Do you curse around your parents?

There's something to be said about respect for your parents.

Growing up, there was no way my brother and I would raise our voices and disrespect our parents.  

NO WAY!

My sister was another story, but hey, she was the baby and got away with a lot more than we ever did.

When it came to our household, respect was something that all adults got, no matter what.  You spoke when you were spoken to.  You answered yes or no.  You didn't get to have an opinion.

We were raised in the "Kids should be seen, not heard" fashion.

Talking back?  Nuh-uh!

And profanity of any kind would have gotten me smacked in my mouth.  I know this not by experience because I was never brave enough to try it.

As an adult, not much as changed.  I still will in NO WAY use profanity of any kind around my mom or dad.  Not even over the phone where it is impossible to be smacked.  I never lost that kind of respect for them because I believe it is a well deserved respect.

My momma has a friend who argues and curses with her children on a regular basis.  She once told my mom, "Oh come on. Lorie. Don't act like your children have never cursed in front of you before."

My momma confidently answered, "NEVER!"  We knew better.  Even as a grown behind woman, I couldn't see myself using profanity around my parents.  I get called out if I use a four letter word on my blog, so I can only imagine what my mom might say if something slipped out of my mouth!

Do you ever curse around your parents?

A new dentist for the kids.

The kids had their first visit to the dentist since we've been in Sierra Vista.

I wasn't crazy about taking them to the dentist because in my mind NO DENTIST could ever live up to their dentist in Augusta.  The pediatric dentist we've been going to from the beginning was absolutely great for kids!  It was decorated with an Arctic Wonderland theme and had toys and video games.  The hygienists did a great job and were all sweet and patient.  The dentist would come to take a look in the kids' mouths once the hygienists finished the cleaning.  He had a perfect set a teeth himself and a great smile.  Very easy on the eyes too!  LOL!  Dr. Lee Baker's  Pediatric dentistry certainly holds a place in our family's hearts!

So going to the dentist here wasn't something I was looking forward to.  However, the experience was not all that bad.  We went to Cochise Children's Dental Center.  The waiting room is set up to entertain young children with table trains and wood puzzles on the walls.  For the most part, my kids didn't take interest. 

What I didn't like was that they did one kid at a time. The dentist was the one who did the cleaning and the assistants were just there to set up and hand him the instruments.  That meant that each child was done one at a time and the visit took almost 2 hours, being that it was our first visit.

I guess I can't expect everyone to live up to the standards of our old dentist, but other than the time it took to do 3 kids, this was a great dentist.  At least there were no tears and no cavities!

The Animal Rights Activists Would Have My Head!

Ginger and I went on our morning walk.  The weather this morning was bearable for a good walk/run.  There sky was cloudy, just the way I like it in the morning to block out the HOT sun.  I added in a little extra today, even though my legs are cramping like crazy.  Other than that, I felt great.

But.....

Poor Ginger obviously wasn't feeling the same way.  Halfway through the running part, she STOPPED!  Yep, just STOPPED and layed down in a shady stop.  

Of course, we are in Arizona, so there aren't many shady spots because there aren't any TREES!

But she managed to find a shady spot next to a wall and...  STOPPED!

"Okay," I said. "I'll give you a minute."  I gave her a little wtter from my waterbottle, snapped a picture of her and it was time to pick up the pace.  

Well, after about another quarter mile, something was slowing down my stroll.

I take a look back at the dog, who was now WALKING in slow motion.  SHE. WAS. DONE!

For a minute, I thought we were going to have to sit down and wait out her exhaustion.  She would not walk faster than a slow crawl.

So, we walk the rest of the .25 mile at a snails pace back to the house.  

When we get home, I spray her down with the water hose.  I'd called my mom on our crawl back to the house and she suggestion the poor dog might have heat exhaustion.  

Now, she's laying next to her bowl, drinking ice water and panting heavily.  

Ginger is NOT that dog who enjoys exercise!  Maybe it's time for a Golden Retriever puppy.

Who am I? Putting it in Writing.

I am Kay.

