Yesterday morning, I watched a grown man, our guest Pastor shed tears of remembrance in front of the whole congregation. His voice became low, his tears flowed down, and his hand covered his face as he tried to compose himself. This lasted a whole three minutes, but as he finished crying he looked up at us and said, "Freedom Is Not Free."

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I love exploring my little town and when a new business or restaurant sets up shop, it doesn't take me long to see what they're all about. I'll admit, it might take me a while to blog about them, but that's only because... well. .. it's because my life with three children is constantly busy.

On this day, my toddler and I are checking out Baytown's newest burger joint: Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Now, they aren't new to us because we've tried them in Charlotte, NC before my toddler was eating table food. I have to throw that in, because we've learned, since, that he has a severe allergy to peanuts. If you've been to any Five Guys you might know where I'm going with this.

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We're the poster family for Aquafina. Well, at least that's what a friend of mine told me as she pointed to all three of my children gulping their FlavorSplash water at the same time. It was a photo op that I, regretfully, missed.

In all seriousness, we've had a really great time participating as an Aquafina FlavorSplash Mom. I've learned a lot about what flavors my children like, how to get them to drink water, and, more importantly, weaned myself off the Diet Coke. I DID say I wanted to do that, remember? Don't get me wrong, I still have, at least, one a day, but water has taken the place of a lot of my unhealthy habits and it feels great to be hydrated again (and if you live in SouthEast Texas, you KNOW what I mean by that).

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My sweet girl graduates from Kindergarten today and it's bittersweet. She has gone from this:


... to this:


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Today marks the day for all of you Sex and the City fanatics! No, the movie doesn't hit theaters until May 27th (hold on to your Jimmy Choos and wait a few days for your girls night out), but today the SATC2 Soundtrack debuts in stores and online. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the album before today and it's got me pumped to watch the movie. I, all of a sudden, want to grab all my girlfriends, don my highest heels, and head out for a night on the town.

Since, I'm towing a 3-year-old around I, instead, went to the gym this morning, plugged my ears with my ear buds, fired up my iTouch and sampled each and every song for you. There's news girls, the song Can't Touch It made me want to dance! Since my feet were bound to the elliptical machine I, instead, rocked my work out.

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We all remember the 6th grader who gave us the impressive rendition of Lady Gaga's Paparazzi. His peers watched in amazement, jaws dropped. His fame sky rocketed online and he soon landed on News networks across the nation.

Well, I've discovered his competition yesterday. He's new. He's fresh. He's Rockin' the Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!

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The school year is winding down and Summer is starting to sizzle. Well, here in SouthEast Texas it is. The temperatures are high and the kids are looking for ways to have fun. On those days where the sun is too hot and the humidity is too much, my kids and I like to hang back with our craft box.

Our craft supplies are abundant, but we struggle on what to make. Often times, we just need ideas and direction. Lucky for us, we've discovered the FedEx Out of Office blog, which has unique and creative do-it-yourself solutions for these occasions and more.

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It's Monday. I'm not feeling musical, but I know the power music can have on me. I understand a worship song, like the one I've chosen this morning, can speak to my soul.

This weekend, both my husband and I are healing from sickness, but my daughter woke with a high fever.

This weekend, I planned a busy week full of writing, gym commitment, conference calls, and End-of-the-Year activities with the kids classes, but my dear friend called me and needs help...... and lots of prayer for her sweet family.

This weekend, I saw family, whom I didn't know I missed... till now, but it was under the worst circumstance, a Breast Cancer benefit for my Aunt who has a very rare form of it.

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It was storming the day I heard the doorbell ring. It was our mail delivery guy, drenched from head to toe. We saw lightening as I opened the door and a loud clash of thunder came right behind it. "I came out here in this storm just for you, Ma'am." Well, isn't he just the sweetest? Doing his job and delivering to little ole' me. I watched him run back to his truck as the rain drenched him, then another loud thunder. I rushed to close the door behind me, opened the package, and in it Sid the Science Kid: Weather Kid Sid DVD. Ironic?

From the first time we met Sid the Science kid on PBS Kids, my 3-year-old was enamored with the show. We are big fans at this house and love seeing what Sid is going to learn next. He's fun. He's interesting, and doesn't he have the COOLEST Mother on earth?! I've been told his Grandma rocks it in the car too. So, what's he learning now about the weather around him?

