Happy Birthday, French Fry!

CJ and me at his preschool birthday celebration.

Today is my son's 4th birthday!

Four years ago, I was in the hospital getting ready for the birth of my first and only son, CJ (or as I like to call him French Fry). I'm not sure where the nickname came from, but I do love those hamburger sidekicks and I love my little man. As someone who became a Mom relatively late in life, it's amazing just how much having a son has changed my life.

I am so grateful to God for the blessing of being his Mom. I've never done anything as difficult and as rewarding as being his mother. When RJ and I dedicated CJ at our church, this is the blessing we wrote for him:

CJ, may the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the love and truth of Jesus always guide you.
May you be caring in all your relationships and
compassionate to those in need.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your understanding and with all your strength.
And may the Spirit of God always be with you.

Happy Birthday, French Fry!

CJ, just a few hours old

Enjoying CJ and mommy time

CJ, 1 year old

CJ, 2 years old

CJ, 3 years old

Just Call Me Auction Queen

Our table of goodies at the Braxton Auction.

As I've mentioned before, my husband and I have recently gotten aboard the auction train. Inspired by the shows Auction Kings and American Pickers, we've got a small rotation of auctions that we visit frequently.

Last Friday night, we experienced our first table auction as sellers at Braxton's Auction. We've attended one table auction before, but this time we hosted a table with our own goodies to sell.

It was so much fun! At a table auction, whoever gets the highest bid has the option of purchasing anything on the table. For that price, you can get as many items you want. Bids usually start around $20. Once nobody will bid at least $5, the auctioneer groups together items until someone is willing to go $5 or more.

Since we were newbies, we had our table packed with items -- not being sure of what would sell. We had so many things on our table that the auctioneer took some items off and we covered two tables. We actually made a profit that night and ended up with some spending money for me to buy my own goodies.




These are the glass items that I really wanted to win -- especially the
honey box in the front.

 

I had my eye on a black/deep purple honey box made by Tiara. They were a company that sold glassware at home parties from 1970 to 1998. Most of the items were reproductions of Depression glass from the 1920s. I love Depression glass because I have some pieces from my grandmother. Most of those pieces are translucent pink.

Unfortunately, I was outbid on my honey box. No worries, there's still the auction next month!

Sick Daze

Vintage Vicks Ad from 1946

I'll be the first to admit: I am not a good sick person. I don't like being sick and I'm "Grumpy McGrumpy Pants" when I do get sick. Unfortunately, sickness has come for a visit at our house hitting both CJ and me. So far, RJ has survived unscathed.

I have some sort of cold. Fortunately, having in-laws who are retired pharmacists has great benefits -- like getting recommendations on medicine. So far, their latest suggestion of Mucinex seems to be doing the trick. On a side note, Mucinex is the medicine with the cartoon commercial with the gross looking green guy. Meanwhile, their packaging has nothing to do with that green guy or the color green. It is a very nondescript white box. Looks like they would market it to help you find the product easily. RJ almost didn't find the right one since he was looking for the gross green guy.

I must give a sincere thanks to the makers of Vicks Vapo Rub. That stuff works wonders. It's one of the few things that keeps me from coughing throughout the night. It may just be the memories of having my Mom slather it on my neck when I was a little girl, but that eucalyptus smell always makes me feel better. I've heard of people putting it on their feet, but I've never tried it.

And, I have got to thank the makers of Play-Doh for helping me keep CJ entertained during the past few days. Looks like he caught a stomach bug and has been having trouble keeping his food down. This is a problem for a little boy whose favorite past time is eating. He keeps looking at me with his big brown eyes saying, "I'm hungry. Can I have just a little snack?" So far, his food has been very bland and in very short supply. I hope that tomorrow he can return to his preschool. I've been trying to keep him in the parts of our house without carpeted floors. Playing with Play-Doh in the kitchen has been an ideal location.

I'm hopeful and prayerful that the rest we've gotten today combined with some good medicine will get both of us back to our regular routines tomorrow. I'm watching way much too TV. But I'm having fun exploring some blogs that I usually don't have time to read.

