Being a Mom

Girl Post :: I got my legs waxed?

February 1, 2021 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Girl Posts Leave a Comment

Today I got my legs waxed for the first time ever. My best friend Ann asked me the other day, “Why are you doing this?”
Idk. Maybe because I turn 41 this month and I’ve never done it before? I want to do laser hair removal but also I know first hand how painful that is…I had my under arms done a little over a year ago and while a major game changer, *holy ouch*. I just don’t think I can bear that pain, for that long, on my legs (especially my shins and knees – which I consider both as boney). Have you done laser hair removal? – please tell me about the legs if you have.

Back to the waxing.
I’m not sure which was worse, going 11 days without shaving or the actual waxing…
Here’s my take on it: apparently the hair needs to be the length of a grain of rice. Y’all, I was slightly grossed out at my person and my 10 yr old self was screaming, “please let me shave my legs!” Also, while Andrew was marginally fascinated, not in a good way mind you – he’d never seen me so unkempt, said last night, “Uh, can we do something about THAT?” ? I promised that I would follow through with my appointment today.

To be completely honest, the waxing wasn’t as awful as I had expected it to be. Call me crazy, but my girl Haley did a fantastic job – she kept me talking I guess so I wouldn’t really think about what she was doing. Nice warm glob of wax spread on my leg then *RIP!*. I may have flinched a few times but it wasn’t all that bad. It took about an hour to do both legs – knees down.

When recounting my appointment, Andrew asked if I yelled. Seriously?? I’ve given birth to three children. One weight 9.5lbs, one just barely made the cut off of the epidural and the third woke the left side of my body up so no, I didn’t yell. I can deal with temporal pain…

Would I do it again? Heck yes! I just have to wait 4-6 weeks and I’m okay with that! The results are really terrific and if this means I don’t have to shave as often, sign me up, sister!?

Now that my legs are silky smooth, I feel a trip to the beach is in order…wonder if we could make that happen this month? ?

Thanks for reading – ask me all the questions and until next time…

My Quotable Kids

December 15, 2020 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Gift Giving, Life 6 Comments

If you’re a mom {especially of small kids} and you don’t have “My Quotable Kid”, please ask someone to give it to you for Christmas. It will be one of your most prized and favorite gifts ever.

I got mine a few years ago from my friend Ann – I’m not sure if she just knew my kids would be quote-worthy, or if it was just from her experience of being a mom – kids say the darndest things!

Case in point: last night Andrew, the kids and I were sitting on our bed, reading our Advent devotional from Luke chapter 2. After Eliza Jane did a phenomenal job reading verses 1-20, Andrew asked her, “Eliza Jane, do you know what it means to have peace?”
Her response was priceless, straight-faced and all: “Yes sir, but not when Emory is around.”

Andrew and I both lost it. SO.TRUE. There is no peace when Emory is around!

Andrew pointed at me and laughingly said, “You gotta write that one down!”

So I pulled out my little book – I keep it in my night stand – and wrote down her quote so we could look back a year or two, or more from now and laugh all over again, especially at the truth of her hilarious statement.

Then I read aloud some quotes from the kids from last year and 2018 and had a good laugh.

One thing I really like about this little book, in helping preserve memories of your kids and the crazy things they say, is that you have space to write the context of what was going on when they said that silly thing. And it’s almost as if you’re transported back in time when you go back and read some of those wild things.

Oh, the funny things kids say – I hope you can reminisce some of the things your kids or kids you know have said to you recently. Feel free to share!

Also, if you read my post from last Friday, I have a drawing to do! I had several commenters and the winner of a Lip Butter from EverBe Cosmetics is….Brooke Hold! I’ll message you for your choice of Lip Butters!

Until next time, friends…

On Being Overwhelmed and Anxious…

December 9, 2020 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Faith, Life Leave a Comment

Yesterday I wrote a post summarizing part of a seminar/conference I got to participate in on Monday. In that post I spoke a little about being overwhelmed and/or anxious. Whether it’s related to the events of 2020 or not, we can all experience these emotions, physical paralysis and and other effects from either or both of these conditions.