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Every morning, I watch them. My son and his friend, purposely, wait for all the girls to go ahead of them onto the school bus. It's my little "Morning Sunshine" to see them be so sweet and gentleman-like. Once all the girls are ahead of them, they usually throw a playful punch on the shoulder or give each other a high five.

Boys.

What goes through their mind? One minute they're talking about farts and the next minute a boost of chivalry pops out. So, how do you teach your son to be a gentleman? Do you teach them with words or through actions? Or do you, simply, let him develop it on his own?

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Who knew ice cream eating could get so serious?

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Having three children means having to deal with three different skin types. My daughter, especially, has always needed gentle lotions, body wash, and detergents because she suffers from eczema. For 5 years now, we've had to avoid itchy, scratchy clothing, monitor her outbreaks, and develop a routine of lotion lathering, both, in the morning and evening.

Never did I realize, I'd put more energy into taking care of her skin than my own, but some companies make it easy for me as a Momma. Episencial is one of those companies and has our needs in mind with their new line of Eric Carle inspired body care for children. They help us keep our children's skin healthy and they also understand the importance of taking care of the planet.

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My palms were sweaty and I could feel my heart pounding through my chest. It was test day and I would, soon, find out if I was to be placed in High School Algebra for my last year in Junior High. Of course, I wanted to be among the elite group of students and make my parents proud, but I was horrible at math and deathly afraid of falling behind.

My wish was granted and I was going to take Algebra a year early. I barely passed, which led me to struggle throughout High School in Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, and Statistics. Although, I was in these honors classes, I shouldn't have been. I needed another year to mature, grow, and understand the world that is Math.

As a Mother, I struggle with pushing my children too hard, but I also want them to be confident in their skills and talents. I, recently, found a method that helps and encourags my children to practice their math skills through a fun, mountain climbing game.

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It's Monday. It's Musical. And it only fits that I'm listening to music about Eyes. I'm battling a horrible eye infection that landed me in the Urgent Care yesterday. Initially, the Dr. thought I had an ulcer in my eye. After consulting the Opthamologist, via text (gotta love new technology), we came to the conclusion that it is an infection and it's hemmhoraging. Awesome.

So, this morning I trek it down to the Eye Dr. who met me (and my eye) over picture message. He'll probe my eye to see what, exactly, is the problem and whether or not I need surgery or just more eye drops.

I'm nervous, because I don't DO stuff in my eye.

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It's one big stormy weekend in our little town, and we're, once again, stuck indoors to witness the rain pour down outside. The sun isn't shining, but I'm surrounded by flowers, rainbows, and butterflies. Oh, and don't rule out the robots, tigers, and enough-make believe spaghetti to last me a month!

My children and I are digging deep into our imagination and creating all kinds of fun with these amazingly flexible building sticks called Bendaroos. My kitchen table is covered in hundreds of sticks in all kinds of colors and, at this point, our building possibilities are endless which makes this rainy day that much more fun.

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There's a few things you should know about me.

1. I don't like cheese on my hamburger or sandwich.
2. I don't like when people flick water at me with their hand.
3. I set my alarm clock for odd numbered times because every minute counts.
4. Oh, and I don't put stuff in my eyes. Period.

So, why do I bring up this list? Well, I have some sort of eye infection. It's red. It's swollen. It's itchy and now I can't take it anymore. Yesterday, my pharmacist recommended I buy eye drops and, let's just say, I bought them, but they haven't quite made them into my eyes unless my husband holds me down and forces my eyelid open.

Remember, I don't put stuff in my eye. It's inhuman.

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I'm continuing my effort, this week, to promote Allergy Awareness. May is National Allergy Month and, besides suffering from seasonal allergies, my family struggles with food allergies all year long. Bummer. I know.

Recently, I discovered a company that actually made me clap my hands like a 2-year-old, as I perused their website. My husband ran to where I was sitting to see what made me so giddy. FINALLY, there are products out there that help children have fun and show some personality when it comes to their food allergy. My 3-year-old is allergic to peanuts and we've simply used labels on his cups and bags, but NOW he can wear it on himself where people can see it. P. Nutty is so noticeable and cool, it's going to be hard NOT to notice his Peanut Allergy message and that makes me, as a Mother, feel secure when during those times he's not in my hands.