By the way, if you've made it to the end of this post, I'd love for you to Follow Me with Google Friend in the left-hand sidebar of my blog. So far, I have one friend and I'm feeling like I did in middle school when I was the last one picked on the playground. Please help me feel socially accepted in the blogosphere!

Love is patient

to my husband, Happy Valentine's Day!

Love is patient and kind. (like when you wash the dishes for me that have been in the sink for way too long, even though you cooked dinner)

Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. (like when you affirm me spending time with the chicks so that I can have some girl time)

Love does not demand its own way. (like when you watch “SuperWhy” with CJ instead of Sports Center.)

Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. (like when you fill up my gas tank in the wee hours of the morning because I forgot that it was almost on Empty)

It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. (like when you help people at work who are struggling with loss after a disaster)

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (like when you encourage my efforts to get in shape even though you’ve heard me make the same statements for the past 12 years)

Love will last forever … (till death do us part)

There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love. (I love you, wonderfulness!)

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13

The Wisdom of a Child

Source: ChristianPhotos.Net - Free High Resolution Photos for Christian Publications

"Let me hear your Bible verse," I ask CJ.

"Let the little children come to me. Luke 18:16," he replies happily, doing hand motions that he's made up with the verse.

My heart gets warm and fuzzy when I hear my 3 year old — almost 4 year old — son memorize Scripture. It's because I want to be a good role model to him that I'm attempting for the umpteenth time to make the Bible more of a priority in my life. As a book lover, I think it would great to actually know God through reading the Bible.

So here I go again — I'm trying to read the Bible through in a year. As someone who named my blog Book Smart Mom and has loved books since I was a little girl, it totally mystifies me how I've never managed to read the Bible from cover to cover. You would think sometime in the 30 years that I've called myself a follower of Jesus that I could manage to read one book.

My inspirations for this journey are my little boy and a 7-year-old girl I've never met. Her mother, Kat, wrote on her blog Inspired to Action about her daughter reading the entire Bible. "I love that she just did it," Kat writes. "She didn’t talk about doing it. She didn’t list the reasons why she couldn’t. She just did it. One page at a time."

I've heard people compare the Bible to a library since it contains so many smaller books. All I know is that several times I've started reading the Bible through Genesis and Exodus only to get stuck in Leviticus.

Since I work best with a plan, I'm using Read Thru the Word with speaker and blogger Wendy Pope. Using a chronological version of the Bible, she guides people through the Bible in a year. Each day, she posts some main points and includes a 10-15 minute video of her thoughts about the reading.

So far, so good. I'm up to date with my readings and since it's in chronological order, I've already done the book of Job before starting on Exodus. We're on day 35 with 330 remaining, but who's counting?

"Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples,

'Let the children come to me. Don't stop them!

For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'"

— Luke 18:16

Friend Makin Monday

Over at the blog "All the Weigh," there's Friend Makin Monday each week. The idea is to connect with other bloggers and find out more about each other.A Short Survey

1) What is your favorite household chore?  And what is your least favorite?
This is like asking what is my favorite torture device. I'm going to go with washing laundry as my favorite and cleaning bathrooms as my least favorite.

2)What is your favorite city?
Destin

3) Have you found real love yet?
Yep, it's been almost 14 years.

4) What's one thing you eat almost everyday?
chocolate raspberry Luna bar

5) What was your last thought before falling asleep last night?
I wished that my head would stop feeling congested and that I could just fall asleep already.

6) What's the worst injury you had as a child?
I cut my big toe on a floor heater vent. Gross, and I missed picture day at school.

7) Will you/have you worked out today?
No, enough said.

8) Do you tweet? If so, what's your name?
No.

9) List three things you wouldn't want to live without:
My boys, my best friends and dark chocolate

10) Hold old were you when you had your first kiss?
I was either 16 or 17. I had to wait way too long for that big moment.
I'd love to have you comment below and answer your 10 questions or link to Friend Makin Monday.

Saying Goodbye

For two days, I dreaded having a conversation with my 3 year old.

Helen, a family friend, recently died from lung cancer. Only a few weeks earlier, CJ met Helen for the first time. He brought a bag of dinosaurs and a shy smile with him to her house.

