The Picture

For all of you who asked - I've posted my senior picture on my blog before. How could you forget about the hair? I'm quite proud of the volume I achieved with my 'do. That must have taken half a super-size can of Aquanet and a hair dryer to get that look. And how about the four inches of eye liner. Lookin' good, Dawn. Lookin' good. You can see it here and here. But here's a bonus. A prom picture of me in my lovely, poufy, frou frou dress. (Thanks for supplying the blackmail photo, Brenda) Note the matching flower comb thingy in my hair. Gotta accessorize, no? And no, that isn't my husband. He was my boyfriend at the time - Don. Don, Dawn. Dawn, Don. No, it didn't get confusing.





Now, I'm off to Dunkin Donuts for free iced coffee day. I highly recommend iced coconut coffee with a little cream and sugar. Mmmmm.

My Legacy of Laughter

So thinking about my upcoming high school reunion, I dragged out my yearbook and started looking through the pages. I was really surprised at the things people wrote in my yearbook. I guess some things don't change in 20 years. Here are a few things my classmates wrote. (Apparently I did a lot of laughing in high school. That could explain my grades...)

Dawn,
Hey girl, it's been a long year, but your laugh has kept the class awake.....

.....you are a really sweet person who thinks up good excuses for ditching gym.

Art has been fun. You have the most creative laugh I have ever heard.

...It was great having you in my class and hearing all your stories.

....PS laugh for me, Dawn!

Survey would not have been the same if your joyous laughter had not filled the room. I will always remember the time that I had to walk out of class because I was having an uncontrollable fit of laughter after listening to you laughing. Keep laughing Dawn and keep making other people laugh.

.....keep laughing. OK, seriously, thanks for being my friend and I hope your life is filled with much happiness and laughter. You have uplifted my life in many ways.

...you are totally funny. You made art class something to look forward to at the end of the day....

What can I say? You've got a weird laugh (that's a compliment). I mean, this class would be total boredom without it....

And this one was especially funny to me. I about fell off my chair laughing at this one...
"Dawn, you turned out some very nice work this year. The keyword is some! But despite that, you're a nice kid, great laugh, talented girl. Thanks for taking my class.
Mr. Upin
Forget about the tranquilizer remark. You turned out OK."

LOL! I remember him threatening me with a tranquilizer because I laughed too much in his class! Ahhh good times, good times...

Despite the fact that I truly don't remember most of the kids I went to school with (in all fairness, there were more than 600 kids in my graduating class) I guess I made an impression on a couple of them. At least 20 years ago. That's good.

You never know when something you do or say will impact another person's life. Not that all those people who signed my book remember me or the fact that I apparently laugh like a hyena, but still, at the time I impacted a couple lives in a positive way. We can all do that. Every day. Take time to spread some laughter and joy! You never know who could really use a smile. :)

It reminds me of this commercial. I don't know anything about Liberty Mutual, but I love these commercials. Those little acts of kindness can have a huge impact.



(You can start by giving your kids a laugh. Just show them pictures of you from your yearbook. My kids haven't stopped laughing at my picture yet.)

Remember Me?

I have my 20 year class reunion coming up in October. You know what this means, right? I have 5 months to lose like 100 pounds.

I thought I'd be able to tell my fellow classmates, "Yes, I have a best selling book that came out this summer." Now I'm just going to have to say something cool like, "I have a blog", which is another way of saying, "I'm a great big computer dork."

I went to Classmates.com, looked at the list of fellow graduates and recognized like 5 names. Seriously, I swear I don't remember anyone. This realization was somehow disturbing to me. Did I have any friends in high school? I'm pretty sure I did. I remember hanging out with people after school and on weekends. I have all sorts of signatures in my yearbook. The thing is - I don't know who 90% of the signatures are from. The names are completely foreign. Have I just completely lost my mind? What is my deal?

