful for someone or something, it is easy to acknowledge.  On the other hand, I often find myself complaining or wishing away other things that I really shouldn't.  Today, instead of making a list of all the things I am thankful for, I want to list some of the things I forget to be thankful for. The things I tend to forget about, complain about or not even notice.

1. My house-I often say it's too small and I have been known to complain about only having one bathroom, but really? I am thankful to have a sustainable roof over our heads.  It's far from being paid off, but it is ours and we have made it a home.  Ken and I moved into this house when I was 7 months pregnant with Frances. We've brought all our babies home to this house and celebrated a number of birthdays, anniversaries and plain old Saturdays here.  I really hope that we are able to find a house with another bedroom and another bathroom, but I know it will be hard leaving this home that contains so many memories of our family.
2. My bank account-It's never full, but it refills itself on a regular and consistent basis and for that I am thankful.  We don't have money for extras like vacations (or new homes), but we always seem to have enough for what we need.  Of course,, having enough for what we need also ties into...
3. My parents-Sure, they annoy me.  They do those awful grandparent things like loving my children and letting them eat cookies after dinner even if they didn't even eat any food.  I am very grateful for the love and support they give us.  And even (or maybe especially) for the times when they don't step in and let us figure things out for ourselves.  They love me even when I am selfish, ungrateful or plain old rude.  They want the best for me and for my family and for that I am truly grateful.
4. Ken's parents-His mom is gone and I find myself missing her more as time passes. I am sad that my kids won't get to know her and that Frances is likely the only one with actual memories of her.  His dad is a good man who raised a good son. I can tell that Ken learned his integrity and work ethic from his father.  
5. Those trials I went through.  I spent a lot of time crying over a lot of things in the past.  And I know that more trials are ahead, but I also know that going through those trials and the ones yet to come are what have shaped me as a person.  I have learned things about myself I wouldn't have otherwise learned.  And some roads that I thought were deadends, actually turned out to be cul-de-sacs where I just needed to turn around and go a different way.  I didn't enjoy the trials, but I am thankful for the lessons they have taught me.  
6. My appliances- I was without a washing machine for about a month and then transitioned nicely into a leaky dishwasher.  I complain about the chores of dishes and laundry, but I am truly ever so thankful for these time saving appliances to help me.  In all honesty, I am also thankful for...
7. Laundry-Doing laundry reminds me that we have clothes to keep us warm (and somewhat fashionable).  I get annoyed with having to do a load everyday, but with further thought I am thankful to have enough that I don't have to do it more often than that!
8. Dishes and cooking-I truly don't mind cooking. I actually enjoy it, but I would likely enjoy it more if I had more time and space for it.  But cooking and then doing the dishes reminds me of how fortunate we are to have enough food to eat three (or more) times a day, seven days a week.   
9. My bills-I don't like paying them, but I sure do appreciate having clean water that miraculously comes out of the faucet when I turn it on. And toasty warm heat during cold winter days.  Those bills represent the fact that I am very blessed in terms of modern utilities.
10.  The mess in my dining room-I get annoyed that we don't have a better place to put all the kids' toys. Then end up in the dining room, which should more realistically be called the "multipurpose room" but that makes it sound huge and IT ISN'T!  But all those toys represent people who love my kids and want to give them things, so I guess I shouldn't complain about them (as much).

Ten on Tuesday: My Favorite Thanksgiving Foods

Turkey Day is next week, folks!  Are you all set?  Not here. I should really make a grocery list.  Thinking about making that list got me to thinking about a list for today, so I've compiled my favorite Thanksgiving foods. There's some saying about killing two birds with one stone, right?  Well, I'm not using any stones but technically this list will ultimately kill three birds: the one that actually ends up on the dinner table, as well as one to make this list and one on the shopping list. Poor turkeys!