Side note, I am no doctor, counselor or anything else with an advanced degree or expertise in these areas. I’m just a girl who deals with being overwhelmed and anxious from time to time, and these are my thoughts that follow.

I really wanted to ask first of all, what do you do when you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious? My big two are prayer and reading my Bible. Sometimes a walk or exercise helps me clear my mind. Other times it’s talking things out with either Andrew or my best friend Ann. I find when I hold it all in…like a ticking time bomb, eventually I’ll explode. And that’s certainly not ideal for me or those around me.

Let’s start with being overwhelmed. I for one can become paralyzed and distant when I am overwhelmed. You?
Churning in my innermost person of all the things that need to be done, but yet, I can’t figure out where or how to start. Sometimes it helps to talk it out with Andrew, so he can help me untangle that which keeps me stuck and then I start writing lists. The lists help me sort out visually the tangles in my mind and then I am able to realize that everything that needs to be done doesn’t HAVE to be done now or today or this week.
When I finally am able to muster the energy and determination to start, I’m in a good place…but it can take me some time to get to that starting line.

A simple phrase, that we all learned from Nike way back when, is “Just Do It.” And I tell myself this a lot when I continually procrastinate on something that I know would just be DONE if I would do it already. Hello, laundry.

When I am feeling anxious I remember that I am a child of the living God. There’s a card framed on my desk at home that I received from a former co-worker a couple of years ago that reads:
I am a daughter of the conquering King.
Greater is He who lives in me than he who lives in the world.
I know this. I believe this. I commit to live this. And because of this, I will live a life of victory that brings honor and glory and praise to my King.
Amen.

MY King. He is mine and I am His.

When I am anxious, most of the time it has to do with my lack of control. Anyone else out there a control freak? Geez. Isn’t it so annoying?! I hate being this way – it is the thorn in my side.
So yes, I can recognize, after some 20+ years of trying to figure it out, that most of my anxiety stems from not being able to control that which is around me. Mostly situations.

The question I often have to ask myself in these moment is, “Do I trust myself more than God?”

What a question, right? The answer is no. But maybe it’s a “no?” instead of “NO!” Anyone else struggle with that?

>Sigh.<

Could we remember together that God is good. God is sovereign – Romans 8:28. He is on the throne when there’s chaos swirling around me. He lives in me by His Spirit and goodness knows I am so thankful for that truth.

He gives strength for today. His mercies are new for each day. Sister, if you are struggling with being overwhelmed and/or anxiety, I encourage you again today to talk to someone. You are most certainly never alone, especially if you claim Christ.

Thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you again today. Until next time…

Hijacked – It’s Been a While

November 17, 2020 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom Leave a Comment

There were several directions I could have gone with this post. I even thought about prefacing with a warning to read with your perkiest voice because I didn’t want it to sound whiney, like when my current three-year-old asks for something to eat because he’s starving….

But then I decided to completely switch directions. It’s been a while since I wrote about being hijacked by one of our kids 😉 It used to happen quite often, when they were little and got sent home for all the things…

Well, Reynolds got sent home yesterday because he was coughing in class. It was a classic hijacking by one of the Lucas kids!
We are following all the school’s requirements at this point and waiting for a test result to come back before he goes back to school, hopefully and Lord-willing, tomorrow.

In the meantime, we are enjoying our cough-free home time together today.

This morning he had completed all his school work by the time I got home from Pilates at 9am. NINE am. He asked, “Momma, can we go on a walk?” Why of course! That’s what was next on my to-do list. 🙂
He rode his bike, we took Bleu and enjoyed the cool weather together. It was a shorter walk than normal, when we made our way back into the front yard. I asked if he wanted to keep going or be back home and he said he wanted to put up his bike and go back out, walking with me this time.

