On The Day That You Were Born…

God and His Angels got together and gave me really good drugs so I could enjoy your birth and not feel a second of pain.

Where did time go? It seems like yesterday that I was laying in my hospital bed, your father next to me admiring your beautiful face…

So far, the ride has been sweet and God kept His promise to me, that if I would accept His beautiful gift, the reward would be beyond my expectations.

You are so smart, you are beautiful, you are kind, you are loving, you are always smiling and ready for new adventures… You will always be our baby and we love you so much.

Happy 5th Birthday Morgane.

 

 

And yet again...

… I have the best husband in the world!

I found this pic on Internet and it made me smile as My Other Half could have wrote this note no doubt!

Morgane was ill all night but my Other Half (whom I will call "Superman" just for the day) took care of the vomit, the cleaning and the cries while I was sound asleep…

I really do have a great life!

My Son is 7 today and pretty funny!

Why did God make mommy?

1.-She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2.-So I can have dinner every day because I’m still to young to cook

3.-Mostly to clean the house.

How did God make mothers?

The same way he did for fathers except prettier.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

Describe the world's greatest mom?

That’s easy! My Mom!

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1.- She looked like me only with longer hair.

2.- Oh and I guess she would be pretty bossy. 

Is anything about your mom perfect?

I think she’s already perfect, but she keeps on asking for boobs, I don’t understand why, they are useless! 

Aren't these answers funny?! I had this conversation with Arthur a while ago and I was thinking, I Have the greatest kid ever! 

"For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me petition which I asked of Him."

 1 Samuel 27

 Today he is 7. You've changed a lot this last year, but the more a watch you grow the prouder I get. My heart melts with your lovely smile and the sweet words you always have for me. You love me unconditionnally and to your eyes and heart I am the best mom ever.

You pray God every night to help me out in my daily life and I pray Him to make me more like you: kind, loving, forgiving, generous, funny, honest and sweet.

I love you Arthur!

Thank you for making me a better person.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!

Mom...

MOM

I love you for all the times you picked me when I was down.

For all the times you traded your warm smile for my frown.

For all the times you brushed my hair and tucked me into bed… Or needed something for yourself and put me first instead.

For all the dreams that we have shared, the tears and laughter too.

I love you Mom with all my heart…

There’s no one quite like you!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO YOU!

YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION AND I HOPE MY KIDS WILL BE AS PROUD OF ME WHEN THEY GROW UP AS I AM OF YOU!

I WILL LOVE YOU ALWAYS!

The Lego Conspiracy - My Theory

Alright guys, I have a confession to make.  It’s not something that’s easy for me to admit, but I’m going to go ahead and put it out there if I want to stay true to who I really am and maybe, just, maybe I’ll be able to maintain my sanity.  Here goes nothing…

“Hi, My name is Joy, and I genuinely fear and hate Legos. They have completely taken over my son (and daughter!), my house, and my life, and I just can’t seem to manage to dig out from under them.  Every time that I think I might have things a bit under control, those little plastic things (surely invented by the devil’s minion) emerge and prove once again that they are the boss of me.  And I’m thinking that maybe I should just wave the white flag and surrender because I don’t think that I 'm ever going to have a chance in hell of winning this battle.  I’m just not strong enough.” *insert sobbing here*

I have this little theory that I’m now sharing with you that is probably born out of my frustration with Legos.  I am almost 150% convinced that the makers of Legos are secretly working with alcohol/wine manufacturers in order to boost revenue.  I mean, the two totally go hand in hand.  And no, I’m not exaggerating in the least, and yes, I’m very serious here.  I used to have a nice area rug in my bedroom, but now it is full of little hazard called Legos!

What the *insert bip here*!?!?!?!?

