Notes from Nicole

We just returned from visiting the "happiest place on earth"-Walt DisneyWorld. I don't know about the "happiest place" on earth, (ie: an upset child and a red faced adult at every corner), but it was definately one of the best family vacations we have ever had. For those of you that have not had the Disney experience yet, let me just give you a brief overview of what you can expect while you are there. At each theme park there are people that greet you with a smile and a "hello", and not just when you first walk in, but all day long. There are rides and attractions that are out of this world and that will engage the imagination. There is a multitude of restaurants to choose from and all of the servers are very attentive and curteous. Sounds like Heaven on Earth, doesn't it? As I was walking around Disney with my family and watching the joy that my children were experiencing, I couldn't help but think to myself,"Wouldn't it be g...

"There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season." Ecclesiastes 3:1 Life is always changing, isn't it? The season changes, the calendar flips to another month, and we wonder-where did all the time go? That time is still there, it has just been changed into memories. Now, some of those memories will be remembered fondly and some will be remembered with sadness. The time in our lives does go by so quickly. My grandmother is 85 years old and she has seen her parents die, her husband die and recently, her best friend die. Is this the reward for living that long, to sit by and watch everyone you love die? I know that death is never easy, but there is a very important thing I have learned from watching my grandma mourn her losses. That one thing is to cherish the memories that you have of someone. God gives us the choice to see these memories as a blessing or a burden. Some people do not want to remember someone that has passed on, because it is t...

Do any of you remember the Disney tv show called Dinosaurs? It had this little baby dinosaur who would always tell his dad, "You, not the mama!" That is really the only thing I can remember from that show. When my son was little he LOVED being with my mom, his nanny. So much so, that she thought it was funny to teach him how to point to me and say, "Not the mama!" It was pretty cute-until it turned into a temper tantrum when we had to leave my parents house! Oh well, he finally stopped saying, "Not the mama" to me. These past few days I feel like I could say it to myself-"No, not the mama-PLEASE!" I have been fighting a sinus infection and my husband is out of town, so there are times when I just want ot sit and do nothing! No one will notice that pile of dirty dishes and the kids won't mind if they wear the same outfit all week, will they? My now, 12 year old son's solution to this problem is to clone myself...hmmm...anyone h...

Whew! I feel like I have just run a marathon, and I don't run! It has been a busy weekend and start of my week. I can't believe we are to the middle of September already-time seems to be going by faster and faster. I think it has something to do with me getting older?! I did say that this blog would be more about the trials and tribulations of parenting a defiant child, so here goes! We have a No jar-this sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? But this jar is a way for my daughter to earn a bead for everytime she reponds appropriately to the word No . No does not mean never-is what I have to respond with, because she lives in a very black and white world. Yes to her means, well, yes it is going to happen. No, however, means NO WAY, NEVER GONNA HAPPEN, IMPOSSIBLE! Even if I say, "No, not right now." It is really a fine line that she walks between to two words. So, after 10 beads she gets to pick something from the "prize bag"-aka. Dollar Tree i...

There is a place in my mind that I go to when I am feeling overwhelmed. It is a place of calm and peace and no one is shouting or upset. It is a place where children wake up in good moods and husbands treat you like a queen. Ok, give me a break-I said it is a place I go to in MY MIND!! I realize that this is not reality, not in my life anyway, but a girl can dream can't she? I really started this whole blogging thing to help encourage others and that is still my intention. I was talking to a friend the other day about some problems I have been having with one of my children, and she said, "You should put that on your blog. I bet that there are a lot of other mothers and parents out there that are struggling with the same things!" DUH! Why hadn't I thought of that? So, I am going to give it a try. Some of you that are reading this are aware of my ongoing struggles with my youngest child. She is an adorable 8 year old who is a bundle of joy! Now, with that ...

Labor Day is a day that most people generally have free to do whatever they want to do with their time. On my Labor Day I was taking myself to the store, we had run out of toilet paper, paper towels and napkins! How did we run out of all "wiping items" at once? It's a mystery to me! So, I asked my youngest if she wanted to go with me. On our way to the store I decided we could stop and take advantage of a local fast food places' Happy Hour, all drinks are 1/2 off. As we were sitting in the line waiting our turn I asked her what she wanted. She excitedly told me she wanted this drink that is made from coffee, espresso, to be exact! I said, let's check and see if they have de-caf available, and if not you will need to get something else. Wouldn't ya know it-no de-caf!!! My daughter who doesn't handle these types of things well started throwing an enornous fit! I calmly told her that she needed to stop and choose something else, because if she didn...

Yesterday my husband arrived home from a 3 1/2 week trip to Belgium. He has been traveling a lot this past year with his job and what an adjustment it has been for our family! The kids and I have done our best to "hold down the fort." We have all had to pitch in on the chores a little more around here and I think that we should keep that trend going even when Johnny is home! Life is full of changes, some good and some bad. There is a time and season for everything. There is a passage in the Bible that is Ecclesiates 3:1 that starts out, "There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season." This is the time in our lives that we all have to make some sacrifices. I am making the sacrifice of being a single parent sometimes, my husband is making the sacrifice of not being at home maybe when he wants to be, and the kids are making the sacrifice of living without dad every once in a while. God knows about sacrifice. He knows how we f...