Although Helen had an oxygen tank and tube to help her breathe, CJ didn't seem to mind. After his usual initial moments of shyness, he soon settled in and began to scour for food. Helen had leftover Christmas goodies, so CJ quickly became her best friend.

I knew Helen was seriously ill, But, I had no idea that we wouldn't be able to keep the promise we made as we were leaving to come back to her house for lunch, bringing a bag of hamburgers with us. The moment to tell CJ about Helen's death would be coming soon. It happened during a car trip two days after her death.

"Mommy, look, I found my dinosaur that I had at Helen's house," says CJ from his car seat.

"Really? It must have fallen out of your bag," I say.

"We need to take some hamburgers to Helen's house," he adds.

Uh, uh, here it comes, I think.

"Pumpkin, we won't be able to visit Helen's house. She was very sick and she died like Casey and Lady (these are two pets that recently died )," I say.

"Why?" he asks.

"Her lungs were very sick," I continue. "Remember how we prayed for her and her lungs to get better? They just didn't get better and she died."

My tears don't start until this point in our conversation.

"I'm sad," he says.

"I know, I'm sad, too," I finish.

"I sure am glad I found this dinosaur!" he exclaims.

"Me, too."

With our conversation about that topic finished, I start another train of thought and we move on.

I met Helen when I was around 8 years old. I always loved how funny she was and how she never talked down to me. She loved my drawings. I learned at my last visit to her house that she kept a drawing I did in high school. I never knew until visitation at the funeral home that she also made drawings. 

I'm so glad that Helen is no longer suffering. But, I'm so sad that this world goes on without her. My family will miss her.

Five Question Friday: Day 5 of the Snow In

Since I think my brain power has drained away after five days of being home bound due to snow in Atlanta, I'm taking part in Five Question Friday from blogger Mama M.

1. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get tired of? Definitely "The Princess Bride." I own the 20-year anniversary edition. Hard to believe that it's been 20 years since I watched this on video and got my first kiss. I love Cary Elwes in this movie. I love quoting this movie and drive my friends and family crazy talking while we're watching it.

2. What's your biggest pet peeve right now?  People who needlessly honk their horns while driving -- you know who you are.

3. If you had to describe your best friend in five words or less, what would you say? A sister from another mother

4. If you did not have to worry about money or go to school what would you do for a living? I would write young adults novels during the summer and teach elementary school art the rest of the year.

5. What is your one "splurge" item, that you will always buy, no matter the cost?
I cannot live without MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation NC20. I can go cheap on a lot of items. Lately, I've gotten the cheapest haircuts possible and have bought less than five clothes items for the past six months. But since I have basically no skin care regime and barely wear any makeup, I have to splurge on my Mac Studio Fix. It evens out my complexion and covers a variety of skin sins. Try it, you'll love it. There's Mac stores at some malls and Macy's usually has a kiosk that sells them. Of course, if you love my blog, you can click on the link above for Amazon and help me earn some extra cash. I'm shameless with the Amazon links but I have to keep myself in Mac.

I'd love to have you comment below and answer the five questions or link to Five Question Friday.

One of the Things I Love About Blogs

I think my favorite thing about reading blogs is getting a small look into the lives of people who are so different from me. One of my current favorite is Storing Up Treasures. Courtney is a home schooling mom of 10 children -- ages 14 to 1 year old  (four of those she's adopted). While on the surface, Courtney and I don't seem to have much in common, I've enjoyed her honesty and vulnerability as she blogs about her everyday life.

Courtney is offering other bloggers a chance to increase their number of readers. She's created a "Blogs of Note" section on her site that you can get your blog added to. If any of you are new bloggers like me, I think this would be a great way to learn about other bloggers and get people to visit your site. Happy Blogging!

Auction Fever Continues

After an auction-free week, RJ and I made our way to Gallery 63 this weekend for some more treasure hunting. On Saturday, we went with CJ to preview the items up for auction. We weren't expecting the TV crew for "Auction Kings" to be there. To our surprise, they were filming on the preview day.