Just in case I haven’t proven my theory to you quite yet, here are a few more arguments that will hopefully swing the vote in my favor.  I don’t want a hung jury here.

a.  The Pain Factor

On more than one occasion, I have walked into a room to say something to my kids only to wind up yelling expletives at the top of my lungs after the bottom of my bare foot has been nearly punctured after unknowingly stepping on the infamous Lego mound.  And every time this happens I feel like I need a glass of wine to numb the throbbing, and also to calm my nerves due to the fact that I am well aware that I’ve just said the “F” word very loudly in front of my 4  and 6 year old and I know that they’ll choose to repeat it at the most inopportune time.

b. The Aggravation Factor

My son loves to build all kinds of “stuff” out of Legos.  And every time he gets whatever “stuff” he’s making almost completely put together, one of those famn’ pieces snaps off, and then when he tries to snap it back into place, his entire creation breaks apart. And then he gets really frustrated and screams like a banshee, and then that makes ME extremely frustrated FOR him, and then I just really feel like I need a glass of wine or seven or even eight! 

c.  The Time Factor 

Every time that my son gets a new set of Legos (thanks to the grandparents who don't seem to understand when I tell them that they have more than enough Legos), there is some sort of perfect picture on the outside of the box of whatever the contents inside are supposed to build. 

Of course the age range on that box may say 4 to 7, but the conspirators over at Lego know very well that my 6 year old is not going to be able to follow the little pamphlet of instructions included in the box in order to build the hero factory, boat, or whatever the hell else is pictured on the front.  They are also tuned into the fact that my 6 year old will fully expect me or my husband to put the entire thing together.  And they are also fully aware that this will piss us off to no end because the damn thing takes FOREVER to build and sometimes it is virtually impossible to identify the pieces that are pictured on the instructions.  And then when one of us can’t manage to put it together, we call in the other party for assistance, and then we wind up fighting over which piece goes where, etc., and then by the time one of us figures it out and does manage to put the vehicle together, our son has completely lost interest and has moved on to something else, or dear daughter decides to go behind our back and play Godzilla and therefore destroys everything in a blink of an eye! And then we wind up needing a really stiff mojito to get out of our respective funks.

See what I mean?  It’s all a conspiracy.

So Arthur’s Birthay is in a bit more than a month… So PLEASE PLEASE, if you ever wanted to buy him a gift (and yes I’m pointing my finger at you My Dear Brother), don‘t ever consider buying another set of Lego or I swear, revenge will be sweet… You know just sayin’…

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

I hope you all had the opportunity to celebrate this new year with people you love and who care for you. As for me, I spent it with my Other Half and all the Harry Potter movies! Yup you read this right, we left the kids with the grandparents and locked ourselves in front of the TV for 48 hours. The best time ever!

I was going back in my diary (yes this blog is not the only place I go to write on) and I realized just how much I’ve changed this past year. I had 3 objectives for last year:

1.       Get closer to my kids

2.       Understand the real meaning of marriage and try to become a better wife

3.       Open my heart to God

I now realize that these objectives will take me a lifetime to achieve but this year will all be about working even more  on the 3 points above.

Right now my life is on the brink of change and uncertainty. I am so out of my comfort zone that I really do get scared. Nonetheless, I know that this will only lead to great and better things. I just know. And I have faith that God will provide during these difficult times as He always did.

As a new year has started, I also have some new resolutions:

1.       Continue on my path to forming a more personal relationship with God. Although, I’ve been raised  in the Christian faith, I feel it is only now that I have finally allowed myself to open my heart to Him. I’ve neglected my faith for far too long, and this year God has smacked me upside down in order to get me back onto the right path. I am at a good place now, especially after this very revealing last year, but I want to go further.

2.       Get my sexy mommy back into shape. I gained some weight , and on such a small frame even 5 pounds makes a big difference! So as of tomorrow, I’ll start eating healthier again and squeeze some exercise time at least 4 time a week.

 

3.       Make a conscientious effort to better my relationships: with my Other Half, my kids, and my family.

 

4.       Show my love for the important people in my life I have this tendency to create walls and shut people out. It doesn’t make it easy to make friends so  I need to step out of my self-protective circle and be more proactive. I have met some great people last year, who share the same values as my Other Half and myself and who have kids who have the same age as ours. It would be wonderful if they could be part of our life for the coming years. We are lucky we already have good friends around us but meeting new ones along the way only brings even more love and kindness in our lives.

