Blog Challenge Days 11-14

Hi friends!  Sorry to take a hiatus like that in the middle of a blog challenge.  Went on vacay.  We had a great time, although there were several hiccups including my phone (and camera source) being stolen.  Yes, I have a big camera - no I don't use it like I should.  So most of the photographic evidence of our trip is gone forever.  Yuck.  But I won't dwell on it....

DAY 11 - Sell yourself in 10 words or less

Up for the challenge.  Does exceptionally well in tough circumstances.

DAY 12 - What (or who) do you miss the most in life?



I miss my grandparents so so much.  My grandparents were such a HUGE part of my childhood.  My grandmother babysat me while my mother worked.  My grandfather picked me up from school.  My grandparents were two of the best people God has ever planted here on Earth. I have so so so many fond memories of my grandparents.  Homemade snacks after school, sleepovers, my grandfather taking me grocery shopping while we complained about all the stops and lists my grandmother had made us. 

My grandparents were old in comparison to my friends' grandparents.  And they were definitely more oldfashioned.  Big bunned hairstyles, white fluffy hair, big lincoln towncars and the pink cadillac my grandmother drove.  My grandfather was born in 1918 and my grandmother in 1920 (I think).  I LOVED to ask them about their lives growing up and what life was like back then.  I loved shucking corn and stringing green beans on their back porch.  I loved when my grandfather, with his liberty overalls and no shirt underneath would give my cousins and me a ride in his wheelbarrow as we rode to the garden in the hot Georgia summers.  I loved that my grandmother's purse smelled like spearmint gum and kleenex tissues.  Sigggghhhhhh.....

My grandfather passed away just days before my wedding day.  And my grandmother passed away 11 days after Brooks was born.  She held him before she passed and told me how beautifully shaped his head was.  With both of them passing so close to major events in my life, it still hits me like a ton of bricks sometimes that they are no longer here.  Like the day the hem came out of my dress at work and I thought I'll take this to Maw. Nope.  She's not alive Jess.  Siggghhhh..... my eyes are burning and my heart is aching now....

DAY 13 - A public apology

Hmmmm.... a public apology.... well there are probably so many things I should apologize for - ha!

But I'll take this opportunity to issue an apology to my children:

Dear Will, Brooks & Tessa Rutledge,

When God gave me each of you, he gave me the greatest gift of all.  Your father and I were trusted by God to take great care of you, love you, nurture you, teach you about life, and raise you to be responsible, God-fearing, honest human beings.

Your father and I take that endeavor so very seriously and so while it may seem that Mommy and Daddy are not your friend today, I can assure you that we love you more than anyone has ever loved another person.  We will inevitably make decisions that you will not appreciate and although I won't apologize for making those decisions, I will apologize for how those decisions make you feel about us. 

There will be events you won't attend, things you won't be given, clothes you won't wear, friends you won't hang out with, places you won't go and other various things that will surely mean the end of your popularity.

We will discipline you, instruct you, and continue to encourage the values that we feel are important.  We will also embarrass you, call you out, punish you, and more than likely make your life miserable at many uncertain times in your lifetime.  I hate it.  I hate that life is hard and that there are so many hard lessons for children to learn.  I hate that we won't always see eye-to-eye (like this morning, Will, when you thought mommy was a "dummy" for not letting you watch cartoons.  I hate that you spent all morning crying in timeout.  Surely you will understand the reason I do not allow that behavior soon enough.)

We love you more than you will ever know.  Until you have a child of your own, you will never understand how beautiful you are in my eyes or how much my heart swells with pride when you accomplish something new.  You will never know how many times I've watched you sleep or held you in my arms until you are doing the same with your children.  You will never know how hard it is to make sure we get this right until you are staring into your own child's little stubborn face.  I love you so much and I am apologizing for all of the things I'm sure you'll see as unfair along our journey.  I hope that in 20 years, we'll meet up on the same side of understanding. 

Yours Truly,

Mom

DAY 14 - 10 things that make you happy

1. Smiling children
2. Naps (for me AND them)
3. Coffee
4. Pedicures
5. Date nights (or any interrupted time with the hubs really)
6. My friends
7. A clean house
8. A fridge & pantry full of good wholesome food
9. A beautiful yard
10. Random emails/texts from my friends

I'm trying to catch up a little at a time without bombarding you all at once.  Come back soon for more :)



Day 10 - Most Embarrassing Moment

Yeesh.  I've had many many *many* embarrassing moments, but there is one that sticks out the most in my mind.  It actually happened just recently.... at work no less....

So maybe you haven't heard, but I had my tubes tied after the birth of our 3rd child this past fall.  It certainly wasn't an easy peasy thing.  It was incredibly painful for someone who did not have a ceserean.  Anyway, there are lots of other not so widely discussed side effects from having your tubes tide.  For me, I have had incredibly heavy cycles.  TMI I know, but it does effect the story quite a bit....