I tried my best to keep out of the view of the cameras. However, the gallery is really packed with items and somewhat hard to maneuver. It was difficult to keep out of camera range. When RJ and CJ went to look at a display filled with baseball cards, the camerman wanted to capture them together. RJ, not realizing that he was being filmed, asked me to join them. I reluctantly agreed (thankful that I had put on makeup that morning) and bent down beside them.

Thinking I had gotten through that easily, I breathed a sigh of relief and headed to the back of the store. A couple of minutes later, one of the crew members asked if shecould ask us a couple of questions. The three of us stood together with a camera less than 5 feet away. I felt a perspiration mustache forming on my face. I tried to wipe it off nonchalantly as I thought about how the camera adds 10 pounds -- not something that I need.

The interviewer asked us about our auction experience. What we were looking for at the preview, she asked. I hope that we gave her something she can use. It's terrifying to try to sound intelligent in a sound bite.

On Sunday, we left CJ with the grandparents and headed to Gallery 63 an hour before the auction start time. Cars already packed the parking lot when we arrived. We staked out our seats on the bleachers and waited. It was standing room only when the auction started.

We mentally picked out a few items that we were interested in buying, if the price was low enough. Unfortunately, only one item we wanted came up for bid during our three hour stay. We threw out an opening bid, but didn't win. The auction runs until around 7 p.m, but after four hours on the bleachers, I called it quits. I can't wait until month for the next auction. I'm determined to get an auction treasure, no matter how long I have to wait.

Auction Fever

The object of my auction desire.

The past three days auction fever has hit my family. We've been inspired by the reality TV series "Auction Hunters" and "Auction Kings." On Friday, RJ, CJ and I went to a storage rental building that had five units up for auction. Turns out we aren't the only ones watching these reality TV shows. The place was packed -- we counted about 80 people.

The rules are simple. Once the unit door is opened, you can look in to check out the contents. No touching anything inside the unit, no crossing the threshold of the unit. You bid on what you see: "As Is." An auctioneer keeps things on track. Our auctioneer was a young, 20-something who informed everyone that we could throw our cigarette butts in the back of his pickup truck if we needed. Let the auction begin!

I hung back for the first two auctions with CJ and didn't get to look inside the units. The crowds were intimidating. But for the third unit, I let RJ carry CJ and I made it to the front of the unit. This one had children's toys (how sad that someone was unable to come back and claim their stuff) and some four-wheelers. The four-wheelers made the bidding too rich for us.

As we headed to the last unit, the owner of the storage facility offered CJ a ride on his golf cart. I jumped at the chance. CJ and I whizzed past the other auction goers and headed to the final treasure hunt. Unfortunately, the last unit only had a couple of pieces of rolling luggage. Our adventure at the storage units was done.

But, the thrill of auction hunting had just begun. Next, we dropped CJ off at the grandparents and then headed to a large auction gallery. I figured that hours of sitting still looking at old things that aren't toys wouldn't be CJ's idea of a good time. RJ and I staked out our seats and went to look at the items up for sale. It was just a few minutes before I spotted a crystal penguin that needed to be mine. Unfortunately the penguin was a Lalique. RJ said that Lalique makes Waterford look like K-Mart crystal. I'll take his word for it. While I loved the penguin, I hate paying more for something just because it has a name brand attached to it.

It took awhile for the penguin to come up for bid. RJ and I had decided on a low price we were willing to offer. We didn't even get a chance to bid. The opening bid was $50. The penguin went for $700. I think I could get a real one from the aquarium for that money. Guess I'll have to wait for the next auction to get a treasure.

Get Free Holiday Cards from Shutterfly

CJ's first Christmas with Santa

One of the signs that Christmas is coming soon to our house is a visit to the mall Santa to have CJ's annual photo taken. I think that RJ and I are usually more excited about this visit than our son. But this year as a 3-year-old, he at least knows who Santa is.

In order to make our lives easier, we've used Shutterfly the past two years to make our Christmas cards. They let you choose the cover photo and then your own inside design. We go with the Santa photo on the front and then a couple of winter photos inside with a Scripture verse and Christmas greeting. I also love the Cranberry Swirl and Holly Frame card designs.