Whatever your wishes and hopes for 2012, I hope you’ll all get what your heart desires… HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Et puis je fume... lalalalala

Hi everyone!

I don’t know about you, but I had a really nice week-end. We did not do anything special, we simply enjoyed each other’s company…

I also tried to practice these three attitudes...

So which words would define these two last days?

- Slow dancing in the kitchen with Other Half

- Cuddling up with kids

- Fun Christmas shopping

- Dancing crazy with the kids

- Nice family dinner

- Birthday celebration

- Red velvet brownies with white chocolate icing

- Love, sweetness, and a lot of laughing

- God

So yes it is Monday today, and this morning as I was dropping the kids to school, my daughter tightly embraced me and told me how much she loved staying with me, I would have given everything to make her wish come true. I take patience and look forward to the next week-end and re-doing it all over again…

Have a nice week everyone!

This song made me smile this morning and I thought was just appropriate for today… ENJOY

I have no words!

A 20th child ???????

Oh My God ! Really Oh My God!

I can’t find anything else to say! I am speechless, I can't put my brain around it. I'm even shy to admit I want a 3rd child, so 20 kids?! I think I'm being reasonable right? LOL

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

No Santa Claus in this home, sorry...

Last night, as I was tucking Arthur into bed, he asked me to pray with him…

It was really sweet because at the end he said:

Before I say Amen Lord, I want to sing you a song…

He sang his song saying he was sad that he could not see the Lord but that He’ll continue praying hoping that one day he’ll sit next to him.

I was profoundly touched of how genuine Arthur’s feelings were. And before I kissed him good night I told him that I was really proud of the young man he is becoming.

Then he asked me this question, you think he’ll like my song enough that Santa will come in our home this year?

Last year, I told the kids that Santa would not be coming over and I told them that it would be the same case this year.

In a bit more than a month it will be Christmas… And as a Christian, I am trying to find ways to explain to the kids what the true meaning of Christmas is…

We have never celebrated Santa Claus at home, simply because I don’t want Christmas to be about him (Oh dear!!!! I can know hear the judgmental opinion of everyone – but I’m ok with it).

My Other Half and I agreed not to tell them the truth about Santa just yet, and just to stay vague on it. We’ll simply tell the kids that Santa doesn’t come to our home as he goes to the families that need him more…

But I can’t prevent the other kids to be talking about Santa at school and I had to give a careful thought to how I would answer the dreaded question: who puts the gift under the Christmas tree then?

So this is how I have decided to explain it to the kids:

Dear Arthur and Morgane,

I know you are wondering who put the gifts under the Christmas tree every year and there is one simple answer to this: it’s me.

I am the person who chooses, wrapes, and places the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Dad helps, too.)

I imagine that someday you'll do this for your children, and I'm you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You'll love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.

I could tell you Santa did this but I would be lying and I promised myself I would try never to do that.

Instead I’ll tell you that God has been good to our family and has helped Mommy and Daddy to find ways to put a few gifts for you guys under our tree.

You see, Jesus is bigger than any person or Saints like the one we call Santa Claus, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.

It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, your friends, your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you cannot measure or even hold in your hand. By this, I mean "love", this great power that will light your life from inside out, even during its darkest, hardest moments.

Jesus is a teacher, and I have been his student. The best lesson I’ve learned is that the most important thing during this time of the year is to love one another. Gifts or no gift, what we need to do is believe in Him and be grateful for all we have. In our home, there is no Santa going down the chimney, but a Mom and Dad who love you more than anything and with the Grace of God are able to provide for you a home, food, toys and a loving a family…

With full hearts, people like Dad and me take our turns to help Jesus do a job that would otherwise be impossible – by reminding everyone the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Savior and the reminder that up there someone loves us more than anyone else..

