Category Archives: award

blinded

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My eyes are truly hurting tonight. Yes, perhaps it is the winds blowing the dust and pollen here but I am pretty certain the reflection of all the glitter, sequins…lots and lots of sequins and the gold my tiny dancer earned today is contributing.

Yes, I am going to gush over my amazing girl again! What of it? I can because I am the mommy.

Seriously, I can’t help but be proud of her. She is a tap dancing machine that keeps on grabbing more of those shiny, golden trophies. This is her first year competing so you have to let me have my proud mommy moment, okay? Her dance coach congratulated me saying, “Good job.”, after Jods collected her awards. I smiled and said that I really had nothing to do with this accomplishment. Her achievements are all hers and her coach’s…but then again I DID give birth to her. And I have been hauling her and all her rhinestone-y costumes all over Cali this year. And I have learned how to glue false eyelashes and rhinestones without glueing my daughter’s eyes shut…most of the time. Okay then. I humbly accept these kudos. But I must share these with my tiny dancer. She has worked so very hard this year dancing her little heart out while maintaining her grades (straight A’s) and other responsibilities.

Looks like I got my everyday best today. I guess I have to thank Fresno too…maybe just a little, tiny thank you.

all the gold in California

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Well, some of the gold in California is in the possession of my girl. Jodie took gold (again) and first place (again) in her tap solo division and she and partner, Sydney, took gold (again), first place (again) and scored the top duo/trio award of their age division.

As far as the hotel drama, of course I complained, demanded a new room with clean linens and received one night’s stay credited back to my account after I flashed my travel agent credentials and offered my card to the manager.

One more day of dancing/competing our little hearts out tomorrow then it will be on the road again after sunset. Yuck, that means we’ll get back to the Big Top around midnight if we are lucky. I sure hope the ice and snow on The Grapevine will have melted by then. It has been very cold and wet (yes, it does sometime rain in Southern California) most of the day here.

trophied daughter

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It’s very late but I have to share that my golden-haired child is a dancing star! She scored a few awards dancing her little heart out including a platinum award for tap solo in her age category and gold overall newbie in her age category.

And mom is getting better at glueing those false eyelashes and rhinestones on her…at least this time I didn’t glue her eyes shut.

this that and another meme

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I am pooped! Hey, kindergarten homework is HARD! I forgot how hard it can be especially when you are helping a stubbornly reluctant five year old who would rather do anything but that. Well, almost anything since he would still rather not poop in the potty. Still, two pages down of matching shapes and colors and trying to get past the letter “D” when writing his name and I am worn out.
Yes, son, “D” is for Daniel but “D” is not for done!
Well now that we are finally done I am nearly too pooped to blog…I said nearly.
I do have a couple of tags to answer to and I must say that timing is everything.
First I have my dear neighbor and friend, Jenn’s tag from A Pickle for Your Thoughts.
It’s a little Happiness in Ten Things. Here’s the thing, I must write ten things that make me happy.

1. my husband in spite of the fact that lately he drives me to distraction: He just popped a little sandwich cookie in my mouth while I was writing this. Yeah, he is sweet so I guess I will keep him around.

2. those five kids of mine: Of course today I have dealt with the usual heavy sighs, eye rolls, declarations of dislike and the constant sibling bickering but they are my darling circus clowns, mine all mine.

3. discharging a baby home from the hospital: They could have stayed one day too long or four months, it don’t matter; I love the moment I get to carry them oout past the hospital entrance.

4. sleep: Sleep makes me happy, very happy. There! I have confirmed for certain family members the fact that I love to sleep…all the time.

5. a pretty pedicure: That reminds me…

6. a good massage: I had one of those recently which was so amazing and awesome. Who knew I had THAT much range of motion in my neck! I must figure out a way to afford this on a regular basis.

7. a smooth, glass of cabernet…or maybe a zin…or a pinot…or a merlot

8. the sound of my family sleeping: There is something so peaceful and reassuring to hear the sounds of my circus slumbering.

9. soaking in my hot tub

10. Did I mention sleep?

Here’s another meme I found over at Mom Writes. The Middle Name Meme involves writing a post using each letter of your middle name to describe something relevant to your life. How hard could it be to describe me and my life with the middle name, Anne?

Pretty hard. Actually, it was a little challenging but I will give it a go.

Aware as in intuitive: I have a sense of what people are feeling which I guess is one of the things that makes me a pretty good nurse. No, I can not read minds. Just ask Bill, he’ll tell you. But I often have a pretty good sense of what one is feeling.

Needy: Oh yeah. I am the typical first born of a dyfunctional family. Yes, I am the caregiver, the “fixer” and I do it because I need to feel needed. I can’t believe how long it took me to realize this about myself.

No-nonsense: In the everyday things I am quite practical. I have to be. I couldn’t possibly juggle the way I do and get the laundry done…most of the time.

Emotional: Bill is laughing right now and saying, “You think?” Okay, I will confess, I am a teensy bit emotional at times…well, actually I am quite emotional. But that is one of the things that makes me special. At least Mr. Rogers and Barney told me that once.

And finally, here is something that makes me feel pretty gosh darn special.
Awesome Mom recently told me that she loves my blog! She is pretty amazing and (oh yeah) awesome so I am very honored and flattered by her compliment.
Thanks sister~friend, you made my day!
I promise to pass this love on. Just let me get a little sleep tonight.

This much is true

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Dear Carly from Ellipsis has graciously bestowed upon me the Nice Matters Award.
I must say that it made my day. Like Carly, I often wonder if what I am writing here really matters. I don’t solve all the world’s troubles nor do I have the answers to any theological conundrums. I just write about life as a mom raising five kids. It isn’t the most exciting thing in the world dealing with the care and feeding of a husband, a young adult child, two teenagers, a tween and an exceptional little boy whose needs are special. All that can’t be all that exciting can it?
I used to write all the time about my life as a nurse in the NICU. But I have shied away from that lately as I have seen privacy laws and the Healthcare industry corporate honchos shut down some awesome medical/nursing blogs. Because of that I have shied away from that part of my juggling act. I guess I am trying to find a voice that doesn’t break any laws or leave me worrying about whether or not I will have a job. In time, all in good time, I imagine.
What’s left is my life as it is. Definitely not too thrilling just my life. Receiving this award from Carly, I realize that it does pay to be nice and I graciously accept her award to me.