Top Dog.

I was watching my cats romping around and wrestling last night and it got me thinking about how their relationship mimics every relationship in my life. When you have pets there is always one that is the dominant personality. In our house we have two cats and one defiantly stands out as the alpha cat. He lets the other cat eat only when he is done and lets him sleep in certain spots. They love each other and get along great as long as the alpha cat is getting what he wants. In our house there is an alpha kid. There is one child that sets the tone for pretty much how everything goes in our house. If she is happy and pleasant then things go smoothly and everyone is smiling. If she is angry or grouchy the climate of the house pretty much changes to match her mood. She has a tight control on the household. The alpha thing applys to marriages as well although I think each of us is dominant in certain areas. He takes control of the finances. I have had no idea where our money is for the last 14 years. I trust him and I am sure it is where is should be but if he died tomorrow I would have no clue where to look. I dominate with the kids. I know their schedules and what activities are when. I know their sizes and styles. He has NO clue about those things. This all works to balance us out and makes us compliment each other. I also notice that in a group of friends there is usually one person that takes over the conversation and often picks the movie or restaurant. I tend to be attracted to alpha friends probably because I would rather talk about someone else and let them make choices since I hate doing that. All this leads me to wonder how many of our alpha qualities we are born with and how many we develop with the help of environment and circumstance.

Not ME Monday!

Joining in with the blog Carnival Not me Monday over at My Charming Kids!



I could never have written my Valentine blog post after a little too much girls night wine..nope that would never ever happen.


NO way did I go to old lady water aerobics and feel so stiff the next morning I could hardly walk.


We could never have opened a box of chocolates on Valentines morning and eaten them for breakfast..nope not us!


Chris could never have told me has has to be gone for two weeks IN A ROW in March that would have certainly driven me over the edge!

I did NOT fold a whole load of laundry and have absolutely nothing for myself in the load that would be silly!


I wouldn't have gone 2 shades blonder and felt like blonde's really do have more fun..nope not
ME!


I could never have made Chris take all three girls to an early morning dentist appointment so I could sleep in that would have been childish and unfair!

There is no way the preschool teacher had to comb my preschooler's hair because I forgot it was picture day AND forgot to comb her hair. I DO have to say her hair never looked better. (this one was actually donated by my neighbor Paula but I thought it was just too great not to include :)

Saturday Random Picture Challenge.

Joining in with Brittany over at 4 little men and girly twins for the Saturday picture challenge. Went to my January 2007 picture folder and found the 3rd picture.
This a picture of Amelia when she decided she wasn't tired yet in her bed and put a whole page of stickers up her arm :)

Lessons IN Love

* No one is perfect (except of course me :)

* Ice cream does make everything better

* Even when I say don't worry about it...DO

* Jewelry is the answer to everything

* Once a month is OK, it is no reflection on your manhood

* Forget trying to make plans because yours are already made for you

* If you travel too much for work you will probably come home to various new pets

* Seeing each other when you first wake up really is scary

* Mind reading is for professionals only

* Pretend to be listening (and nod in agreement) even if you aren't

* Naked is ugly no matter which way you slice it..accept it and turn the lights off

* Purses and shoes are an investment not a splurge

* At the end of the day just being together is all that really matters

Road Construction.

You know how when you are moving along on a smooth road in life and all of a sudden you hit a speed bump? I am wondering if these bumps are out there to send us reeling onto another path to our certain destiny. Our small subdivision has been redistricted for the 2010 school year which means my kids will have to switch schools with only a handfull of familiar faces to a sea of new faces. It also means we have a WHOLE year plus to worry and wonder before the change actually happens. I wonder if this change will alter the course of friendships and education for the girls. Maybe there is a reason...like one of them will meet their future husband or the best friend they will every have (trying to stay positive here). Maybe they will have the teacher that inspires them to go to medical school. I am trying really hard to take the changes as they come and adapting to them as well as I possibly can. I know from past experience that these bumps are going to come again and again in my lifetime. A friend has had a few bumps of her own lately to deal with too. She is ending a toxic marriage despite her desire to keep her family together and her kids safe and happy. She is leaving her home and displacing her kids which will no doubt cause chaos and struggle When the dust settles I believe that these bumps in her road will lead to a happier safer more positive life for her and her kids. I hope that she starts on a new road, one with lots of new adventures and more importantly one where she feels loved and needed.
I keep reminding myself that that roller coaster feeling as you ride up the hill can sometimes lead to the most thrilling ride of your life!