To make Christmas gifts easy, we also make CJ calendars for his grandparents. These adorable calendars feature a CJ photo for each month, tailored to each set of grandparents.

Using personalized photos helps connect us to family and friends at the holidays. If you have a blog (Facebook profiles/postings and private blogs are not eligible), you can get 50 free holidays cards from Shutterfly -- sign up here.

  

Every Time a Bell Rings ...

The young woman looked tired as she approached my desk. With blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, she carried her toddler on her hip. She said she needed help. 

She told me how she, her husband and their three children were stranded in Atlanta, far from their home. She needed gas money to get back home and she needed food for her children. As she talked, she tried to keep from crying. Hearing her story – and those of others who frequently visit where I work – is the hardest thing I deal with in my job. As a non-profit on a major road in a large city, at least once every couple of weeks someone stops at our door and needs help.

Our official stance is that we partner with a local ministry that provides assistance to those in need. But unofficially, my heart breaks when I hear their stories. I know that some of them have questionable intentions. But, my job is not to judge. I try to give a listening ear, give them information and do what I can.

Usually I end up feeling crummy and inadequate. I hold back my own tears and hide behind my professional mask.

But today, even though I wasn’t able to give the young woman all the help she needed, I hope to help people in need during this holiday season.

Do you hear that? That's the sound of a "virtual bell" ringing. FlyLady (an organizational mentor that I mentioned in an earlier post) is hosting a Salvation Army Online Red Kettle. The donations collected will be used to help those in need this Christmas. Her Kettle is just like those you see when you're out shopping.

If you'd like to donate, just click this link. Her goal is $10,000, which seems huge! But I would love to know that the money collected will play a small part in bringing hope to families this Christmas. As the Salvation Army says:

“When you put money in my kettle, expect change.

Expect those who have lost everything to find help and hope.

Because the money donated to my Online Red Kettle will change lives –

for the better.”

If you give to the online kettle, pleave leave a comment below.

Sisterchicks: Can't Live Without Them

"Sisterchick: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you're being a brat."

Tonight I'm having dinner with the "chicks," a group of my friends who try to get together every couple of months. Getting to see them makes me think of all the great friends who fill my life. The chicks started when we were all in the singles group at a local church. Now, we've morphed into a group that includes single women, married ones and a couple with children. Through the years, we've shared the joys and tears that come with friendships that last. Although our ability to attend the chick gatherings is sometimes spotty, we're welcomed back without reproach or questions.

Although different duos and trios from the chicks have taken international trips, we've never managed to take a trip together with the whole group. When I read the Sisterchicks books by Robin Jones Gunn, they made me think of what it would be like if we ever manage to do a trip with all of us. Reading the Sisterchicks series is one of my guilty pleasures -- easy reading that is sometimes preachy, but well-intentioned and entertaining. I especially love the one that takes place in Venice because it reminds me of my trip there.

Besides my chicks, I'm also thankful for the friends I've made through my jobs. I've been lucky to have jobs at non-profits where the work I do makes a meaningful difference. But, I've also made incredible friends along the way. Sometimes, I think God led me to a couple of jobs just so I could meet these people!

Finally, I'm grateful for the friends I've made while slogging through my high school and college days. My friend, SF, especially waded through the drama of dating (and not dating), procrastinating and burning out during my college years. She loves me no matter what and has seen me through some of the best (coaching me through CJ's birth) and worst (heartbreak) times of my life.

At this time of year when I think about giving thanks, my friends top the list. Please share with me your favorite memory of a time with your sisterchicks or your favorite book about friends.

War Eagle!

Although I have married into a family of Auburn fans, it's really all about the mascots for me. Saturday, I went with RJ to an Auburn homecoming game. We wished a Happy 30th Birthday to TIger VI, who retired in 2006. She's a beautiful golden eagle who used to fly around the stadium on game days to get the crowd pumped up. Aubie, the teams' other mascot, also showed up at the birthday party. I loved watching his antics on the sidelines during the game.