I love you and I always will.

Mommy

And this Mom will teach her children about God...



Health tips...

This made me laugh and therefore I am passing it on...

Q:  Should I have a baby after 35?

A:  No, 35 children is enough.

Q  : I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?

A:  With any luck, right after he finishes college.

Q  : What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?

A:  Childbirth.

Q:  My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.

A:  So what's your question?

Q?:  My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but  pressure. Is she right?

A:  Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air  current.

Q:  When is the best time to get an epidural?

A:  Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q?:  Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in  labor?

A:  Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.

Q:  Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?

A:  Yes, pregnancy.

Q:  Do I have to have a baby shower?

A:  Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.

Q:  Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?

A:  When the kids are in college.

Today you are 4!

Dear Morgane

I will always remember the day the doctor told me that I was expecting a little girl. It was a mix of joy but also fear. I felt joy because I was looking forward to dressing you up but I also felt scared because how on earth was I going to raise a little girl when I had been a pain in the butt for my parents?!

But it all turned up just fine and I am so proud of the big girl you have become.

You still ask me this song from time to time and maybe one day, you’ll sing it to your baby too…

You love to sing and dance,

You can be girly but you can also be a real tomboy (in fact there hasn’t been a whole month when I haven’t seen you with a bump on your forehead)

You adore you big brother even though you take much fun in torturing his mind at times,

You are Hello Kitty’s number 1 fan,

You give your Lola and Lolo so much love and happiness

And to your Daddy and me you are the sunshine of our life!

You loving, sweet and fun spirit makes it impossible for me to stay mad at you for more than 10 seconds!

You will always be my baby even if I can’t stop you from growing up. You make me so proud and you give me the motivation to be a better mom each day.

6 days old

8 months old

11 months old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

HAPPY 4^TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

WE LOVE YOU MORGANE MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY!!!!

My kids and their weird conclusions…

It all started a while ago when my kids ask their Dad why he was bald. Other Half jokingly answered that he lost the first part when Arthur was born and Morgane just helped for the last part by driving him insane.

Then in the car this morning, I started listening to their conversation, and this is how it went:

Morgane: You know, Tito Em (being my Dear Brother) is bald like Dad

ARTHUR: yeah, it’s normal, he had mom as his sister…

Morgane: What do you mean by that?

Arthur: well, if Dad says we drive him mad, and he also says that we get our crazy character from Mommy, then Mommy drove Tito Em mad long enough so he lost all his hair too!

Morgane: yes but Lolo (that’s how we call the grandfather in the Philippines) is losing his hair too!

Arthur:  well mommy started the work, and will finish it when he moves in with us!

Morgane: How about Tito Rik (my Dear Brother precious Better Half)

Arthur: well, because mommy taught Tito Em how to drive people crazy, he has done the same with Tito Rik and now he is all bald too…

Oh dear, this kids have a huge imagination!!!!! Wonder where they get THAT from!

This day wasn't so bad afterall...

I was in a "panic" mode this morning as I had taken a day off last Friday, which meant that work had piled up on my desk and in my mailbox. I manage to do go through 6 bullets out of 10 on my to do list, which makes me pretty proud of myself.

On top of things, my boss who arrived in the office quiet grumpy almost instantly changed his mood once we started working together… I’m not going to bad mouth him on my blog, I’m tempted but I won’t do it. Why? Because one of my cousin reminded me that even though he seems to have everything in his life to make him happy, he is missing one HUGE part: Faith.

This is what she wrote to me after I explained to her that I was having a bad day, and that dealing with a difficult person was a bit part of it:  "Material things can not fill their longing, only God can. Be lovable to them, not by choice but do it because it pleases our Lord. Even better, pray for these people--- you can not hate them if you are praying for them you know? Try it--- it works!"