1. Mashed Potatoes--I like mine with lots of butter and some garlic in them!
2. Stuffing--Actually I call it that, but I prefer not to stuff it inside the bird, so I guess technically it's dressing.
3. Rolls--Ummm...maybe I am a bit of a carb addict...
4. Turkey--I put a few whole carrots, a couple of celery stalks and some garlic cloves inside to roast it.  Then the garlic gets smashed up in the mashed potatoes.
5. Cranberry Sherbet--Including this on my list makes me a little sad because I don't get to eat it anymore (story below)...so I'll also include...
6. Cranberry dressing--I've taught Frances my mother-in-law's secret recipe.  Ken claims it is neither secret nor a recipe, but I think it makes Frances feel a littler closer to her Grams (who is no longer with us).
7. Fruit Salad--This one doesn't always make it to the table, but when it does, I like to mix some tropical fruit with some whipped cream and pretend it's healthy!
8. Green Bean Casserole--technically this started out as Ken's favorite, but I have grown to like it too.  The only problem with making it is trying to keep the fried onions away from Ken until I've used what I need.
9. A relish tray full of sweet pickles, dill pickles, black olives and green olives.  We like to put the olives on our fingers and wiggle them at each other.  Wait!! I mean THE KIDS! The kids do that.  And I scold them...thoroughly.
10. Pie--Not pumpkin or anything, but I'll eat apple or cherry pie.  I just like leaving all the pumpkin pie for the rest of you to enjoy.  I'm generous like that.

My cranberry sherbet story: This was my grandmother's thing.  It's exactly what it sounds like. A delicious sherbet made from cranberries.  It's the perfect ending to a big meal, because as Grandma always explained, it trickles down in all the spaces between the food in your belly and helps settle it down so you don't feel as full.  Now, I don't eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family and Grandma's not around to make the sherbet.

I also should tell on our former neighbor growing up.  Myrtle lived next door to us and had standing permission to get get veggies out of our garden because we always had too much.  She also used to eat the raspberries, which was fine, as well. One year she had Thanksgiving dinner with us and someone offered her some cranberry sherbet. She declined, saying, "The seeds get stuck in my teeth and I don't like that."  We were polite enough not to ask if all the raspberry seeds got stuck in her teeth as well.

What is your favorite thing to eat for Thanksgiving?  Who does the cooking and where do you eat?

Ten on Tuesday: My Favorite Blog Posts

It's Tuesday again and I'm making a list!  I had actually run a little short on ideas last week and put out a plea for help on my facebook page.  I got some great responses and I am going with Lydia's today.  These are my 10 favorite blog posts:

1. Bunny Chasing Tutorial--We haven't been bunny chasing in a while, and I miss it!
2. My New Landscaping Crew--Look how little they look!!
3. Twas the Day Before Kindergarten--Now she's in her last year of elementary school!
4. Frances' Princess Party--Back when I was insane enough to try and have a party in my house!
5. Halloween 2011--Just because I love these costumes!!
6. Socks!! How I love them (and hate them at the same time)
7. My Mommy's birthday
8. 10 Random Things About Me  
9. Frazzled Parent Solidarity Signal
10. The Body of Christ

And just for fun, make sure to link up your favorite post from your own blog (if you have one).

10 on Tuesday: Things I Wish I Could to Do

I promise I am not feeling down on myself or asking for compliments here. There are lots of things that I feel I do well.  Even so, there are still some things I wish I could do. So here they are; 10 things I wish I could do:

1.  Organize things
2. Crochet
3. Play an instrument
4. Keep flowers/plants alive
5. Juggle
6. Argue my point without crying
7. Set a budget and stick with it
8. Speak another language fluently
9. Draw
10. Dance

Is there anything you wish you could do?