Since I apparently don't remember a single person I went to high school with, why should I even go to the reunion. Who am I going to be reunited with? I don't have any old flames from high school that I'd love to see. There are no bullies with whom I'd like to get even. There are no popular kids I'd like to see all fat and lonely now. There are no outcasts to whom I need to apologize for making fun of. There doesn't really seem to be a point to going. I'm still best friends with my best friends from high school and we see each other on a regular basis. So, should I go to the reunion and walk around, staring at people's name tags and feigning recognition when they come up and say, "Hi! I haven't seen you in 20 years! Remember me?"
Or worse yet, maybe no one will remember me! They'll talk to each other and ask, "Who's that loser in the corner? Do you remember her?"

I think the key to enjoying your high school reunion is making up stuff.

What are you doing these days, Dawn?
Well, I work for NASA.
Really? Wow, I'm surprised. Didn't you fail math like 3 years in a row?

So what are you doing with yourself now?
I'm in a circus. I train elephants.

What do you do for a living?
I'm a CIA agent.

What have you done with your life since high school?
I'm still trying to pass algebra 101.

I invented bubble wrap.

I'm dating Charlie Sheen.

I live in Punxsutawney. I'm in charge of feeding the groundhog.

I spent 12 years in Africa learning how to communicate with giraffes.

I have six kids.

That could make for an interesting night. Until people started comparing notes, at which point they might come to the conclusion that I'm insane. Although having the entire graduating class thinking I'm off my rocker would be worth seeing the perplexed looks on their faces when I tell them that I'm a rodeo clown.

Yep, I definitely think I'll be going to this event. If nothing else, it should provide me with blog material. But I promise I won't make Joe go with me. I imagine the only thing more boring than going to your class reunion is going to your spouse's class reunion.

Sunday Sound Out

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY
to all the moms, grandmothers, aunts, godmothers, friends, and other mom-like people out there!

Baby Austin


Baby Savannah


Baby Jackson


Baby Lexington


Baby Clayton


Baby Brooklyn


Big fat belly with bruises from shots


The whole gang. I love being a mom!

Thank you to everyone who emailed me a mother's day greeting! I appreciated all of them and wanted to say "thanks" here because I just didn't have time to thank everyone individually. Thank you! :)

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Those of you who have been reading my blog for some time now, know about Julian (carepages - juliansworld) and Coleman (carepages - colemanscott). You probably also know about Michelle from My Semblance of Sanity. Michelle is a mega-talented writer and artist and she has this great, big, servant's heart. Because she has become a big advocate for pediatric cancer awareness and research, she's started 4 The Kids to raise money for pediatric cancer research. Check out her designs for sale here and here and here. 50 - 100% of the proceeds are going to benefit pediatric cancer.

Or you could donate to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. I have a banner over there to the right ----->

And, of course, you can always pray for those little ones battling this horrible, awful thing - cancer.

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Dawn, so now that the Pokemon craze has passed how many hits does your blog average per day?
Ummm 6000ish on the weekend and anywhere between 8000 - 10,000 during the week.

P.S. If the ADHD med you tried for Jackson didn't work out, you could try using a different medicine. There are several different classes of ADHD meds available.
He's been on three different ones over the years. It's not that they didn't work because they worked beautifully. It's that he developed high blood pressure while on them. I'm certainly not about to judge anyone for their decision to use or not use medicine for ADHD. It's a tough decision with pros and cons on both sides and ultimately, you have to decide what's best for your child and your family. For many reasons (blood pressure included) we've decided to try an alternative (natural diet) approach to helping him control his behavior.

I just watched our local news about a woman in Salt Lake that her and her husband live off of the revenue her blog gets from posting ads. Does your blog make that much revenue?
LOL! Ummm nope. How awesome would that be though?

I have two kids...Ethan and Kayla...almost every day when I am talking to one of them I say the wrong name. "Kay...Ethan, did you take out the trash? "EEE...Kayla did you brush your teeth?" This drives them bonkers. Completey bonkers!! I mean I only have TWO kids, one boy, one girl. Easy enough right?? Apparently not!!Do you ever do the name mix up thing?? Please tell me that you do and that I am not alone in this??
I've taken to calling all my kids "Bob". It just makes things simpler.

