The Fuzzball Chronicles: the Life and Times of Curly Mommy

My kids were born three years and one day apart. Last week Little Man turned two and Tater turned five. We had their Superman/Supergirl birthday party yesterday. Tater wanted a Supergirl party and a doll cake, so I combined the two ideas into this one cake. Little Man's Superman cake looks more like Moe from The Three Stooges than the Man of Steel. The party turned out great. We had a great time celebrating my sweet little monkeys.

I'm taking a much needed caffeine break. Today is the big birthday party. Eleven pizzas and sixty wings have been ordered. I have to pick up the balloons at 2:00 this afternoon. Two cakes have been decorated. A gallon of ice cream is waiting in the freezer. Obligatory veggies and fruit are ready in the fridge. Frantic cleaning is under way. The guests arrive at 5:00 this evening.

My dad took me flying in his ultralight Sunday afternoon. It is so little that we dubbed it, "The Weedeater." This is the tree Dad hit as he was trying to cross the road. Cabbagehead and Yardboy got the plane wing away from the tree and we were on our way. Update August, 2007: Dad hit the tree two more times. He decided to cut the tree down.

I have a jumble of thoughts tonight, so I will just share a little on each of them. Empty Nest The baby birds are gone now. It is amazing how quickly they grew up. I'm so glad I'm not a mother bird. I don't think I could handle an empty nest after only three weeks of motherhood. MOPS Year End Tonight K and I went to the end of the year banquet for our MOPS group. Our Council Coordinator spoke about the book What Every Mom Needs . She did an excellent job. K gave me the book last year, but I've have never read it. After hearing the CC talk, I think I'll take a look at it. It has some good stuff in it. Oh, I won a $15 Target gift card. I also received a small potted plant and a $20 AMC gift card as a thank you for being a table leader. Confession I must make a confession now. I think confessing in such a public manner will force me to deal with this little problem. I've resolved to do better, but I need the accountability afforded by admitting it to everyone who ...

Cheri, from Northwoods Ramblings , posted today on wallpaper removal. Yes, wallpaper, and her words are perfect for me. Last night at about 7 p.m., the last of the old wallpaper fell to the floor. Hours and hours of soaking and scraping were finally over. The wallpaper was every bit as difficult to take off as the wallpaper in the computer room was. The difficult job was made even more so due to the fact that when we last had the kitchen papered, we did not remove all of the backing from the previous wallpaper. 'Be sure, your sins will find you out.' Now that we are painting, not papering, it was important to do the job right. I never dreamed 16 years ago that I would regret not removing all the old backing. The old gummy paste was really hard to get off. It was a good reminder to not just cover over ugly attitudes of pride, selfishness, bitterness, and envy; but to completely confess and remove them. Otherwise they come back to haunt you when you least expect it. I'm worki...

This morning I went out to see the baby birds. I am amazed at how much they have grown in one week! They can hop and fly short distances.

Who I am hates who I've been, and so often who I am hates who I am. This song captures guilt, shame, regret, and depression perfectly. RELIENT K LYRICS "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" I watched the proverbial sunrise Coming up over the Pacific and You might think I'm losing my mind, But I will shy away from the specifics... 'cause I don't want you to know where I am 'cause then you'll see my heart In the saddest state it's ever been. This is no place to try and live my life. [Pre-Chorus] Stop right there. That's exactly where I lost it. See that line. Well I never should have crossed it. Stop right there. Well I never should have said That it's the very moment that I wish that I could take back. [Chorus] I'm sorry for the person I became. I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change. I'm ready to be sure I never become that way again 'cause who I am hates who I've been. Who I am hates who I've been. I talk to a...

And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (NLT) The footnote from this verse in The Life Recovery Bible says the following: To be "set free" is to know the truth--the truth about ourself and about Jesus our liberator. The truth is this: We are a slave to sin and powerless to manage our life effectively. With God's truth as a standard for our moral inventory, we can recognize and confess our needs and struggles, our sins and addiction. As we confess these to God, to ourself, and to at least one other person, we share the truth about our life. When we turn our broken life over to God, who alone can make us whole, we are again acknowledging the truth. These different applications of the truth can combine to set us free from sinful habits, chemical dependencies, and emotional bondage.

This picture of Yardboy, Tater, and Little Man was taken around 5:30 this evening. They were so hungry! A mother's work is never done. Joking aside, these baby cardinals are in a rose bush just outside of Little Man's bedroom window. I took the pictures this morning. They are so homely, that you gotta love them.

I am putting myself on a blogging diet. I've been spending too much time on the computer, so I must cut back. See you in a few days.

The first song of our Easter worship service ended and the pastor said, "Christ is risen!" Seemingly everyone in the congregation (except me) replied, "He is risen, indeed!" On Easter afternoon I read at least two blogs that mentioned the same instant response. Have I spent my entire life under a rock? I didn't know that I am supposed to say, "He is risen, indeed!" Next year, I'll expect it and I'll get it right. *************************** I was insanely busy last weekend. Having both sides of the family within a hour's drive is great, but it can really wear me out. With all of the driving, picnicking, working on a linen book marks for the Easter service (pictured above), decorating for Easter service, cooking, entertaining, egg decorating, egg hunting...I didn't make it to the store to buy candy for my kids' Easter baskets. In a moment of clarity, I remembered that there was still some Easter candy in the pantry from last year. I ...

Today I am thirty-one-derful years old!