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Yeah, We're a little crazy when it comes to Holidays.

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What a great start to my week! For Mother's Day, my husband bought me a membership to 24 Hour Fitness. I've only begged him for about 6 months, so I was chomping at the bit to get started. As I jump full force into my work out routine, I'm also changing my eating and drinking habits. We're limiting our sodas and junk food and opting for fruit and more water.

This can be a hard task for me, but I've got some help over the next 6 weeks. Thanks to Mom Central and Aquafina, I've been selected to participate as an Aquafina FlavorSplash Mom Ambassador! Little did they know that we needed a HUGE make-over in our drinking habits.

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May is Allergy Awareness Month and, all week long, I'll be showcasing products that help families, just like mine deal with food allergies. We've got snack foods, temporary tattoos, allergy labels, and fun accessories to let all of you guys in on!

I, especially, understand the struggle that parents deal with when it comes to their children's allergies. For the last two years, we have banished a sweet little thing you and I like to call Peanut Butter. Yes. No Skippy. No Peter Pan. My toddler is allergic to peanuts. Great. What now? Well, I can feel secure, that companies such as Home Free Treats, have my family's best interest at heart with their line of allergen free snacks.

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Motherhood is never ordinary, but our days can be. Six AM wake-up time, kids off to school, laundry, dishes, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, oh, and for me, blogging. That's my ordinary day. I don't usually have time to watch TV, relax for a nap, or spend hours upon hours chatting on the phone with friends. Ask my friend Toni, our conversations are usually limited to whatever we can spit out of our mouths within a 15 minute time span. Half the time we're multi-tasking by chatting WHILE we grocery shop or WHILE we work-out.

Nothing is ordinary about Motherhood, but, at the same time, everything is ordinary. Which brings me to my selection for Music Monday today, the day after Mother's Day.

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The other night I found myself awake and coughing my sweet little Momma head off. Although, my health has improved since my, recent, Urgent Care visit, this pneumonia has been kicking my butt. Some nights I can't even swallow because my mouth is so dry, my lungs feel so heavy, and my throat hurts so bad. On this particular night, I probably woke the whole neighborhood with the screeching pitch of my coughing.

I turned to make sure I didn't wake my husband, but the other side of the bed was empty. It figures. He's up playing World of Warcraft again. As I coughed into the towel, I reached for my inhaler, as if this small piece of fabric, I was holding, had just suffocated me. That's when I heard movement in the kitchen.

In he walks. Drink in hand and comforting hands to make me feel like I'm not only loved, but well taken care of, secure.

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With three young children, we're constantly having to fill our Snack Box in the pantry. I try to limit the candy and sweets and opt for healthy, yet tasty foods. We have one main staple when it comes to snacking. You may know it. They're crunchy, they're orange, they're found in Church Nurseries across the country. You know what I'm talking about... Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers.

The kids and I like to peruse our cracker aisle for the latest flavor of Goldfish. In fact, I still remember the day we found their Mix-Up Adventures for the first time. I just about did a happy dance right there in the grocery aisle. A few weeks ago, we found their Flavor Blasted Sour Cream and Onion, but it didn't fare well with the kids or the husband that snacks late at night during World of Warcraft play time. So, when Pepperidge Farms asked me to review their newest flavor Vanilla Goldfish Grahams, well, let's just say, it was a no-brainer.

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Last week, much of the South experienced loads and loads of rain. The buckets kept coming, resulting in much prayer for the Nashville area on my part. Even my old stomping grounds, in Memphis, received much of the storms so I watched the weather closely, remembering our time there and hoping all of my friends were keeping safe.

Although we haven't received any bad storms yet, here in SE Texas, we have experienced quite a few rainy days and I'm not sure my Momma brain can take it. Kids have to stay inside, the boredom sets in, and Mommas everywhere rack their brain on things for them to do. So, I've been compiling a list of things WE like to do on rainy days.

Racquet Sports anyone?

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Yesterday, I took you guys back in time as I wrote about some of the most influential teachers in my school career, which in turn inspired the sweet Laura, from Adventures in Juggling, to post an article she wrote, 5 years ago, about her inspiring teacher.