If sorting through comments to find for the Sunday thing is the most time consuming..you could make some kind of special 'comment/question' box people to ask in. I mean I'm sure you'd still read through the 582 comments you get a day but this not only would make it easier for you but could a good catch-all for the questions that might get overlooked sometimes. Just a thought.
That's a great idea. I wouldn't know how to begin to do this, but I'm sure Kelli can when she sets up my website next month!

What I want to know is who took the picture of you at the sink!?!?!
I did! I'm just THAT talented!

ummm...did I miss something? Did Joe quit his job or is he just busier because you are busier?
He didn't quit his job. He isn't busier. In fact, he's working far less hours these days. That's why I have the nerve to expect him to help out more while I write. Even though no one thinks that me writing is a real job.

What is your husband's profession outside the house? I think its so wonderful that his schedule is so flexible that you can do all of these things. I'm really glad God has open all these wonderful doors for you. Congrats Dawn!
He works in the maintenance department of a school district. And yes, we're super fortunate that his job is somewhat flexible and he can take several days off each year.

If it were me in Joe's shoes, I might be a touch envious that my wife was suddenly a celebrity, and might be a touch miffed that suddenly everything is falling upon my shoulders.
First off - a celebrity? SNORT! So not.
Secondly - believe me, "everything" is not falling on his shoulders. LOL! Ouch, I think I pulled something laughing! That was a good one.

Ok, this is gonna seem like a stupid question, but did you dye your hair?
Ummm no. Why? Who told you I color my hair? It isn't gray. It isn't. Really!

So umm how exactly did you get up to the roof to see what was on the roof?
Get up on the roof? Oh gosh no! I just took pictures from the safety of the ground thankyouverymuch! I have an awesome camera. It's the best thing I bought last year.

Is that ice on the roof or is that just how the roofing material looks? Eek! Are you STILL getting snow? When does it ever stop snowing there? June? August???
It isn't ice on the roof. It's just the color of the shingles. And I think :::knocking on wood::: that we're done with snow for the season. Although I'm still wearing my winter coat to the kids' baseball games.

(SSO question?)Is new roof on "the" list, or *Joe's* list? Is that among his DIY capabilities?
That would be Joe's list although it's not something I'm losing sleep over. And it's entirely among his DIY capabilities. That guy can fix/make anything!

Now I wonder what they would find if they dug up your back yard?
Jimmy Hoffa, a T-Rex, hermit crab remains, Legos, Matchbox cars, Barbie shoes, my ladle, two Pokemon figures, a golf ball, a sippy cup, and King Tut's tomb. Just a guess, of course.

Sorry that I don't read ALL the comments so ignore me if I'm repeating a question....I was wondering...did your son ever "pass" the battery?
I think you got me mixed up with Mimi. Her son swallowed a battery. My kids swallow stuff like staples. (And yes, Mimi's son passed the battery.)

She is so verbal for a 2-yr old!
Yes she is. This is the conversation we just had.
Is Daddy home?
No, he's a work.
He's at work?
Yes.
Ohhh. Daddy's at work?
Yes, Daddy's at work.
Daddy's not home?
Nope.
He's not home? He's at work?
Still yes. He's at work.
Ohhh. Daddy come home?
Yes, he'll be home later.
Ohhh. Daddy at work now?
Yes.
Daddy come home later?
Yes!
Ohhh. Where Austin now?
AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

I AM MAKING AN OFFICIAL REQUEST FOR A VIDEO FEED - A PEEK INTO A MEEHAN DINNER EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!!PUH-LEASE!!!!
I don't have a video camera and my regular camera only takes a minute or two of footage. I don't think I could capture the magic that is dinnertime in a couple minutes. But as soon as I get a video camera, that's the first thing I'll tape! Who knows - it may help some of you with your diets. Seeing a video like that is sure to curb anyone's appetite.

Um, Dawn, did you read about your competition today? Yup, there is some lady that is pregnant with her 18th kid.Granted they live in a 7000 square foot house, but still 18 kids?! And she is 41.

I am definitely not competition for her. She can hold the title for the most kids! I'm quite happy with six. I cannot imagine having that many, but they seem to handle it wonderfully. From what I've seen on TV specials about the Duggars, they seem to be very organized and orderly. They have a system and a strong faith and they seem to function really well. Certainly everyone's entitled to their own opinions, but who cares if they want a big family? They take care of each other and those kids will probably all grow up to be productive members of society. What's wrong with that? <---that's rhetorical and if you have something nasty to say about big families, take it somewhere else.