While on my period a few months ago, I was at the bank working away.  It was about 11AM and I had already been to the bathroom to regroup about 5 times since I had been at work.  Like I said, NOT pleasant.  That particular day I was relieving our tellers for the lunch hours.  When you are on the teller line, you are on your feet and on that particular day, it was a steady flow (haha - pun intended) of customers.  I knew I was in trouble, but I had no where to run ya know?

When a middle-aged gentlemen walked in and asked for my branch manager, I had to go look for her (she was eating lunch in the break room).  I walked past him and found my branch manager.  As I was walking away from her AND the male customer, a coworker informed me that I had blood all over the seat of my tan colored pants.  To make it worse, the customer also pointed it out.  Oh. My. GOSH.  I literally ran with tears in my eyes out of the bank, with no explanation. 

I went home and changed pants, got my game face on and came back to work.  As soon as I walked in, our Vice President (also a male) says "Did you just change pants?" sigghhhhhhhh.....

I was MORTIFIED.  I felt like a 13 year old girl.  Let me just tell you - I have invested in many many many pairs of black pants since that day ;)

Blogging Challenge - Days 8 & 9

Day 8 - My Best Piece of Advice

Gosh - I hate giving advice.  Mostly because a) I don't feel like my way is always the best way and b) so very few people actually follow the advice they are given.  But maybe my advice today will be of help to someone who needs it.

Baby Advice - teach your baby how to sleep.  No, they aren't born with the understanding that it's nighttime and that's when we sleep.  It's up to you to teach them that.  Don't complain when they are up 3-4 times a night at 3 years old if you aren't willing to show them how to sleep.  I have 3 good little sleepers.  Feel free to ask me if you need more specific advice in this area.

Personal Advice - if you find yourself constantly feeling down or downright depressed, take a look at the people you are spending your time with.  If you are surrounded by people who are negative all the time, you will eventually find that you become a negative person too.  Don't let others do that to you.  I'm not saying cut them out of your life completely, I'm just saying to know your limits - if you find yourself getting down and out while you're with this person, it's time for a break.  I went through this at work and although I couldn't get these people completely out of my life, I certainly made it a point to limit our break room conversations ;)

Marriage Advice - never. ever. ever. badmouth your husband to others.  ESPECIALLY your mother.  Because while you love your husband and will inevitably forgive & forget and move on, your friend isn't in love with him (let's hope) and won't forgive him as easily.  And your mother is the worst person to do this with because at the end of the day, she loves you more than life itself and will certainly not be able to overlook something your husband is doing to negatively effect her baby girl.  There are exceptions of course - abusive relationships, venting to a girlfriend, but keep it light!

Work Advice - if you aren't happy, move on.  I don't care what the circumstances are, if you WANT to move on, you can make it happen.  You might have to take a pay cut.  You might have a longer commute.  You might not have the title.  But if you are truly unhappy - it isn't worth it.  Promise.  Been there.

Day 9 - A Moment From My Day

I chose this picture as a "moment from my day".  This photo was taken at 6:55 this morning (before work).  I am rushing to get all of our laundry done before we go out of town this weekend and that means waking up at 5:30 to do laundry... sighhhhh....remember when you just had to think about yourself and you could throw a few outfits in one shared bag with your husband, jump in the car and go?  Yeah, me neither....

Day 7 - What Are You Most Afraid Of?

There really isn't too much that I'm afraid of.  I don't have a fear of heights, darkness or spiders (although I do immediately turn into a ninja if I walk through a spider web!)

The things I am afraid of are more emotional:

I'm afraid that one day Brandon's cancer will return, or that he will have some other residual effect from the chemotherapy he was given (he has an increased risk of leukemia later in life due to this).  I don't want to go through this life without him.

I'm afraid that something traumatic will happen and we won't have enough money to get us through it, i.e. lost jobs, sickness, etc...

I'm afraid to quit my day job and open my own business.

I'm afraid that one of my children will run out in front of a car and get hit.

I'm afraid of my children being one of those children on the March of Dimes radiothon.  Those poor families break my heart and I simply cannot imagine what it's like to have a child with cancer or some other serious illness.  I will be honest - I turn the radio off because otherwise, I would just be a crying blubbering mess.

I am a worrier by nature.  I tend to worry over things that I cannot control - like my kids getting sick, the housing market returning enough for us to sell our house, my children always being close to one another.  Those are all things that I do constantly think about, but I wouldn't say I'm afraid of.  To be honest, I feel like God has spent a LOT of time over the last couple of years teaching me how to let go of some of my fears.  Maybe that wasn't his goal for the trials that have come our way, but it happened that way nonetheless. 