Aubie

Although seeing the Auburn Tigers win their homecoming was exciting, getting to see Tiger and Aubie was a highlight for me. I guess this is what happens when your high school team tried hard, but didn't have any wins to show for it, and you go to a college without a football team.

After the Auburn win, I got to see first-hand the tradition of rolling Toomer's Corner. After their victories, fans join at this intersection to roll the trees. It was a chaotic blizzard of toilet paper. The children on campus really loved seeing if their rolls would make it.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

On Friday, I was a mystery reader at my son's preschool. Before arriving, I wondered how disguised I would be for my reading. The class is made up of 3- and 4-year olds who are pretty sharp. As soon as I walked in the door wearing my "Zoro" mask, one of the little girls in the class hollered out a greeting, obviously recognizing me. My son ran over from the reading circle to grab my legs in a happy welcome hug.

I played ignorant and told them, "I'm your mystery reader. You can guess who I am when I'm done with the book." Although I had a back up book in my car, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, I read a book about an adventurous pumpkin provided by my son's class. Nothing's cuter than 15 preschoolers actually paying attention to you reading.

I wish I had read my pigeon book to the class. Even though it's definitely a children's book, I love it! The pigeon has such a great personality and I'm sure every preschooler can relate to being told "No" whenever they want to do something great like drive a bus. I love the illustrations by Mo Willems.

Getting Ready for Christmas

Since I refuse to get heavily into Christmas planning before Halloween, now it's time to get serious about preparing for Christmas! One of the most valuable resources I've found is Flylady's Cruising through the Holidays. I admit that I've been "flywashed." Before I stumbled on Flylady's Web site about two years ago, my house was always a mess and I dreaded having people over because that meant scrambling around to clean up my house.

With Flylady's (a.k.a. Marla Cilley) approach of babysteps, I've been able to get better control over the chaos 15 minutes for a time. Now, I'm usually 30 minutes away from being able to have friends over. I do still have issues -- like I would rather do almost any duty than wash dishes -- but I'm moving in a good direction. Before using her tips, I always felt overwhelmed at where to begin with housework. 

My favorite thing about Flylady's tips is that they're FREE! Of course, she tries to earn cash for her Web site by offering items for sale, but I've never felt pressured to buy and love the fact that her tips are sent out by email. To keep me on track, I look at her Holiday Cruising Missions that involve small projects to get me ready for Christmas by the end of November.

I'm not keeping on track with all the missions, but it's been helpful to start thinking of my budget for Christmas presents. Since we're in a new house this year, I hope that some early planning will help us figure out where to place our decorations and get everyone in a festive mood. After all, I don't want to spend the season preparing for baby Jesus' birth stressed out and irritable.

Any fellow "Flybabies" out there?

Pear Pie at the Farmer's Market

With the crisp air finally feeling like fall, it was the perfect time to visit some farmer's markets near our house. At the first one, I bought collard greens. Since I've never made these before, I asked the seller's advice on how to cook them. She gave me two ideas: 1) cut them up and saute with olive oil and some chicken stock, similar to how I cook spinach 2) boil them in water or chicken stock until they can't take it anymore (the way her mother and colleague at the farmer's market does it). If anyone has a favorite recipe of technique for collard greens, I'd love to see it. [Update 11/8/10: I didn't realized that I needed to refrigerate the collard greens, so they died before I could try them out with a recipe!]

The seller's mother gave us 4 light blue eggs free for my 3-year-old son. She said her grandson loves the colored eggs, so she got a hen that lays light blue eggs. Can't wait to try them. A tip she gave me: fresh eggs don't peel easily if you boil them. [Update 11/8/10: I ended up making scrambled eggs.]

At the market, I also bought a fresh pear pie. It's a tiny pie, just right for snacking or dessert. My son and I have shared most of it. I've never had a pear pie, but it was so good. Similar to apple, but with more bite.

We also visited a farmer's market closer to our house hosted by a small church. They were having a harvest party along with the market. I bought a handmade Get Well card that a young woman named Elexa created (http://www.elexa.webs.com/). She produces the cards as part of her art therapy treatment. I had to buy it. Not only is it totally cute, I love the idea of her art helping ease the darkness of depression.

Now, I think I need some more pie!