Are any overatures being made by your publisher to have you write a second book? I signed a two book deal, so they're probably kinda expecting me to write that second book.

On the bright side, there's still going to be a book. Now you don't have to take any time away from your lovely family this summer!
True, but the kids were going to go on the book tour with me and now they're disappointed that isn't going to happen. But oh yay - that leaves more time for us to go camping this summer! I'm so excited! Oh boy! Camping! <---- read with heavy sarcasm.

Question: who's the boy on the cover of the book? He looks so much like the little guy on the ETrade commercials who buys stock...
I dunno. Some misc. kid who is a cover model and apparently trades stock in his spare time.

I suppose though while your waiting for your book to come out they may want you to write your second book?
Yeah, the second manuscript is due in January. Think I'll be able to finish it in time if I start it after Christmas?

Will Guideposts have a story about you in their magazine?
Hmmm good question. They were planning on running a story in their August issue, but I imagine they'll hold off until next spring now. Have you guys all read Guideposts Magazine? It's very inspiring, but I warn you - you must have a book of tissues nearby when you read it. Seriously. You've been warned.

what I really NEED to know is HOW in the world did that baby get chocolate all over her face, hands, and clothes but NOT the highchair seat? And which child is that anyway?
It's Brooklyn and I have no idea. She probably licked it off the high chair.

Oh, and do any of your kids have tubes in their ears?
Yep, four out of the six have had at least one set of tubes. They can officially hear, but they still don't listen.

A Year Isn't So Long, Right?

I’ve got some bad news. You might want to sit down for this. In fact, go grab some chocolate before you sit down. This is big.

Ready? My publisher has changed their mind and they’re no longer going to publish my book.

OK, now take a bite of that chocolate. Take a deep breath. Actually, my book is still going to be published. Just not this summer. (I’m sorry, but you always give really bad news first. That way it doesn’t sound so bad when you deliver the sort of bad news.)

It’s true. Because of the Olympics and the upcoming election, my publisher realized that my book wouldn’t get much publicity if it came out in August because shockingly enough, there are people out there who would rather hear about the Olympics and the election than my book! I know!


Anyway, Guideposts is still planning big things for my book, but they’ve been pushed back a bit so they can launch it with style in time for Mother’s Day 2009. I know, I know, it’s a year away. But just wait until you see what they roll out to publicize the book. It’s going to be fabulous—and now they have extra time to think of even more ohmygosh over-the-top promo.

I kinda feel like an idiot after talking about my book and the tour and putting a countdown ticker on my blog!


My biggest concern was telling you guys. But I know how awesome all you readers are and I know that you’ll stick around and wait until next spring. Sooo, until next spring, I guess you’re just stuck reading my blog. Oh the horrors.

OK, now I’M in search of some chocolate!

Stay for Dinner!

My son had a friend over after school to work on a project. Why is it that every time my kids bring a friend home from school, it's a day that I've been exceptionally lazy? I hadn't even gotten in the shower yesterday when Austin showed up with his friend. And to make it worse - I knew he was bringing a friend home with him. He had asked permission the day before. And still, there I was in flannel pajama pants, unshowered, half a box of cereal on the family room floor, unwashed dishes on the counter. Lovely. If the poor kid needed to go to the bathroom, I was going to offer to drive him down the street to 7-11 so he wouldn't have to wade through my mountain of laundry to find the toilet (which was in serious need of a scrubbing).

We ate dinner early yesterday because we had a softball game to get to. We're eating really early most days now because of baseball/softball. "Hi kids. I know you just walked in the door from school, but here, have some dinner so we can leave." Ugh. It's either that, or we're eating at 9:00 PM. We opt for early.