I am a woman,

A mother,

A wife,

A student,

A stay at home mom,

A volunteer,

A path seeker,

A dreamer,

A writer,

A blogger,

A lover of photography,

A social media nut,

A non-domestic goddess,

An optimist,

A scatterbrain,

A smiler,

I am an American,

An African American,

I am of Indian decent, 

A Democrat,

A non-denominational Christian (in the works)

An Army Brat,

A traveler,

A Georgia Peach at heart,

A current Arizonian,

An Army Wife,

A Daughter,

A Sister,

A Grand Daughter,

A Niece,

An Aunt,

A Cousin,

A Friend,

I am a protector,

A provider,

A cook,

A chauffeur,

A cheerleader,

A nurse,

A counselor,

A shoulder,

A supporter,

A drill sergeant,

A mediator,

A referee,

A homework checker,

A teammate,

A coach,

A bike mechanic,

A toy fixer,

A beautician,

A nail technician,

A designer,

A battery replacer,

But I am not a maid. 

I am dog walker,

A dog washer,

An aspiring runner,

A workout partner,

A lunch buddy,

A a person to talk to,

I am Kay

Take a moment to write down who you are.  A person has many co-cultures and this is a great way to see who you are and what you do.  You are not JUST A MOM or JUST A STUDENT.  YOUR Job doesn't define you.  Write it down.  See how quickly your list grows!

Late Birthday Wishes

This morning was a day that I really thought that the devil on my shoulder was going to win the Lazy Day battle and knock the Angle on my shoulder who wanted to go for a run out.  But the Angel Won and I went out and did the dang thing, even with my cold and even with this being the first day of Aunt Flow's visit.  I feel great right now.

Today's question on Family Feud: We asked 100 women, how much weight have you gain after getting married?

The number one answer:  10 LBS

Who did they ask????

Newlyweds after the first year?

My answer is well over 10lbs.  Well over 20lbs!

I'm more in the 30 lb range.  I'm still blaming to on baby fat, even though my baby is about to turn 7.  I guess it's time to own up to the fact that this is no longer baby fat, huh?

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My Husband and my Mom share a birthday.  On August 22nd, my husband turned 38 and my mother turned..... uhhhh... 36!

For many years, my mother was 29.

Somewhere along the line she turned 32.  When she realized that I was catching up to her, and the fact that she remarried and her husband was the same age as MY husband, she decided to up her age to 35.  I believe that this year she turned 36.

So how old is my mother... really?

Like the number of licks it takes to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop....

THE WORLD MY NEVER KNOW!

Happy Birthday to two of the most wonderful people in my life!

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Run Ginger Run!

I'm really shocked that there have been 2 deaths here on post within days of each other.  

The first, a man was found dead at the middle school by a sanitation worker!  Yes!  The Middle School.  YES, The Middle School that my son goes to!

You can imagine the concern I had all weekend when this news was released later that afternoon with no other information other than "There is no immediate danger to the post."

So we go on wonder what happened and should I be sending my son to school Monday.

Well, apparently it was a custodian who worked there and a possible suicide.  I couldn't help but think how sad a person must be to do something so tragic.  The problem doesn't go away.  It just makes more issues for your loved ones.  I wish someone had been able to catch the signs sooner.

On Thursday, a friend and I went to the gym.  There was a lot of commotion going on in the area with lots of emergency personnel  rushing through the area.  With the amount of chaos, I assumed it was a practice or something, but it wasn't.  A training police office passes out on the field while doing a Physical Agility Test preparing for the DA Police Academy.  He died shortly after.  He was only 29 and had a wife and 3 kids.  How sad is that?

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Anywho, after taking a few days off from my run, I was back out there on the pavement this morning.  I made it through my 1.5mile power walk and another 1.5miles in running.  I'm not loving the way my shins feel when I run.  I think I might need another pair of shoes.  

I'm not understanding why my dogs butt is looking much bigger these days when she and I get so much more exercise that she has ever had!  Okay, maybe I can, because I'm not losing weight myself according to that HORRID scale.  But Ginger seems to be getting bigger.  I think it's time to change her dogfood because now that she is actully doing some physical activity, she is actually eating more.  Kibbles and Bits, from what my vet tells me, is not the healthiest brand for dogs.  It's all I could get her to eat though.  Canned dog food has me cleaning up a mess I can't handle, so she has to eat dry.  I've tried several but that chick is PICKY!

She is, however, doing much better on our runs.  I told her that if she didn't start picking up the pace I was going to have to leave her at home!