10 on Tuesday Wednesday

I was totally not buried under a pile of laundry yesterday! I am sorry if any of you worried!!  I just got so busy that I didn't even get a chance to sit at my desk.  So here are 10 things I did yeasterday instead of sitting at my desk:

1. Went to a training session entitled: "One hour's worth of things we could have told you in a bullet pointed email."  Actually, that's not the name of the class...but it should have been!
2. Created silly memes for our homecoming door decoration.
3. Called Ken to pick up Ben from daycare because he has a fever.
4. Went to a training session on a new event management system we are going to start using
5. Had a staff appreciation luncheon
6. Scavenged recycling bins for tubes to make the uprights for the endzone on our newly decorated door
7. Worried that people would think I was buried under a pile of laundry at home
8. Went to a meeting in my office where I got to actually sit in my chair (but not at my desk)
9. Delivered papers to the Dean's office
10. Laughed myself silly at our door decorations 

Tomorrow is Halloween!! I hope to get costume pictures taken before school and posted.  If not, I'll come up with something else to say.  Hopefully next week, I'll be back on track!

10 on Tuesday: 10 Reasons Blogging Makes me a Better Mother

There are times when I complain about social media.  I've had my moments of fear when I think of my own kids being online and interacting with other. But honestly, for the most part, I love the Internet and I love my blog.  There honestly are 10 reasons why blogging has made me a better mother!

1. My memory has never been great. Add in three children, a full time job, and a messy house and I don't always remember things very well.  The stories on my blog allow me to go back and find out when someone lost a tooth, how often a symptom has occurred or when a problem started.
2. Blogging gives me a great way to process the daily events of our lives. There are more times than I can count that I have started typing a post to ask a question and in the process answered my own question.  I have found that I "think with my fingers" in that I often need to write to get my thoughts to come together.
3. On the other hand, sometimes I do need advice or perspective.  I can write a post about the topic and easily get advice from people I know and people I don't know.  It gives me lots of thoughts to chew on and hopefully make better choices with.
4. I'm not good at keeping a journal or even printing out pictures, but this blog is a digital scrap book of my children's lives.  I hope they will appreciate it when they get older.
5. Parenting young children can seem very lonely.  It often seems that my life is not only dictated by my job, but also by nap schedules, tiny appetites, and bedtimes.  Blogging allows me to feel less alone. And if you'll excuse the shameless plug, this book has made me feel so much more normal!!
6. With the aforementioned scheduled, it's hard for me to get out and meet people.  Blogging has allowed me to find friends that I can keep in touch with regardless of distance or time.  Making friends is good for moms.
7. A good blog post needs pictures. And since I'm home a lot, most pictures I tkae will be inside my home.  That's a good reason to keep {at least} a corner clean and organized!
8. I will be honest: even when the stars align and I've got a chance to go out and do something with the kids, I am often tempted to stay home because I'm a homebody.  But then I think, "That might make a good blog post!" and my motivation to leave kicks in!
9. I don't get to see my family as often as I'd like. Sometimes that's because of schedules, but it's also because of distance in some cases.  The blog allows me to share my family with my extended family.  Keeping those family connections is important to me for the kids.
10. It allows me to be and to have a creative outlet. And a happy mommy is a better mommy.

Do you think blogging makes you a better mother (or father or person...)?

Ten on Tuesday: Questions for the Dinner Table

Question: "How was school today?"

Answer: "Uh-huh."

I'm not really sure how that's an answer, but it seems to be the response I get quite frequently around here.  I'd like to interact with my kids and get them to tell me about their days, and I'll bet other parents do too.  So I'm making a list of questions I do get responses for. If you have others, please add them in the comments.

1. What did you learn in ___________? (math, science, spelling,etc.)
2. Who did you sit with at lunch?
3. Who did you play with at recess?  What did you do?
4. Who got in trouble today? (This one elicits some great stories!)
5. What special did you have today? (music, art, PE, library, Spanish, guidance) These things rotate on a daily basis for the kids at their school.
6. Who were you kind to today? (If the answer is "no one" that prompts a good discussion too.)
7. What made you laugh (sad, confused, interested, etc.)?
8. What book are you reading in reading group?
9. What was the best part of the day?/What was the worst part of the day?
10. Tell me about something purple (or red or square or loud) that was interesting today.

