tagged....

*ok so my links don't work and i don't
really want to bother with it but you guys know who you are...*

Holly A-Z

Thanks for the tag, Michelle

A. Attached or Single?

attached for 13 years

B. Best Friend?

Carlos, Hannah, KK, gunther.

C. Cake or pie?

cake please. i don't love pie crust

D. Day of choice?

sunday. i love cooking a big meal after church and taking a nap.

E. Essential item?

air conditioners & ceiling fans

F. Favorite color?

robin's egg blue

G. Gummy bears or worms?

bears

H. Hometown?

Jacksonville, Florida

I. Favorite indulgence?

a bag of jellybellys. not the prepacked, i must pick my own flavors (bubble gum, watermelon, coconut, tutti-fruity, dr.pepper)

J. January or July?

january hands down

K. Kids?
3 lovely ones

L. Life isn’t complete without?

my fam, burts bees lip balm, God, bare escentuals.

M. Marriage date?

10.05.1996

N. Number of brothers and sisters?

3 supercool brothers.

O. Oranges or Apples?

apples

P. Phobias?

just normal mommy phobias (the kids running out in the street, touching the hot stove, choking, etc.)

Q. Quotes?

"it's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice" "it's easier to get forgiveness than permission"

R. Reasons to smile?

break dancing lessons

S. Season of choice?

fall and spring. i'm all about mild temperatures although spring allergies are a killer.

T. Tag 5 people:

Erica

carlos

brandon

brooke

kk (do a myspace blog already)

U. Unknown fact about me?

i have never been to the fair. it seems dirty and gross.

V. Vegetable?

asparagus

W. Worst habit?

too much time on the computer

X. X-ray or Ultrasound?

I’ve had x-rays at the chiropractor , and 2 ultrasounds during pregnancy. (we didn't get an ultrasound with matthew)

Y. Your favorite food?

thai/sushi/my memaw's cooking was the best in the world.

Z. Zodiac sign?

idk. ( i really don't know)

breakin' 101

i heard the boys in the kitchen
as abraham was giving matthew a
break dancing lesson...

the part i did not get on video
is when abraham instructs
matthew in the robot
"serious face matthew, the robot is all
about a serious face."

current pursuit.

www.melissaplasticdreams.com

more

babies don't keep.

i was vacuuming tonight
and matthew asked me to please turn it off
so he could sing me 2 songs that he learned at school today
i was in a cleaning psychosis and i really didn't want to stop
but of course i listened
to all 6 verses
about the way children get to school (walking, bike, train, etc.)
he was standing there
in his t-shirt and undies
his little toes curled up
his hair in his face
his finger tips died blue from magic markers
his eyes as big as the full moon
singing through his smile and pearly white baby teeth.
he started the next song...
i was a little worried it may be even longer than the first
i have so much to do...
but he's so stinkin' cute
it made me think of this poem.

a mother's work is truly never done.

survivor story

so carlos contaminated me with a stomach bug.

the crippling pain began
at about 7 am this morning.
unfortunately...
i was working
yeah
it wasn't fun
so i pretty much just stayed on register
for the rush
which for a shift mgr is usually impossible
I was so blessed to have a good crew

a few times i thought i'd never make it through to quittin' time.
but alas i survived.

please join me in agreement
that my children will not get this yuckiness
thanks so much.

4 years

so labor day almost got away without me realizing that
this weekend marks 4 years since we moved to huntsville.

moving day.
for years i couldn't even think back to that day
without feeling intense post traumatic stress.
we hit almost every imaginable hurdle...
humorous to think about now,
not humorous then.

so we packed up all our earthy goods...
3 kidos,
a dog, cat, and turtle
all in the van...
an extra huge uhaul (which much to our dismay was diesel, 4 speed,
and could not go above 50mph without violently shaking.)

thousands were evacuating florida because of an impending hurricane
we were evacuating because we were in desperate need of a change...

I came here fully convinced we had fought our battles
and we were just going to breath easy for a while
after all, we had dealt with some hard times
and now a new beginning...
a easy, fun, beautiful season.

we had a honeymoon period
everything was great at first.
new scenery.
new people.
less traffic.
beautiful weather.
and then...
REALITY.
and it was hard.
no momma and daddy down the street,
no friends to meet at the park,
no amazing private school for the kids,
no family,
nothing.
an overwhelming sense of NOTHING.

I hit rock bottom.
i was sad,
mad,
and sooo lonely.
every preconceived idea,
every false hope,
every feeling of rejection
mocked me day and night.
I WAS DEPRESSED.

something i wrote one day was:
looking out the window at the mountain
and the sky
wondering
if i'll ever get that high...
wasn't it you that sent me to this valley?
I'm wondering why.

i knew i was spiritually climbing a mountain.

it was chilling that i was near the trail of tears
where my ancestors had walked
and wept
after having it all stolen away.
i felt all these profound parallels.
i also felt profound strength somewhere just out of reach.

i felt like i was grieving my grandmothers
more so than after they first died.
i was grieving my loss of hope.
i was grieving the moment i was living in.

sadness is paralyzing...
i knew i just had to break away
and start moving forward.
slowly, surely,
day by day,
it got better...
i made myself be happy
and i got better.

i love God, my family, my friends
and myself more than i ever could
if i hadn't felt some loss.
and i know now it wasn't all loss
as much as change
(change i didn't approve of)
it hurt nonetheless.
another thing i wrote
basically sums it up:

These days...
they’ll prove to be few
although for now each one drones by like an out of tune player
...seasons turn
though the reasons become fewer
I will remain
and know
it wasn’t for nothing
sentiments
like changing leaves fall
and flutter away looking quite sure of where they are going
Though I’m found in bareness
this love so pure never could come
if it wasn’t for the losing.

thank you God for these 4 years.
thank you for not giving up on me.
thank you for this beautiful place
you've brought me to.
i rejoice in you Lord
my God.
in you i have found my strength.

illusions of grandeur

this is funny stuff.

thanks for sending it hannah.

i love the part when he asks him about the teleprompter...
too funny.

kinda reminds me of something my brothers would do.

years ago james and his little friends swore that they
had bono's mobile number.
and they used to "call him" and what not.

my cool folks.

sightseeing in boston
and sending me pictures from the iphone.

inside info.

beginning next month in participating regions
you can purchase a bowl of "perfect oatmeal"
with your choice of topping (brown sugar, nuts, dried fruit)
to go with your favorite starbucks beverage...
what will they think of next?

birthday breakfast.

Happy Birthday Alexandria!

eleven years ago.

i was about to become a mother for the first time.

alexandria wasn't due for another 3 weeks
so when we were leaving for the hospital
i realized that we hadn't bought a car seat yet
i told carlos "we'll never procrastinate again"
yeah right...procrastinating is my favorite.

i got to the hospital on the evening of august 21 st.
and she wasn't born until the morning of the 23 rd.
that was the last thing i expected to happen
and i got pretty ticked off at my friends who had a 3 hour labors.
just when i had decided she was never coming out
there she was...
all 6lbs 13ozs of splendor.

best day ever.

me time.

hair cut/style
a little coffee/social time with my girls
and i just found out i've got a pair of these coming
yay for me.