Andrew and I could be super annoyed that he’s hijacked our plans and having to be home when he seems perfectly healthy. And honestly, if I was still working full time at my previous job, I would be completely stressed out with this twist in the schedule/plan for the week. But today, I’ve decided to embrace the fact that he’s home, he’s well {still waiting on a test result to prove that} and we are enjoying being with him. We have even watched Home Alone and Home Alone 2…because, why not?

Until next time, and hopefully sooner…

A Tale of Emory + His Big Sister

October 29, 2020 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom Leave a Comment

If you’ve met my youngest child, Emory, who is everything boy, this story will not surprise you. I often post things like this about him on Facebook and Instagram because to be honest, he’s crazy. Manic at times. And Eliza Jane is typical middle child go-with-the-flow, I’ll do whatever anyone tells me to, which is not a good combo when Emory is ‘in charge’.

Here we go: yesterday school was over for the two big kids so I told everyone to shut off their Chromebooks because Lord knows 7.5 hours on technology will fry one’s brain cells. Remember that commercial in the 80’s or 90’s with the egg in the frying pan – the ‘this is your brain on drugs’ commercial? Well, I feel like that’s how we’re all going to feel in about 40 years, from being on these dang computers all.day.long.
I digress.

I told the kids to shut off their Chromebooks and go outside to play. Emory promptly burst into tears, picked his up and started to walk outside WITH it in his clammy little hands!

“No sir.” I said, sternly. More tears.
I took the Chromebook back inside and sat it on the dining room table where he and Eliza Jane had been doing their school work.
Now, side note, Emory is technically not in school, but when brother and sister are constantly on their devices he feels left out so I let him do “school work” aka PBS Kids for the last 30 min of the school day. #winning

Okay, so we were all outside playing, having a jolly good time when Reynolds made Eliza Jane mad/sad/emotional, so she had a meltdown and asked to go see the neighbor. Sure. Whatever. Stop crying.

Some short time later, I walked into the house through the front door and lo and behold Eliza Jane AND Emory are sitting at his Chromebook watching a show. I was like, “WHATAREYOUDOING!?”
“Get OUTSIDE!!”

Back out they went. Not long after that, as I stood in the kitchen chopping garlic for our supper…. I looked out the window and realized I didn’t see any of my three children.
I walked to the back deck and yelled for them.
Nothing.
I yelled louder.
Still Nothing.
Not trying to sound completely hysterical, I yelled one last time.
“M’am!?” Came Reynolds’ voice from the garage. We talked; He obviously couldn’t hear me screaming. And he had no clue where his brother or sister were.

I walked back inside the house and through the front windows, noticed them sitting on the bench on the front porch.
I walked to the front door, opened the door and proceeded to ask what they were doing and I get this mischievous look from Emory, who AT THE SAME TIME IS CLOSING/CLUTCHING his Chromebook and for the second time in less than 15 minutes I was stunned!
This literally cannot be happening. I’m banging my head on a brick wall. NO.One. is listening/obeying.

I grabbed the Chromebook and sent both kids to their rooms for deliberately disobeying me.

Y’all won’t believe this.

Less than five minutes passed and I heard them upstairs chatting it up like they’re at the ice cream shop! I walked up the stairs, and Emory is UNDER THE BED talking and presumably hiding with Eliza Jane.

“GET.OUT.” I said. And without a peep, he got up and went back to his room, where again, he burst into tears.

I may have thrown my hands up in the air. Blown away. Y’all. This kid is the reason I dye my hair. God knows I love him to bits, but Lord help me I am silver-headed.

In the midst of his final melt-down, somehow he gave up and passed out.
#Iwon.

Until next time…

Grateful & Good Things

October 21, 2020 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Friendship, Life Leave a Comment

Can I first admit to you that I never dreamed the traction Monday’s post about Hair Dye, Botox and Lip Filler would generate?! You ladies are enthusiastic about staving off the wrinkles, gray hair and deflated lips. haha
But seriously, it was fun to read all the comments posted on FaceBook about who does what, etc. I’m not quite brave enough to do anything besides coloring my hair but you bet I’ll share here when I do!