We don't actually ask all of these questions every night.  It's just a list I keep in my head to jump start a conversation when there isn't already one going on.  We do enjoy playing "Cherries and Pits" though. Have you played it?  Each person tells one good thing about the day (a cherry) and one bad thing (a pit).

What kinds of questions do you like to ask to get a conversation going with your family?

10 on Tuesday: 10 Good Deeds for Her 10th Birthday

As I mentioned yesterday, Frances asked me if she could do 10 good deeds for her 10th birthday.  After I finished crying tears of joy at my dear, sweet daughter, I asked her what 10 things she would like to do.  She gave me a few ideas and then said, "Mommy, can I see your list?"  I laughed and said "no."  Not because I was being mean, but because I wanted her to pick things that were meaningful to her.  I'll be honest and tell you that we haven't had a chance to do all these things, but I have made arrangements to get them taken care of in the next week or so.  If something happens and we don't do this exact list, I'll come back and make a note.

In the meantime, here are the

Have you ever seen a 10-year old so excited to get diapers for her birthday??

1.     Tape Popcorn to the Redbox machine.
2.     Pay for the person behind us at a fast food restaurant (We did this on her actual birthday at Burger King. She even wrote a nice note to pass along.)
3.     Donate cat food to Cat's Cradle (a local no kill shelter)
4.     Donate dog food to the local SPCA
5.     Donate baby blankets to Mercy House (a local shelter for homeless families)
6.     Buy a present for someone off of their Amazon gift registry
7.     Stick quarters in the vending machines somewhere
8.     Take cookies to the fire station
9.     Take coffee to the crossing guard (we may end up taking a Starbucks card because Walk to School Day is Wednesday, but I don't think we can walk to McDonald's, get coffee and then walk to school!)
10.     Give away her hat clips (she has a collection of mini hats that she would like to give to people to make them happy)

Ten on Tuesday: Things I Learned From not Having a Washing Machine

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this at all, but a few weeks ago our washing machine broke and we were left without one for quite a bit longer than I would have liked! However, I am the type of person to try and put a positive spin on everything, so in that vein I'd like to present you with:

1. Washing clothes in the bathtub is lots of fun for the kids, but not so much for mom. It also doesn't really get things very clean.
2. A potato masher makes a great agitator when you decide to try washing clothes in the kitchen sink.
   

3. The kitchen sink works much better than the bathtub.
4. Drying racks make attractive living room decor, especially covered with socks and underwear.
5. Laundromats smell much better on the outside than on the inside.
6. We own a lot of clothing!
7. Broken washer + Potty training = Lots of laundry in the sink (see #2...literally!)
8. It only takes two loads in the new washer/dryer before I started finding mulch and rocks inside.
9. Our bathroom is not large enough to hold three weeks worth of laundry and still be able to navigate through, but my new washer is big enough to go through that much laundry in about 5-6 loads!
10. My friends are awesome!

10 on Tuesday: Stupid Questions

I've have heard many, many times that there is no such thing as a stupid question.  Obviously the people saying that do not live in my house!  I understand that the sentiment is to encourage people to ask questions if they don't understand something, but in the case of my children, it seems to be pure laziness that prompts the questions.  Today in honor of Ask a Stupid Question Day, the following are actual stupid questions that my kids have asked me at some point or another:

1. Mommy, should these dirty clothes go in the hamper?
2. Mommy, where's my {fill in the blank with some obscure object no one has seen in months}?
3. Mommy, why is this wet?
4. Mommy, why is Oscar {the cat} doing that?
5. Mommy, what time does Luis {friend down the street} eat dinner?
6. Mommy? Mommy? MOMMY?!?  Were you sleeping?
7. Mommy, what's for dinner next week?
8. Mommy, do you remember the time I {reference to completely obscure occurrence in history}?
9. Mommy, do these dishes go in the sink? {asked while staring at empty dishwasher}
10. Mommy, what's Grandma doing? {asked while she's two hours away}

Do your kids ask stupid questions?  Or do you have more patience than I do??

