Happy Mother's Day

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt..
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom..

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the amazement or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

I'm back...again...maybe

my life has been crazier than I ever dreamed (it's been more of a nightmare, but things are headed in the right direction now)...in the past month and a half I've learned who my true friends are and who I can trust...I won't go into details but I've learned alot about myself this past month and a half; I'm a lot stronger than I ever give myself credit...

but with my nightmare comes changes and the biggest change is I'm going back to work, I've been a stay at home mom and nephew sitter forever and now I'm getting back into the real world...before children I sold insurance and I'm going back into that field, I interviewed and was offered a job with a brand new agent with ALFA (just waiting on him to get the office set up)...it's going to be a HUGE change but I'm ready!

When your hut is on fire...

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him!

'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers.

'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

want one of these?

want one these fun 12 x 12 chalkboards with whatever accent colors you'd like...you could even have it monogrammed or have your name printed on top...cool?

if you want to enter to win one of these get on over to http://myflipflopz.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-about-fun-little-giveaway.html
be sure to tell her that Kristie R from http://thegatormom.blogspot.com/ sent you

help end childhood hunger in America!

If you have read much of what I post or my about me you know I'm a Tastefully Simple Independent Consultant and I'm so proud of what Tastefully Simple is doing now...here's the details...


Today more than 12 million children growing up in America experience hunger, not knowing when their next meal will come. Tastefully Simple is proud to partner with Share Our Strength®, a national non-profit organization whose mission is to end childhood hunger in America.

You Can Make a Difference!

Every time you buy a box of our For the Love of Cookies Mix, Tastefully Simple will donate $1 to Share Our Strength.

For the Love of Cookies
Just add butter and an egg for crisp, chewy cookies that taste homemade. Makes an excellent incentive for kids to finish their homework or chores. 0g trans fat per serving. Kosher.
Ingredients Needed
¼ cup (½ stick) melted butter
1 egg
16 oz. box (1 lb.) 453g

"Together, we can show millions of children that they aren't alone. Together, we can make a difference."-Jill Blashack Strahan, Founder & CEO

To learn more about Share Our Strength and ways you can help, visit www.strength.org.

Help us give with gratitude and end child hunger!


if you want to help feed millions of hungry children in America you can place an order on my webpage www.tastefullysimple.com/web/krussell and enter my name Kristie Russell as the host and you will receive a discounted shipping rate...also for every box of "For the Love of Cookies" that I sell I will match Tastefully Simple's $1 donation to Share Our Strength so for every box of cookies you buy $2 will go to help feed the hungry children of America!

EVERY WOMAN...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
a youth she's content to leave behind...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder...and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone...even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table...or a charming Inn in the woods...when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year...

this ever happen to you?

I took my small child with me shopping, halfway through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took my little one with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from the second to the last stall:

''Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the potty?''

At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full ... 4? 5? Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and reveal my identity.

My child continued:

''Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh ... Mommy! I'm trying to see in dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl, Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!''

I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming new born when you need her? Good grief. This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before exiting. Trying to divert him, I said, ''Why don't you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have some!''

''No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies...Oh! Mommy!''

My child started to gag at this point.

''Uh-oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!''

As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall.. I quickly flushed the toilet in hopes of changing the subject. I began to reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will be long gone.

''Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done going stinkies! Get up! Get up!''

My child grunted and tried to pull me off now I could hear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the feet outside my door.

''Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door? What were you wooking at? Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?''

More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the situation.

''Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now, Mommy.''

My child started pounding on the door.

''Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I want to go out!!''

I saw that my wait 'em out' plan was unraveling. I sheepishly opened the door, and found standing outside my stall, twenty to thirty ladies crowded around the stall, all smiling and starting to applaud. My first thought was complete embarrassment, then I thought, where's the fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of my dignity and privacy? But as my child gave me a big, cheeky grin while rubbing bubbly soap between chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little one.

(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three she lives with her family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she no longer uses public restrooms)