And it does work! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that as soon as I got in the office, as most of days, I’ll start my day with a prayer, why not today? Because I let myself get caught with the stress of the world instead of following my faith and its principles… Focus on our Lord and let Him deal with the rest…

Tomorrow is another day, and I promise myself that my first words will be for the Lord… I have no doubt that whatever comes my way, I will face it with courage as I know that I am not alone…

Until then, I am grateful for my wonderful Other Half, who manage to take a few hours off to pick-up the kids and relieve me from the worries of not getting on time at the kids’school this evening. I’m looking forward to a nice family meal and a relaxing eveing with my Other Half catching up on our favorite series and probably falling asleep in his arms…

I hope you Monday has been good to you, and remember tomorrow is full of possibilities…

I've got AWESOME kids!

Didn't hear my alarm this morning and had to kick the kids out of bed with tons of apologies as it wasn't their fault... They both embraced me, got dressed as fast as they could while Other Half and I were preparing their backpacks and breakfast to eat in the car and before they headed to the car, they told me: "Mom, it's OK, it happens, it's not your fault... We love you ♥"

Arthur and Morgane - you two make Mommy rpoud every day! - I LOVE YOU!

Looking forward to….

… A week-end where we are all together. I’m can’t wait for my week-end to start. The weather is quiet promising and Other Half will be with us for a whole 2 days.

As some of you know, Other Half is a policeman, which means he sometimes has to work on week-ends. I don’t mind being alone with the kids on weekdays as time flies fast with school, bath, homework, preparing dinner, and cleaning up, but week-ends are different.

It's always so much more fun when Other Half is is around.

Proof?: When Other Half is absent, the kids keep on asking several times a day when Daddy will be home to the point that when they are upset they would cry hard and keep on asking for him. I pretty much do the same thing, but my pity party involves a tub of Nutella and a bag of chips to follow. 

On top of having Other Half around, I’ll be spending my Sunday morning with my best friend. I’ll be taking her to a Zumba class, I’m not sure that she’ll survive it but then again, I’m not sure I will either… Then Sunday afternoon, I have invited a nice family to have lunch with us, which means my house will be full of joy and laughter, and that’s all I need for now…

That’s why I’m so excited that we'll all be together as we did not have the chance to be with Other Half last week. Reunited and it feels so good.... [insert cough here] Sorry, didn't mean to break into a song there.

Anyway, I hope you’ll all have a fabulous week-end filled with good laughs, love,  great food, and sweet friends…

Why would I need to eat salad?!

So a while ago, because I had noticed that Other Half gained a bit of weight,  I told the kids that when they got out with their Daddy at McDonalds, they should push their Dad to eat a salad instead of having a hamburger, which they now do all the time…

But then yesterday morning, while I was about to get dressed to take them to school, Morgane followed me in the dressing room. I saw her staring at my derriere and I could see that she wanted to say something. So I asked:

ME: Morgane, honey what’s wrong?

Morgane: well mom, remember when you told us we should push Daddy to eat a salad instead of junk food?

ME: yes of course I do honey, and I’m glad he is listening to you

Morgane: well, mom, I think you should eat salad too…

ME: really?! Why? I don’t feel like I’ve gained any weight lately…

Then she points at my backside and says:

But mom, look! Your butt has gotten so big that you knickers don’t even cover your whole butt anymore!!!

I laughed so hard, she didn’t understand how in heaven I wasn’t panicking… And that is how my daughther learned the difference between a panty and a thong….

I'm sorry, I'm not ready for this yet:

Do I want more kids?…

Most of the time the answer is no, but when I start hesitating I just look at this chart (except that for me, it would be a third child):

BUT, if you are like me, still hesitating, I suggest you watch this funny video, and you will probably have your answer… I just couldn't stop laughing...

This video is sooooo true… I mean, I love having my nephew and nieces at home but it’s also nice to be able to let them go back home after a day or two. One of my nieces is 2 years and a half, she’s adorable, but now that I’m out off potty training, early morning milk calling, I can’t imagine doing it all over again… And above all, my kids are finally starting to behave (notice I wrote that in a very tiny font? It's because I don't want to jinx it!) so why on earth would I put myself into hell again :o)

Lucky....