She can make it through the entire 1.5mile run without trying to pull me backwards.  Except when we ran on Tuesday... in the sun... and I think we BOTH almost passed out that day!

Getting back into a routine.

School started here on Wednesday. 

YAY!

The kids all LOVE their teachers and classes.  I'm so happy to hear that.  When I when I picked them up I asked each one of them how their day was and the responses I got were,

"Excellent!"

"Awesome!"

"Good!"

This could be a great year.

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On the second day of school, Kid 1 wanted to ride his bike to school.  Of course, he's in middle school now and always the most athletic, so a mile ride on his bike was no problem for him.  Even with his bummed foot.  Did I mention he kicked a ROCK?  

I mean, if my mom wanted to take me to school every day, I woulda been first in the car!  But QUE SERA!

So, on the second day, I let him ride with his friend.  RELUCTANTLY because his foot has still been bothering him.  

Well, we're in Monsoon season here.  Anyone ever lived in AZ?

Well, monsoon season here means short scattered thunderstorms.  Unually no big deal.  You can look off in the distance and see it raining at say, Walmart, but barely get a drop a mile away.

Well, I picked Miss Missy up from school because it started to sprinkle right when I went outside to walk across the street to pick her up.  I had to drive.  She's a girl!  No way could we have her walking home in the rain and getting her hair wet!  By the time I reached the school, (I can see it from my front door, by the way) the rain had stopped.  

Cam had ridden his bike to school as well so I didn't bother to pick him up because there was no rain.  He came in and all was fine.  

But MOMENTS after he finished greeting me, THE SKY OPENED UP!  I mean THUNDER, TONS OF LIGHTNING STRIKES!  The WORKS!

MY BABY WAS OUT IN THIS?!?!

I made a beeline to the car and rode along the trail that I knew he would have ridden to get home.  There were poor kids walking, drenched from head to toe, running in TONS of water, jumping over puddles and desperately trying to make in home.  All kids within a mile are required to walk home.  

When I made it to the school he was nowhere to be found!

Back home I flew, as fast as the 15 miles per hour school zones would allow me to go.

When I pulled into the driveway, his friend's mom was pulling into the driveway as well.  She'd beat me to them, thankfully!

But that wasn't the end of it.  As we pulled his bike out of the jeep, of course it didn't come out easily and she and I ended up SOKED from head to toe.

Now, my neighbor's kid and grandmother was waiting at my house as well.  The poor 3rd grader was in tears... literally terrified. 

They were inside the house and when the lightning struck, it set off the alarms in the house!  The carbon-dioxide alarm and the smoke detectors.  Again I went out into the pouring raining, unsuccessfully dodging the river of water flowing down the street, to go to see what the problem was in their house.  The boy was terrified and the grandmother NO SPEAKA EEENGLEESH!  Sure enough, the the sirens were blaring so loud I couldn't concentrate and there was no way to turn them off.  The boy said he'd seen lightning hit the backyard, but who knows where a kids imagination could take him during a lightning storm.

So they waited out the storm at our house, waiting for his mom to come home to the rescue.

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Saturday Morning.  I would have preferred to stay in the bed and SLEEP.  But I'm on a mission to a healthier me.  So I got up and Hubs and I went for a walk/run.  Well on the way back I think I may have pushed my already sore legs to the limit as we sprinted a short distance.  I'm limping and I'm taking the day off from my walk.  

The Mommy Fabulous Back to School Guide for the Fabulous Mom

Okay, Ladies!  It's time to send the kiddies back to school.  Chances are, most of you have spruced up the kids wardrobes with fabulous duds and shoes and bought great school supplies.  The kids are ready and raring to show off the inches they've grown, accompanied by a stylish pair of jeans or khakis, a new do and a Victorious or Phineas and Ferb pencil pack.

They're looking snazzy for the first day, first week, and even for the first month.  

THEY'RE READY!

But are you?

It's all to often that we moms forget about ourselves at this time of year because this is their time to shine.  But even so, it's important for us not to forget just how fabulous we are and to do a little for ourselves.

1.  First DO NOT drop your kids off in Betty Boop pajama bottoms and fuzzy slippers!  

HUGE No-No!  Okay, I know I've often said that being Mommy Fabulous is not always about about the way you look, but about the way that you feel.  In this case, scratch that idea!  Pajamas and slippers are for the house......... ALL THE TIME.  Checking the mail, maybe.  But even THAT depends on just how far you have to walk!  