Three Little Sweet Tarts.

Since it is Valentines week I thought I would talk some more about LOVE and all that mushy stuff. This time I am going to touch on a different type of love though, the love a Mom has for her children. I am hoping that writing this down on paper reaffirms it to myself since lately each one has been exasperating and challenging in their own way.
Caroline is my first born. I remember ever single little detail of my pregnancy and how I longed to have a baby. We didn't know if she would be a boy or a girl but she was so wanted and anticipated that the minute she was born she was surrounded by love. She was a darling little girl and was always the center of our attention. Probably a little too much because by the time we hit preschool she was very attached to me and had a hard time letting go. Once we got past that and into kindergarten she became quite the social butterfly. She has a very magnetic personality and people generally enjoy talking to her. Caroline is very creative and loving and will always be my first experience with every stage of childhood. I am guessing there will lots of tears from both of us as we enter the teen years. I think she will teach me a lot
Olivia came next into our world. She was bald as a billiard and cute as could be. Big blue eyes and long lashes. She didn't have much hair until around 2 and was always mistaken for being younger except when she opened her mouth and started talking. She had quite a vocabulary and a temper to match. Olivia is such a unique individual. From the outfits she wears to the way she solves problems she follows her own road and it is defiantly the one less traveled. That characteristic is one that I admire and hope she can continue to cultivate and exhibit forever.
Amelia is our last born and was actually the easiest baby. It is obvious now she was fooling us to get us to adore her before she let her true personality shine. She has a very strong personality to say the least. Actually everything about Amelia is strong. She is tall for four and has better defined arms then I do. She can debate and discuss pretty much anything and can make you agree with her either because you really do agree or because you just can't bare to hear it anymore. Amelia is one of the funniest people I know..even at four she says some of the most laugh out loud hilarious things you have every heard. She also has a real soft spot for baby's and animals. She absolutely loves our cats and can usually be found dragging a baby doll around every where she goes. I am sure that some day she will be a mom and a good one at that.
I love the sound of them giggling together. I love it when they come to each others defense and when they miss each other after a day apart. I love it when I see a flicker of Chris in them. I cherish all three of them for their strengths and for their weaknesses.

NOT me Monday!

I am once again playing along with the blog carnival started by Mckmama over at My Charming Kids! Join in, it is quite therapeutic!

I didn't almost fall off the chair when Amelia handed Chris the page out of the Sunday Target ad with the sexy valentine lingerie on it and said "Here Dad I know you like to look at this kind of stuff."

NO way I got super duper excited over the weather forecast of 45 and sunny.

There is no way we went out to lunch and Caroline absolutely refused to eat anything because it wasn't the place she wanted to go ..that would have been just silly.

One of the girls certainly didn't say "Mom ,what does Daddy need shampoo for anyway?? He doesn't have any hair!" That would have been mean and though totally true also totally RUDE.

I could never have agreed to go to water aerobics at the health club even though I have a severe fear of naked ladies walking around the locker room..nope NOT me!

It is impossible that I am seriously thinking about getting a kitten even though we already have 2 cats...I would be out of my mind to consider that!

NO possible way that I answered my door to 18 red roses with a card that basically said I read your blog I know what a bad week you had last week....that would have been too nice ! There is no way the flowers were just to cushion the blow that he is going to be gone some of each of the next two weeks....