We both agreed that Teachers are important to the growth of our children and should be appreciated more than just one week out of the year. Well guess what? Corner Bakery feels the same way. What can I say? Great minds think alike. Last year, I had the chance to check out all the goodies Corner Bakery has to offer through their catering service so I'm already a "Corner Bakery Groupie" in a sense, but even more excited that they're jumping on board to support our local Teachers.

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When I was a teenager I used to work at this shoe store. You may know it; a little store called Famous Footwear. Yeah, it was my first job, my only job throughout my High School years. I started there on my 16th Birthday, then realized just how sweet of a job it really was. They worked around my school schedule, they gave me a generous employee discount, oh, and they paid me a little too!

I blame them for the extreme addiction I have for shoes. I love me some running shoes, boots, mules, but my ultimate favorite? Sandals! Warm weather is here and I've got the toes polished and the pedicures scheduled to enjoy all those cute slides, flip flops, flats, heels, oh and anything with sequins or beads. This Mother's Day there's a shoe company that knows and understands just how us girls love us some shoes and guess what? These are shoes that love you back.

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It's National Teacher Appreciation Week and if you're like us, you're gathering sweet treats and cooking up ways to show your children's Teachers just how much you appreciate them. With two children in their early stages of Elementary, I understand the importance of the Parent/Teacher Relationship. They need us as volunteers, chaperones, and, most importantly as their support system throughout the year our child is placed in their classroom. As a Mother, I see my children grow and mature so quickly and at, any given moment, my child can be influenced by one amazing, thoughtful, and engaging Teacher.

One week out of the year, we honor these Teachers by dedicating 5 days to shower them with hugs, treats, and sweet words, but how do you feel about it? Too time consuming? Too Hokey? Too Expensive?

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I don't get to dress up very often. I complain about it. On this particular day, my Father-In-Law retired from Exxon Mobil. Complain no more Sara Dear, you shall dress up, celebrate with family, and learn you did it all with pneumonia. Can you tell?

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Mother's Day is one of my favorite times of the year. If you think about it, you get a holiday added to your calendar that celebrates YOU as soon as you have a child. I don't know about you guys, but I love the attention, the flowers, the chocolates, the breakfast in bed, the ability to now stand up in church when they say, "If you're a sweet Momma, please stand up so we can appreciate you." Oh the sweetness!

This year, do you need Mother's Day Gift Ideas? There are so many options nowadays, like: flowers, jewelry, iTunes gift cards, Edible Arrangements, Spa trips, and if you're REALLY lucky a handmade card from the kids. Well, H-E-B is here to help you prepare with ideas and in-store deals that are sure to please and give your pocketbook a little break.

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A few years ago my husband told me we'd be moving from a city I had grown to love. In a matter of one week, I'd leave all my friends, my church home, my children's school, my sweet little house with the gazebo in the back, and a familiarity I had worked and prayed hard for in the 4 years I lived in Memphis. All of it. Gone. In one week.

I think of that day, which was almost 7 years ago, and I remember how I couldn't fully grasp what God had planned for me. My anxiety was overwhelming so I decided to go on a jog, with my headphones, and my MP3 player (hey, don't judge, I wasn't fancy enough for an iPod back then). As I was running, this song, the song I've chosen for Music Monday, came on. It took me to a sweet place of comfort, brought me to tears, and, eventually, my legs gave out on me and I fell. Yes. I fell smack dab on the ground in front of the lake in front of our neighborhood (are you surprised I didn't want to leave my cute little neighborhood? Gazebo, Lake? We had it made!)

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You hear of that typical Guy's Night Out and you might witness us girls talking about GNO on Twitter, but when do you ever hear of a Family Day Out? I know we enjoy our family and we do things out, but when do you purposely plan a family day out?

It doesn't even have to be a big day out. I mean, we're a family of 5 on a very tight budget, but you'll be surprised at all the fun stuff my children like to do that don't cost a penny. For instance, my children love picnics at the park. We pack up lunch in the cooler, plenty of drinks, our soccer ball, maybe bikes or scooters, and we have a whole day to lounge around looking for the latest animal cloud in the sky or race to the finish barefoot in the grass. We have fun doing it, leaving nobody out, not even Daddy.

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