Do you ever pick up your kids only to find that they walk WAAAAAY ahead of you?  It's probably not because they're excited about going home, girl!

When you pick up and drop off your kids, try to remember that yeah, they love you, but they also love their friends.  Try not to embarrass them!  I'm not saying dress up in 4inch heals and fully made up faces just to pick them up (although, that's what I do).  All I'm saying is to put on a pair of jeans or a pair of shorts before you leave the house.  And heals are not necessary, although they sure do look great, but flip flops are okay... sometimes.   Aaaaand it wouldn't hurt to add in some lip gloss and a nice pair of hoop earrings. 

2.  DO YOUR PART

I know many people think that volunteering your time at the school is a bad idea.  You've got your own things to do at home, right?  You work too many hours, right?  I know that if you've had kids in school for a while then you've probably heard the horror stories about the "Cliquish"  PTO or PTA, right?  Yeah, I was there.  But, do you know that the more time you spend in your kid's school, the better grades they get?  The better students they are?  They happier they are?  It's true!  Studies have proven it.  

So take a chance.  Put in some time at your kid's school.  Volunteer to run a booth, bake something (or FAKE n BAKE like I do!), or plan a party.  If you're REALLY brave, become an active member of the PTO/PTA. I'm sure that you have a talent that they can use!  (but, if your talent is belly dancing, please just bake something)  I can bet you'll find that not only is it not as bad as you thought it would be, but you feel appreciated and accomplished as well.  And that, girls, can help lift your Fabulousness ten-fold!

What's this got to do with being Mommy Fabulous?  Well, like I've told you, being Mommy Fabulous is not about the way that you look everyday.  Being Mommy Fabulous is about being there for your kids (Looking fabulous in the process is just a bonus!) 

3.  GET OUT WITH THE GIRLS!

The kids are away for about 8 hours a day. (4 if you have a pre-schooler in some areas)  So this is the perfect time to connect with a few friends and other moms and have lunch or a late breakfast!  One of my favorite things to do when the kids are away during the day is to invite a few friends over for a potluck lunch and have a little girl talk.  For the most part, we are all on the same schedule, so we can enjoy one another until the cows come home. Uhh, I meant kids.  It's a fun time to unwind before the stressful part of the day begins,  You know, doing homework, preparing dinner and getting ready for the next school day.  This is also a time when you have a reason to dress up and look FABULOUS! 

4.   ME TIME

The kids are away and it's your time to spend with one of your favorite people.  YOU!  This is your time to find a hobby or work on your passion.  Don't go back home and jump back in the bed unless you had a really long night the night before ;-).  Get up and do something.  This time is perfect for going to the gym to lose those extra pounds you've been talking about losing, taking a trip to the mall WITHOUT KIDS or taking that long walk you so desperately need to unwind.  Many of you will find that this is the time you need to work on you Work from Home job.  Others will find it the best time to do something that you love.  Read that book that has been in your nightstand drawer for months.  Finish that scrapbook you've been trying to do since your 11 year old was 2.  Sew those curtains you've been talking about putting in your bathroom windows since you moved in. Or is that just me?  I think you get the picture.

My point is, I know that housework has to be done and it's a never ending job, but don't forget about yourself in the process.  The perfect time to do the things you love or have been meaning to do is now!  When the kids are back in school.

5.  BE READY TO LISTEN.

When the kids get out of school, they are riled up and ready to talk about their day.  Be there to listen.  I know everything is hectic, but try to stop and give your kids your undivided attention.  I like to give the kids 30 minutes before they start they're homework of my undivided attention.  The 3 of them can chat forever, but they know that for the 30 minutes out of school, while they are fixing snacks it's their time to shine.  They appreciate knowing that what they have to say is important to me.  Listening to them makes them more confident kids.  

So there you go.  The Mommy Fabulous Back to School Guide for the Fabulous Mom.  Being there is the key to being FABULOUS for your kids.  Being beautiful inside and out is key to being a Fabulous YOU!

Finding my Passion

Passion is something that drives you.  Passion is the glue in your life that makes you stick to accomplishing your dreams, the reason you keep going ever day, the reason you strive to do your best at something.  Passion drives you to whatever it is that you want to accomplish, what ever it is that you love. 