Anyway, since we ate early and Austin and his friend were still working on the project, his friend ate with us. It was a typical dinner in my house. Five conversations were going at once and it sounded like total chaos.
Finish your meatballs.
I can't. I'm wearing flip flops.
Where's my game tonight?
Mom, can I go to John's birthday party?
Can Tyler stay for dinner too when he comes over next week?
I want more spaghetti.
I don't like meatballs.
Stop playing with monkeys at the table.
I can't. I'm wearing flip flops.
I need posterboard.
BURP!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Excuse you.
Oh, I can be excused? Thanks Mom. Bye.
Sit back down and finish eating.
How do you spell "happy"?
Lexi, where are your glasses?
I dunno.
Remember, there are only two places they can be!
I know, I know. On my face or in the case.
So where are they?
Moooo! Moooo!
No animals noises at the table.
But I'm a cow.
He can't stop. He's wearing flip flops.

During this, Austin's friend is just staring at us like we're insane. I swear I saw him mouthing, "Go to a happy place, go to a happy place..."

Now this kid actually has 3 older siblings. Of course the siblings are much older and 2 are off in college so I doubt dinners in his home go down quite like ours. Still, at least he's familiar with having siblings and the goofiness that goes with it. I really worry when one of my kids has a friend who's an only child over for dinner. I can only imagine what they go home and tell their parents.
"Mom, please don't make me ever go back there again. They scare me."




Still, I can't imagine quiet, calm dinners with a minimum of conversation. That wouldn't be very fun. I mean, I could probably finish my dinner while it was hot, and I'd probably be able to digest it without feeling the burn of an ulcer, and my blood pressure would stay under 180/100. Yep, no fun at all there.

Haircuts and Rainstorms and Watermelon, Oh My!

Brooklyn has a habit of chewing her food for hours. Literally. She'll get down from the table, run around and play, and take a bath. A couple hours later, I'll go to brush her teeth and discover a mouthful of veggies, or chicken, or bread. Tonight it was watermelon. I was trimming Jackson's nails and Brooklyn walked over to see what I was doing. She leaned over to get a good look and sneezed. Chewed watermelon went flying all over. Over Jackson's nails, both my hands, my jeans, my shirt, the couch, the floor, some papers on the table, and a throw pillow. We all made a chorus of "Ewwww"s and laughed at the watermelon fountain that had spewed from her mouth. Lexi walked over to see what we were laughing about and stepped in a pile of watermelon goo and then squealed and ran off tracking it through the house. This was after the kids played out in a rainstorm and came in soaking wet to track water all over the house. Then it was time for a haircut...

What's on Dawn's Roof

Well, it's been like a week since my husband cleaned all the crap toys off the roof, so let's take a look and see what has accumulated in the last couple days...


A sun visor. Where else would you put it, but on the roof?


The Little Mermaid - I guess she's sunning herself.


A blurry picture of a tortoise trying to flip over so he can crawl off the roof. (No, it's not real.)


Is it more confusing that a doll is on the roof or that the doll has purple hair?


And what roof would be complete without a frisbee?

(Yes, we know we need a new roof. It's on the list!)

Let Them Eat Cake!

I wrote the following post a couple weeks ago and just realize that I never published it here. Oops! Better late than never, right?
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Have you seen the movie Cheaper by the Dozen? You know the part where the mom takes off on a book tour and the whole house falls apart while Dad is in charge and trying to juggle work and the kids? I’m afraid that’s my life. Only I haven’t even left on a tour yet!

Joe and I got into an fight argument discussion about the kids’ homework. I was mad because Joe hadn’t been checking and signing their assignment notebooks. He hadn’t been making sure Austin completed his assignments. After last quarter when Austin went from “A”s to well, um, a letter in the last half of the alphabet, we took away his freedom and required him to get his assignments signed daily. Joe got defensive and claimed that I was mad at him because he wasn’t doing things “my way”. Ummm hello? It’s not that you aren’t doing it MY way. It’s that you aren’t doing it at all!

