December 26 - tidbits and tidings

Just a bunch of random thoughts for the day.  Enjoy.

• I hate when Josh leaves to visit his dad in Iowa.  It makes me sad.  I do love accompanying him to the airport, however.  We always share a meal together and usually pick up the tab for any traveling soldiers we spy.  Today, we saw no traveling soldiers... but I saw some neat randomness on the wall of TGI Fridays and it made me smile.

• I had my first Starbucks in four days today.  They didn't screw it up.  It was good. 

• I hate the smell of Lysol.

• I don't understand how someone can have and spend most of their adult live with a last name that ends in "s"  With ALL that "s" experience, and then make their last name POSSESSIVE when they send out a Christmas card.  For instance, My name is April Driggers.  My name ends in an "s."  Yet, I don't say "Merry Christmas from the Drigger's" now would I?  No, because that'd be absurd.  Is common sense with the proper usage really so difficult?  It makes my eye twitch.  

• My Young Living diffuser is awesomeness.  Josh thinks it's a volcano.  Drew doesn't think anything.  Benji seems to think they are trying to diffuse his brainwaves and constantly shuts it off.  It's an epic battle.  Some days he wins.  Most days I do.  We're trying.  That's what counts.  Right?

• I lost my voice yesterday.  Today I sound better but my throat still hurts like hell.

• Drew could eat his weight in my Paradise Bakery Copycat sugar cookies.  The recipe was posted on my Instagram account.  

• I have the urge to take down all of my Christmas decor NOW because I want to dust my house without having to move it all to dust... and then dust again in a few days when it comes down because of all the random bits of greenery that pops off.

• I want my tree flocked.  So you could scream MERRY FLOCKING CHRISTMAS!

• I miss the gym.

• I hate having boobs. HATE them.

• Next year for my birthday and Christmas, I want a boobectomy.

• My friend April is a badass and built her boys one of those Nerf gun storage walls.  She's awesome!

• I didn't shop today or Christmas Eve.  Not sure you could pay me to.  

• I do have a 40% off coupon to use at Michael's however, and I want some of their collage frames.

• I love having a fresh new calendar to start off my new year.  It's one of my most treasured gifts I receive each year from a dear friend and AMAZINGLY WICKEDLY CRAZY talented nature photographer, Bob Falcone.  You should get one, too.  If you ask nicely, he may even sign it for you too.

• I'm about to spend the next few days in major list making mode as I get ready to fine-tune and tweak my labor of love... more details to come.

• My kitchen is clean (except for the cabinet tops.  I hate cleaning that... it's like... so dusty... and then I get up there and feel like I have to start all over again cleaning.  Denial is good.  besides, I'm short... I can't reach up there even if I stand on the counters.  Vertically challenged and completely in denial.

• I need to wash my sheets.  The boys ate pretzels in my bed.  That can't be good.  I'll brush it all over to Andy's side.

• I had a great Christmas.  I love watching the boys open gifts.  Watching the way Benji is SO excited at just opening things.  Seriously, I think you could wrap individual markers and he would get excited to just open each.and.every.one!  Drew savors each gift... totally freaked out on the WWII DVD set we got him... I knew he'd have a geek-seizure over that one.  He did.  Major points for momma bear!  Josh takes his time opening as if tearing the paper at the seams makes the moment more significant or makes him seem less greedy.... but you get that little smile of approval and you know ya done good.  

• We got all three boys Kindle HDs.  The little ones got them so that I could have mine back.  I'm kinda sick of them on mine always running the battery down.  Pisses me off to be honest.  I can never use it at night and that's when i want to read and surf pinterest to find the exact recipe for whatever it is I"m searching for at the moment.... and how can I remember to look for it and be side tracked 725 times by awesome pins if I don't have my fully charged Kindle at the ready?  Impossible I say! Get yer own!

• I love the movie Brave. Ya can't watch it and not want to speak in some Scottish Irish dialect.  

• I'm not drinking enough water.  That's bad.  Starting back on tracking on myfitnesspal app so that I can hold myself accountable.  Going to adhere to this shitty diet of restriction... more like a paleo on crack for autoimmune diseases.  I have to get the gut in check.  I will say the throat issue has been MUCH less the last week or two... so I'm actually savoring the small victories while still having my eye on total healing.  

• I want to launch my Thirty-One supplies because it's such an awesome product that sells itself.  Just need the time.  Ha!  What's that?!