For years, I have watched people around me make huge accomplishments in their lives.  I have watched people succeed and wondered what is the driving force behind why they push to succeed.

Passion.

In life, you have to have a passion at something.

I'm still looking for mine. 

I'm a creative spirit and sometimes I flow with the wind.  Today, I might want to sell houses, tomorrow I might want to take pictures.  What I want to do with myself changes more than you will ever know.  Other than those 3 kids in my life, I haven't found something that drives me that I can stick to.

As you know, I've been reading The Digital Moms Handbook.  The very first thing they talk about when it comes to starting your own business through your blogging is to FIND YOUR PASSION.

So what's mine?

What is the driving force behind why I do what I do? 

What do I really want to be when I grow up?

I don't remember wanting to be much of anything when I was a girl.  I've always just wanted to be me.

But who is that?

At 33, I feel that there is a need to find my passion.  Reflecting, I know that I've always loved to write.  I know that one thing I've always wanted to do was write a book, be a great author, be on the best sellers list and make a lot of money.  But who doesn't want to do that?

For many years, I've want to be in real estate.  I've dreamed of showing big beautiful houses to people and helping them fulfill their dreams of owning their perfect home.  I became discouraged first in the fact that I absolutely SUCK at math, then in the fact that the market for selling crashed.  I couldn't afford to work for free while waiting on that commission of a lifetime.

I absolutely love photography, but you know how you might love something, but you realize that you're not really that good at it?  Yeah that's where I am with that one.  I don't have the confidence in myself to try to turn that into a career.

So here I stand, wondering what is it that I have a passion for and what it is that I can do to that I would absolutely love?

Wouldn't it be great if I could combine the 3 and become a real estate photographer who write great articles to help agents sell houses?

Hmmm...

What I'm reading now

Have you ever felt overwhelmed?  Of course you have!  Who hasn't, right?  All a part of being a mom.

I have been desperately trying to finish my midterm for my Macroeconomics class.  I'm NOT loving this class.  I thought I could handle this class because it doesn't involve any math.  If you know me, you know that I LOATHE math.  

This is not a math class, but I think I LOATHE this class just as much!

The midterm has taken me hours upon hours to make it halfway through!

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School is starting in a week!

I'm pretty excited.  And not because the kids will all be out of the house for 8 hours...

WHOO HOO!

PAR-TAY!
 

although that is icing.... but because they are all so excited to go back to school.  With one starting middle school, one going to the 4th grade and one so very excited about being a first grader, I plan on having a busy year.  They are all going to be at different school, because of you remember me talking about it last school year, the elementary school is split K-2 and 3-5.  Two separate schools.

That means 3 different PTO and 3 different schedules.  

This should be interesting.

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My Huachuca Wives project is going well.  I have over 30 people actively involved and I'm hoping to get closer to these ladies and get to know more once school starts and I have more time to devote to this project.  It's a lot of fun, actually.  I met one of the members personally during VBS last week.  She's very sweet and she thanked me for starting the page!  Imagine that?  Someone who was appreciative of me starting a group focusing on the good of Fort Huachuca!  

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Lastly, I want to share with you all my newest read.  

I know!  Who has time to read, right?

Well, I purchased a book on iTunes so that is with me everywhere I go.  I can pull it out and read it whenever I can.  

The book is Digital Moms Handbook, by Audrey McClelland from MomGenerations.com and Colleen Padilla from  ClassyMommy.com.  

It's all the buzz around the Twitter world.  But when I read the review that fellow blogger, Renee @ Cutie Booty Cakes had on her blog, I knew I needed this book!

After all, I'm a digital mom, right?  I'm constantly stuck to my Twitter, Facebook and blog!  I don't go to the bathroom without my phone!  It's by time I learn to put those skills to good use right?

Well, I read the the first couple of pages and I was hooked.  Downloaded immediately.  For me, that's amazing because I have tons of previews of books downloaded to my iPhone, but this is the first purchase I've actually made!

(Next will be The Help, because I really want to read how that ends up before the movie comes out on Netflix!)

So, that's what I'm reading and so far, it's really good, although I haven't gotten to the meat and potatoes of the book yet.  When I finish, I'll let you know all about it, love it or hate it.

Kay