In all fairness, I admit that I sometimes, occasionally, rarely get mad when Joe doesn’t do things the right my way. It’s true that I get ticked off when he’s outside messing around with the swingset while I’m trying to help the kids with their homework, get them to clean up their rooms, and get dinner on the table because we have to leave for baseball in fifteen minutes. But that was not what this argument was about. I’m enjoying this new turn in my life. I love writing. I like taking off for New York. I enjoy doing things away from the kids. Don’t get me wrong. My kids are still my number one priority and if none of this writing success had ever come about, I truly believe I’d still be happy. I wouldn’t feel unfulfilled and bitter that I was "only" known as Dawn, the Mom. That said, I have to admit that I’m very much enjoying being Dawn, the mom, the writer, the traveler, and the actor right now. But with this, comes a shift in work. I have more writing to do and have less time to do everything that needs to get done around the house.

I’ve never experienced this before. I’ve always been a stay at home mom. I’ve always taken care of the laundry, shopping, appointment making, cooking, bill paying, homework duty, and kid care. That’s what I know. I’m used to being on my own with the kids all day, every day. I’m used to taking the kids with me everywhere. Joe is used to working 60-80 hours a week. He’s used to going to work, coming home to eat and sleep, and then going back to work again. Our roles have changed now and we’re having a hard time adjusting. Actually, that’s not quite right. I wouldn’t say that we’re really having a hard time, but we are definitely going through some changes.

I don't remember having a difficult time adjusting when I quit work to stay home and raise my kids. Of course, there wasn't much work when I just had one newborn. I mean, he wasn't fighting with anyone, didn't have homework or baseball games, and he didn't trash the house. I guess that's why it was an easy adjustment for me when I quit working outside the home to stay home and be a mom. How about you? Are you going through a hard time finding a balance between you and your spouse or between home and work? For those SAHMs, was it a difficult transition when you quit work to stay home? How do you and your spouse handle jobs now that you're a SAHM?

I suppose it’s natural. I’m sure it’s normal for me to have a hard time giving up control in the childcare area and letting my husband take over and do things his way. I imagine the guilt I feel when I leave is also normal and okay. I think it’s normal for Joe to have a difficult time adjusting to being home and juggling all the things I do without a second thought. I have a new respect for moms who work outside the house, not that I’m out of the house all day, Monday through Friday. But still, I’m getting a taste of the juggling act working moms go through. I’m positive there’s a way to have my cake and eat it too, however. I mean, why even have cake if you can’t eat it, right? That would just be silly! I’ve been given an amazing opportunity and I know I can make it work for us. I think it’ll just take some time, patience, and probably a whole lotta mistakes to get into a new routine.

Pass the frosting!



And speaking of frosting...


CHOCOLATE! It's a shame the chef went to all that trouble making it look so appetizing. Believe me, it didn't last long.


The most awesome coconut cake. Evah! (My Long Island friend's accent is rubbing off on me.)


I tried tofu for the first time. It tasted great good like nothing. It really wasn't bad tasting at all, but I had a hard time getting over the lovely gelatinous texture. Mmmm, tasty unflavored fried Jello.


lunch with the folks at Guideposts


This is the sink in my hotel room. Notice where the faucet is. I poked my eye out every time I washed my face.


Yes, I had the whole bed to myself and it looks like a pack of wild dogs slept in it. I got up and made my bed because well, it's habit. What can I say. Then I thought to myself, "I'm in a hotel! I don't have to make my bed! What's wrong with you?!" So I messed it up again.

Yes, I'm disturbed. But I had to mess it up again because Janet, my agent, laughed at me when I told her I'd made it.

Sunday Sound Out

How many of your kids are in baseball right now? Just Lexi and Austin? Does Savannah play a sport?
Austin, Jackson, and Lexington are playing baseball this season. Savannah is playing softball now. Tomorrow all 4 of them have games at the same time at different fields across town. I'm still trying to figure out how we're going to get to all the games.

Wait a minute--in all the amusement this almost got by me--do you really drive a truck? I mean, how do you fit six kids in a truck?
I actually drive a van. Brooklyn has just called it a "truck" for some time. I think I've finally taught her to say "van" now!

What program do you use to edit your movies? My program doesn't do the cool titles yours does.
Austin uses I use Windows Movie Maker.

That provided a good laugh. I have a question for you - how's it going with your on-line surveys? I'd love to hear an update and if it's still worth it.
OK, I've gotta be honest here. I don't have a clue what you're talking about. Of course, that's not saying much since I'm clueless about a lot of stuff these days.