• I keep getting signed up for people's crap under my e-mail address.  Right now it's some clown named JERRY who is using MY e-mail address to refinance his house and search for the best insurance rates at the same time.  

• I'm happy.  No explanation necessary.... but in this current moment.... even with the chaos around me.... I choose to be and am ... happy.

• I want a hedgehog. 

• I went to the grocery store because I was planning to make my meatballs with chili sauce and grape jelly.  I'm a snob, I want Heinz Chili Sauce.  There is no substitute. They were out... I grabbed a bottle of store brand chili sauce (lesser quality I'm certain).  Yet a few short steps away, I walk by the meat counter and there is a WHOLE ENTIRE SHELF OF Chili Sauce bottles just smiling at me.  They were so happy to be near me... I think they all secretly wanted to go with me.....They were near their chili meat cuts.  I grab one and promptly replace it with the knock off brand in my basket.  I took that lesser condiment but really didn't want to purchase because it was NOT Heinz.  So, now my inner turmoil begins... I'm conflicted because I really don't want to just LEAVE it where it doesn't go but again, I don't want to have to walk all over the damn store yet again (my list was just .. well, it was COMPLETELY DISJOINTED and I'd been all over the store and back 2 times already.  I was DONE!) So... shamefully, I did... I left that shit right there next to the others right where it didn't belong and it ate at me the ENTIRE REST OF MY GROCERY TRIP.  I mean... this kind of guilt drives me absolutely insane!  :(  I can't hand lit.  When I go back to Kroger I will likely go back to see if it's still there and I could move it back to where it goes or I could apologize.  Yeah... I'm that girl with the conscience the size of the elephant in the room... but I'll also b the first one to tell you about it.

Words are powerful

I posted a photo on Instagram and also shared it on Facebook that has prompted several friends to write me.  I think I may be more flattered, however, at the idea that I've inspired someone to help leave their children a legacy moreso than thinking that I deserve any kind of accolades for my idea.  My idea is nothing new.  



It all stemmed from back-to-school sales that started popping up last summer.  You see, I always love to walk down the aisles when school supplies start appearing on the shelves.  I love the colors.  I love new the smell of a new box of Crayolas.  I love crisp, white paper.  I love the rows of sharpened No. 2 pencils.  But one thing I've always had a soft spot for is journals.  I ***love*** journals.  I always have.  As the years go by it seems they get fancier and fancier.  It was then that an idea just hit me.  So, I purchased three similar journals (one for each kiddo) and started using it as a way to write to them... on a personal level... about their lives... about their challenges... about their interests... about their day.  There is nothing digital... if there's a picture, it's because I drew it.  If there's a compliment, it's because I wrote it.  It's paper, ink, heart and soul.  It's just a conversation between my boys and me.  I'm thinking it will be a gift at some point in their lives.... leaving for college maybe.  I'm not even sure it will ever be a significant thing to them... but it's a little something I can do to let them know just how much they mean to me... through my words.

Words, you see, are very powerful.  Once you say them... you can never take them back.  Words can make you shine like a dime... or they can break the very spirit that guides you.

And another way words speak to me is through music... I absolutely adore this song -- its message -- its words.  Take a listen.  I've included the lyrics below.  

You can be amazing

You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug

You can be the outcast

Or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love

Or you can start speaking up

Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do

And they settle ‘neath your skin

Kept on the inside and no sunlight

Sometimes a shadow wins

But I wonder what would happen if you

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I wanna see you be brave

Everybody’s been there, everybody’s been stared down

By the enemy

Fallen for the fear and done some disappearing

Bow down to the mighty

Don’t run, stop holding your tongue

Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live

Maybe one of these days you can let the light in

Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

Innocence, your history of silence

Won’t do you any good

Did you think it would?

Let your words be anything but empty

Why don’t you tell them the truth?

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you

I just wanna see you.

That's some pretty powerful stuff there, huh?  I love people that aren't afraid to stand out... to be the change that they want to see in the world... to be brave enough to say the words that need to be spoken... for whatever reason.  Don't keep them in.  Be brave!  Share your words!

I've seen my eldest face this demon head on... and I saw how victorious he was when I wouldn't let him quit and made him face it... to be brave through encouragement.  He has learned words have power... 

Drew hasn't had to face this dragon yet... but the time will come and I hope he, too, is ready to be brave!

Benji... yeah, he's a WHOLE other can of worms... he will throw words at you... just be prepared to catch them.  They usually involve a body part, a bodily function and are followed by maniacal laughter.  

And, you know I have to deal with him on a daily basis.  Thus, I am brave.