So, today is Wednesday and while I don’t have really anything earth-shattering to share, I did want to encourage you to think on something or someone for which you are grateful today. Andrew and I have tried {sometimes we forget} to ask our kids at the dinner table each night to tell us either something that they’re grateful for or something good that happened to them, that day.

Kids are funny. Sometimes they squinch their noses and “uhhhhhh” for about an eternity, but finally they’ll give up an answer. And that answer usually sparks some sort of good/funny/interesting conversation at the table. It’s also something besides that blah question, “How was school today?”

I invite you to use this tonight, wherever you are and even if you don’t have anyone to say it out-loud to – I’m happy to listen! – acknowledge something you’re thankful for, or something good that happened to you today.

I’ll start by saying I’m thankful for my friend Sheri AND the good thing is that I got to see her for the first time today since February! We met for a walk this afternoon and got to start our catch-up conversation. She noted that we’re only about 1/3 of the way through our catch-up when we got back to our cars….there’s so much to talk about! Hopefully we won’t have to wait so long to have the rest of our catch-up conversation 🙂

Enjoy sharing your grateful and good thing moments tonight!

Until next time…

Mom’s Tray

October 2, 2020 by Michelle Filed Under: Being a Mom, Decorating/Remodeling, Life 2 Comments

I am not going to make this a sappy post. I told my best friend, Ann earlier today that I wouldn’t so I will keep my word on that.

Tomorrow, October 3rd, is the four year anniversary of my Mother’s death. As I was thinking about this earlier in the week I first sort of relived her last weeks on this earth, and more specifically, her last two days.

I told you I wasn’t going to make this sappy, so I’m not going to share all the rememberings with you. Instead, I’ll share with you that as I spent some time reflecting, I walked around my house and looked at some of the things that were either once hers or had been given to me by her.

One item in particular that I stopped and beheld was this wooden tray.

My mother loved to cross-stitch when I was younger. I’ve shared with y’all before the Christmas ornaments she made for my cousins, brother and me when we were all little. Her thing was cross-stitching. She even took the time to teach me as a little girl, and I found joy in it just as she did.

I have to say that I don’t really remember anything about this tray. When she stitched it, or where it would have ‘lived’ in our house growing up, or even how I came to acquire it – other than I must have asked for it after she passed.

The tray sat for a while on the bookshelves in our den, not really in a place where it was seen, or where you could admire her handiwork…the details of the fruits. Some might would say that it’s dated or ‘old’ looking…but not me. It holds too much meaning to me now. I always loved how she signed her initials on the pieces she stitched.

The tray got put in a closet sometime last year when I was rearranging the decor on the bookshelves, maybe at Christmas, and sadly it never got put back out. Just a few weeks ago I got tired of all the clutter that somehow amasses on my kitchen counter {anyone else?} and was looking for something to corral the necessary items. After I had tried a few other trays that just didn’t seem to work how I wanted them to, I remembered this special tray that was just waiting in the upstairs closet.

I don’t pride myself on being a decorator…and my style is sometimes yet to be determined, but I like a mix of old and new, classic and whimsy. I added the few things that I wanted to be on the counter {not the papers, receipts or magazines!} to the tray and arranged them in a way that you could see most of the cross-stitch design. Every morning as I go to turn on that little candlestick lamp {which burned me just now by-the-way}, I take a glimpse of that design and smile. I have to ponder of her, as she sat and stitched that pattern so many years ago, did she ever wonder where her little tray would end up. Whose counter it would sit on and the trinkets it would contain…even a photo of her youngest grandson, whom she was never able to hold…

Thanks for the tray, Mom…it sure is special, just as you were.

One of the last photos I ever took of her. July 2016, Amelia Island FL.

“You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known—and even that is an understatement.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

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