I recently started a blog for my family and friends to see, but I can't figure out the *cross out the word* thing that you do . I can do it in my word program, but when I copy and try to paste it over, it doesn't have the crossed out words there. I know this is such a random and of the subject thing, but I AM SO CURIOUS!!! AND I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT!!!
OK, before the word you want crossed out, type "<" then type "del" then type ">". Then after the word you want crossed out, type < /del >. That will draw a line through the word. I used some spaces and quotation marks in my example so the word wouldn't really get crossed out. Just omit the spaces and quotation marks when you do it.

Dawn I was wondering how the Feingold diet is working for you this time around?
Well, it doesn't work as well as the medication he was on as far as helping him to slow down and control himself. However, it also doesn't give him high blood pressure like the medication did, so we're dealing with it. It's a good, healthy diet for anyone to follow, but I won't lie and say it's easy. It's time consuming, expensive, and it can be hard to stick to sometimes. Avoiding temptation at a birthday party, for example, is difficult for a kid. It does have its drawbacks. Still, all in all, if you can afford it, cutting out artificial additives and preservatives is a good thing. Jax (and Clay for that matter) are much calmer, and more focused and in control than without the diet.

How much time do you spend in a week writing and posting the comments on your blog? Is it a full-time job?
Hmmm, that's a good question and I'm not sure how to answer. I write most of my posts really quickly. In general, it takes me 30 minutes or so to write a blog post. When I do a SSO, it takes me quite a bit longer because I have to go through a week's worth of comments to find the questions before I can answer them. Also, when I do a post like the one with the Mother's Day ideas, it takes a long time because I have to research and find ideas and insert a bunch of links and pictures into my post. Those usually take several hours. As far as approving comments, that doesn't take long at all. I quickly read through all of them and click "approve". Between that, book writing, and going through buckets of email, I'd say I spend maybe 20 hours a week or so on blog related stuff.

The movie is Steel Magnolias and the character is Wheezy!!!
LOL! OK, not to make fun of this, but it struck me as funny (probably because I watch too much kiddie and old TV)


This is Wheezie.


This is also Weezy.

However, Shirley MacLaine's character in Steel Magnolias was Ouiser Boudreaux.
How very sad that I even know this. Oh, if only I could send all this useless info to the recycling bin in my head, I'd free up so much more memory space. Then perhaps it wouldn't take me a whole week to remember to give my daughter lunch money.

Just wanted you know my husband is not happy with you. Because of you I am now addicted to blogging. You were my first and and now I can't stop. Any suggestions on what I should do?
Get a new husband?

What is the highest number of hits you've had in one day on your blog?
94,258
Nope, that's not a typo. This was right after the Pokemon card auction ended. I went from 5-10 hits a day to 94,000. I was totally freaking out and I don't think I ate or slept for a week after the auction ended. I didn't leave my computer at all. I got more than 10,000 emails from people that week. It was insane.

A few people asked me how they could find the products listed on my mother's day post here. I think I've fixed all the links so they should work now.

You still have time to enter the Lands' End giveaway here.

More Markers???

I was without phone and internet yesterday (thank you very much AT&T) and I still have to plan out my Sunday school lesson. What? I still have 12 hours until Sunday school. Plenty of time. Anyway, after sitting out in the freezing rain at my kids' baseball games today, I'm beat. Too tired to post tonight. But here are a few other Mother's Day ideas....

You can send Mom or Grandma or Aunt or your friends or your sisters (or all of the above!) a FREE e-card here. Let your loved ones know you're thinking of them.

Need some more creative gift ideas? Someone Spoil Me has compiled a list with tons of ideas here!

Or you can give Mom a big pile, of sunny, yellow dandelions. That's what I got from Brooklyn today! :)

Finally, what is it with my kids and markers??? After his bath, he still has a faint blue mustache. That's great. He'll look like Hitler at church tomorrow.

You still have until Wednesday to enter the Lands' End giveaway here.

What Does Mommy Drive?

And make sure you check out this awesome giveaway from Land's End on my other blog here.