After work this evening, I’ll be heading home to my 2 kids and my Other Half. As I’ll open the door, I’ll hear  Arthur and Morgane shouting joyfully: "Mommy! You’re home!". Other Half will come towards me embrace me and kiss me the forehead. Dinner will almost be ready and the kids will have taken their bath and will already be in their PJs ready to be tucked into bed after dinner.

That’s a usual weekday for me… A beautiful picture isn’t it?

Yet sometimes, I’ll admit, I take it all for granted. I hang on to little things that irritate me, which turns me into a total frustrated psycho bitch. So what if the house isn’t clean when I get home? What is so bad about Arthur getting told off at school because he was just well… being a kid?!

I was surfing on the blogosphere yesterday afternoon and found a post from a wife who lost her husband. a while ago He committed suicide and left behind a wife and 2 young children. This couple used to be happy, but then depression kicked in for the husbandand at one stage he just couldn’t handle the pressure that was in his life and ended it all…

And this is what his wife wrote:

I am so jealous, of everyone.

I dropped a friend of mine home a few days ago, and watched as she entered her house. Where her husband and children were waiting. The house lit and alive and warm.

The house I come home to is cold and dark as I bundle my children inside. It warms soon, with light and laughter. But it is up to me to do that.

I miss the feeling of coming home to safety and security, the home fires burning. Ever since January, all I've wanted to do is go home, where it's safe, and escape all this pain for awhile.

I miss being married. It was never a huge thing for me- "It's just a piece of paper." It wasn't until I got married myself that I realised it was so much more.

That was one of first things that hit me, about losing Tony- I was no longer someone's wife. I was no longer one of those special women, so loved and adored that someone wanted them all to themselves.

I loved referring to Tony as 'my husband', and he loved calling me his wife. ("You know what I always remember him saying, about you? Laughing and saying 'Fuck, I love my wife'", says one of Tony's friends). We loved the idea of being married, that actuality of it... we adored each other.

"I will spend the rest of my life, waiting to die, so I can see him again. I'll never find anyone I love that much again."

"I know," says my best friend. "I know.... you were the best of mates, when you weren't fighting."

Source: Random Ramblings of SAH Mom

This post brought tears to my eyes… I felt her pain and loneliness…

I just couldn’t imagine not having my Other Half next to me when I wake up. Having to walk through life without him by my side.

Of course our marriage is not perfect, and we do fight, and I’ll confess to considering leaving him at some point. But there is this voice in my head that keeps on telling me that I can’t give up on us. When I read a post like the one above,  it reminds me that what Other Half and I have is precious. It reminds me that the Lord has been very generous with us and that I shouldn’t take for granted all the blessings I have in my life…

Tomorrow Other Half and I will be celebrating our 5^th wedding anniversary. I love being his wife, I have found peace in my heart by being a wife and a mom and I wouldn’t change anything in my life at this point…

I thank You Lord for answering my prayers 9 years ago, when in the darkness of my room I was angry and crying. I asked that you finally send me someone nice, who would see my imperfections but yet would accept them, and love me unconditionally... Thank you for all the good people surrounding my family and supporting us throught his beautiful journey... I pray that you grant us many more years of happiness together and that we may all experience you grace and your love. Amen

It is no secret for those of you who read me regularly that I am a Christian and I believe that all the beautiful things that are in my life come from our Lord Jesus Christ. It is even more evident for me as I find proof in the Bible that if we act in a Christian way towards our husbands and children, the promises of the Lord will be on our side. He may not answer when we want Him to, but because of my faith I know that I am not alone facing the bumps on the road ahead of me... It is no coincidence that I saw the post above as I am celebrating another milestone in my marriage. My questions have been answered and I know that there is nothing better than my marriage and the family I have out there...

But for the non-believers there is also an answer for you: "Cherish what you have as much as you can, as in the blink of an eye everything could be gone. "