One of the prayer rooms at our church is absolutely beautiful. The sounds of soft music and running water fill the room and block out sounds from the hall. Tapestries and plants hang from the walls. There are stations around the room that serve as physical reminders of what God is. A large wooden cross lies in one corner with paper, a pen, a hammer, and nails. People can write their worries on a paper and nail them to the cross! I went into this prayer room once or twice last summer during Vacation Bible School. I didn't stay too long. I didn't want to take up time that someone else might want or need in the room. A month or two ago, my friend C spent an hour in the prayer room before church began. I remember wanting to spend time in the room alone with God too, but I knew that I wouldn't actually go in there. I didn't need a prayer room. I could meet God anywhere. In my mind, that room was made for other people, not for me. I passed the prayer room off as a beautiful, ...

In the ending paragraph of my last post I said, "To the surprise of some, there are United Methodists that are running toward Jesus with all of their might. I am one and I am proud to know many others." I feel like a fraud! I struggle! I am so imperfect! I want to run toward Jesus with all of my might, but I often stumble. Sometimes I just walk in His general direction. Other times I purposely walk in the opposite direction. I am working on Recovery Step 3: "Turn my life and will over to the care of God." Principle 3 is: "Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control." All my life and will? Well, that would be running toward Jesus will all might, wouldn't it? That is what I want. I need God's help to run. This is the Principle 3 Prayer, changed a little to fit me: Dear God, I have tried to do it all by myself, on my own power, and I have failed. Today I want to turn my life over to You. I ask You to be my Lord ...

Check out Pistol Pete's post entitled " The Revolting Church ." Then read what I have to say about our church. We attend a (dare I say it) United Methodist Church. Gasp! I am a child of the Jesus Movement, so the idea of joining the UMC seemed absurd. However, we absolutely love our church. On Friday nights we gather at our UMC for Celebrate Recovery with codependents, victims of abuse, drug, sex, food, and booze addicts... We are able to openly admit that we screw up. Then we accept each other's love and God's grace. Our CR group is one of the largest in the USA. On Sunday mornings, we attend a rocking worship service with many of the same people we meet with on Friday nights. Yardboy recently started playing the drums with the praise band. It is truly a "come as you are" place. We aren't an Emerging Church, but we are emerging from what is considered traditional. I grew up in a Five-Fold Apostolic Ministry, and tried many others Christian churche...

This has been a difficult post to write. I have tried at least four times, and the correct words just won't form. Is it because of my codependent nature? Am I afraid of disappointing the blogging homeschoolers? I think so. I guess I'll just make it as simple as it is. We will not be homeschooling next year. We will be sending our daughter, Tater, to a Christian school for kindergarten. I feel taking Tater out of preschool last fall was the right decision. I can't describe the satisfaction I feel knowing that I taught her so many of the things that she knows. It is wonderful to plan our days according to what we need or want to do, not the schedule of an institution. I enjoy spending these days with her so much... However, I feel that an enormous burden has been lifted from my shoulders. Yes, homeschooling her next year is a burden that I don't think I can bear. I really don't think I would be capable of giving my kids what they need next year if I had to homeschool....

I love decorating cakes. Here are a few of the ones I've made over the last year. I'm still learning.

This morning I turned on my CD player. I needed music to clean the kitchen by. Switchfoot's album, The Beautiful Letdown, was in the changer. Yardboy gave it to me as a gift when I was miserable in my pregnancy with Little Man. I used to listen to it all the time, but not so much lately. This morning one of the songs meant much more to me than it ever did. I think it is because I am actively seeking God for change in my life. I want to be more than just okay. More Than Fine When I wake in the morning I want to blow into pieces I want more than just okay, more than just okay When I'm up with the sunshine I want more than just a good time I want more than just okay, more than just okay I'm not givin' up, givin' up now I'm not givin' up, not backing down More than fine, more than bent on getting by More than fine, more than just okay When I'm lit with sunrise I want more than just the blue skies I want more than just okay, more than okay More than oceans ...

Wow! It is amazing how much I have changed and grown since last September. Blogging helps me to fully explore my thoughts on a subject. I feel I know myself better when I write (or type) everything out. I know, you are thinking that my thoughts are pretty shallow, but the ones you see here are only a fraction of what has materialized since September. Being willing to put simple, non-threatening thoughts in a public forum has lead me to honestly journal and admit to my deepest, most secret thoughts, if only to myself. This is what my old proflie looked like: Curly Mommy Gender: Female Occupation: At home mom with a Registered Nurse license Location: Southeast : United States About Me I am a Christian, stay-at-home, homeschooling, MOPS mom of two, Tater and Little Man. My husband, Yardboy, can't believe I am blogging. I am working on becoming a Lactation Consultant. I believe in eating whole, natural foods, but I am too cheap to buy organic most of the time. I am creative and good wi...

YES! Do I obsess about hurting others' feelings? YES! Do I make things worse by trying to fix the codependent messes I make? YES! Do I make others' problems my own? YES! Do I fear letting new friends in? YES! Terrified! I want to have friends, but I am so afraid that I will screw thing up like I have in the past. I NEED to have HEALTHY friendships! This is what I read this morning: Proverbs 29:25 (Amplified Bible) The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever leans on, trusts in, and puts his confidence in the Lord is safe and set on high. Proverbs 29:25 (The Message) The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that. Proverbs 29:25 (New Living Translation) Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. I need to cling to HIM if I am going to have healthy friendships. I need to do what HE desires for me. Will the rest fall into place if I totally depend on HIM? Yes,I think so.