Ten on Tuesday: Reasons I Love My Job

My boss bought some candy over the summer. When we moved back into our regular space, I put it in the candy jar and hid the rest of it in a drawer.  As the candy in the jar was eaten I slowly replaced it.  On afternoon, my boss was handing out candy to a few students in the center when he commented that no one must like the Whoppers because there were still a lot of them left. I mentioned that I *love* Whopper and he tossed he a pack.  I mostly forgot about it until yesterday.

I came back from lunch and noticed that he had gone shopping to replenish some office supplies. He had also bought some more candy for the candy jar. I noticed this because it was full again with a different kind of candy than had been in there before.  Out of curiosity, I opened the drawer to see what kind of candy was in there.

Which leads me to...

1. We dress up for Halloween!
2. We celebrate birthdays, holidays and other days for no reason. Usually with chocolate.
3. I work with the best staff around. Even the guy in the satellite office across campus!
4. We have awesome staff meetings that involve the best pizza around.
5. I can bring my kids to work with me if I need to.
6. I have an automatic babysitting pool right here!
7. I can easily take a day (or part of a day) off for a doctor's appointment, school event, or just because I feel like it.
8. I am regularly told that I do a good job.  Even when I mess up, the response is about what I have learned from the mistake.
9. I get to read all the free books I can handle.  And my kids can come check them out too.
10. I get two week off at Christmas to spend with my kids!

What about you? Do you have a fun and rewarding job?  What do you love about it??

Ten on Tuesday: School Year Bucket List

I seem to be in a season of making bucket lists.  I like the name, because it sounds nicer than a "to do" list.  These are simply things I hope to be able to do over the course of time; in this case-the school year.  I made a similar list last year that we did pretty well with.  Today is the first day of school and I've already got a good start on at least five of these.

My goofballs, hamming it up for their picture!

1. Take dinner to the kids' teachers at least once
2. Go on as many field trips as possible
3. Eat lunch with them (which will be difficult considering their lunchtimes are separated by an hour and a half!)
4. Help in the classrooms
5. Pray for their teachers and teach them to do so as well
6. Make friends with their friends' parents
7. Pray together each morning before school
8. Eat breakfast at the table together
9. Establish and keep good morning and evening routines
10. Get involved with the new PTO

10 on Tuesday

10 Great Songs From the Last Year

1. You Reign--Mercy Me
2. Jesus Messiah--Chris Tomlin
3. Give me Your Eyes-Brandon Heath
4. Your Grace is Enough--Matt Maher
5. There Will Be a Day--Jeremy Camp
6. Yours--Setven Curtis Chapman
7. I Will Not Be Moved--Natalie Grant
8. I Saw God Today--George Stait
9. Ready, Set, Don't Go--Billy Ray Cyrus (with Miley Cyrus)
10. You're Gonna Miss This--Trace Adkins

10 Celebrities You’re Tired Of

10 Celebrities You’re Tired Of:

1. Paris Hilton
2. Brittney Spears
3. Angelina Jolie
4. Brad Pitt
5. Jennifer Aniston
6. Nicole Ritchie
7. Lindsay Lohan
8. Tom Cruise
9. Anyone on American Idol
10. Anyone famous solely for one stupid action

10 on Tuesday

10 Least Liked Foods

1. chicken with bones (AKA "bone chicken")
2. onions
3. squash
4. zucchini
5. water chestnuts
6. sweet potatoes
7. crab
8. coconut
9. lobster
10. grits

I don't think I am overly picky. I actually had to think pretty hard to come up with 10 items. It is funny to note that most of these things are things my husband Loves to eat!

10 on Tuesday

10 Favorite Places to Shop

1. Food Lion
2. Target
3. woot.com
4. B.Moss (even though they are out of business now)
5. The Dollar Store
6. Family Christian Stores
7. amazon.com
8. CVS
9. ummm..... this list is really sad.....