For tomorrow's post, I get to give you a piece of advice.  Hmmmm - I'm not sure what kind of advice to give because I *try* to remind myself not to give advice unless asked.  So maybe y'all can help me - does anyone want any advice?  What kind of advice would you like to hear from me??  Surprise me!

Day 6 - What Do You Do?

In today's post, I am supposed to answer the question "What Do You Do?" without answering with the simple answer of my job.

Hmmmm - so here are some things that I do on a daily basis:

I mother - I feed people. I wipe noses, bottoms and tears.  I fix broken toys. I explain why Santa only comes once a year and why we can't fly to Heaven in an airplane to meet Jesus.  I referee fights over the only stick pony in the house. I put people in time out.  I read stories.  I tuck people in.  Basically, I'm an all-knowing super hero in 3 little people's eyes.

I work, but that's boring.

I drink coffee.  I'm either late or really early - never on time.  I skip breakfast except on the weekends.  I make lists (and then forget where they are).  I procrastinate.  I pop all over - all of my joints make noises.  I eat a lot of Mexican food.  I burp a lot (just being honest).  I read - newspapers, blogs, books, the back of the deodorant bottle.  I shop online but never "check out".  I call my mom.  I get too excited at t-ball games.  I sneak sweets when my kids aren't looking. I'm constantly picking up the house.  I put my kids to bed early so that I can have a conversation with my husband without being interrupted.  I try to get in at least one nap on the weekends.  I have funny conversations with my friends.  I constantly keep home improvement projects in the works.  I have vivid dreams.  I laugh when people fall (after checking to see if they're okay of course.)  I miss my grandparents.  I love my husband.  In general - I live a pretty simple life.  And that's MORE than okay with me :)

Come back tomorrow - I get to talk about the things I'm most afraid of.

Day 5 - Blogger Love

Before we get started on Day 5 of my blogging challenge, let me just tell you about the WORST trip to Target with a child I have ever experienced.  I had to run a few errands today in preparation for our upcoming beach trip (YAYYYYY) and decided to take my usually well-behaved oldest child with me for a little one-on-one time.  I generally really love my one-on-one time with Will because I just LOVE to hear what he has to say.  His little mind never ceases to amaze me :)

So today, we had a few errands to run and our 2nd stop was Target.  He has just started really asking for a "toy" when we go somewhere - I thought we were doing so well to go 5 years without this happening, but alas... anyway- I told him in the car that we were not going in for toy shopping - only to get a few things for our beach trip.  He agreed.  That was all fine and good until we passed the toy department.  He asked to look.  I made the mistake of agreeing to let him look as a treat for his behavior.  That did us in.  He asked for a toy car.  And I can't just get one - Brooks would want one too, so I said no.  (Like we need another hot wheel in this house anyway).  That was when the wheels fell off.  He surprised me in the worst way.  My usually well behaved child LAID DOWN IN THE AISLE IN FRONT OF THE CART.  He cried.  He screamed.  He threw the biggest tantrum EVER, which is not like him at all.  I got down on his level and talked quietly to him.  Didn't work.  I tried to put him in the cart, just to get him out of there faster.  He spread his little arms and legs out and wouldn't budge.  I spanked him.  Nope.  Not working.  This went on for at least 20 minutes.  Finally, I just pushed my cart, with him hanging off the side to the check out counter.  I saw at least 3 people I know and grinned through my teeth to each one of them (sorry if I was rude!).  I was SO embarrassed. I was that mother with the screaming, bratty child today (not that I haven't been before but this was the worst).  At some point while I was checking out, I began talking to the two older women behind me.  Both gave me sympathetic smiles and told me that he would outgrow it.  They were so sweet to assure me that both of their now-grown children did exactly as Will was doing.  Will decided to calm down while I was talking to those sweet ladies and sobbed quietly until we got the car.  He apologized for his behavior on his own in the car, but later told me that he wasn't upset over the car - he was upset because I was being such a "bossy pants".  siggghhhhhh......

Those sweet little boogers can really throw you for a loop sometimes....

For the 5th day of my blogging challenge, I am supposed to profess my love for a "blogging friend."  I have lots of blogs that I love and read (a later challenge day I think), but I haven't really made real life connections with those women.  As far as a "friend" blogger, I would have to go with Abby over at Homebirthinmomma.  Now let me just tell you that Abby and I are about as different as night and day - but I have lots of friends that are different from me ;)  The world probably couldn't handle too many people like me anyway.

I love Abby because she is completely, 100% steadfast in her beliefs and lifestyle.  She has home births, home schools her kids, is a devout Christian and prides herself in their clean eating habits.  While I could never see myself having a baby in the bathtub (unless by traumatic accident) or homeschooling my children, Abby does both without batting an eyelash.  She is also a great mom and a good friend.  Abby always steps up to the plate to help a friend in need.  If her husband would let her, I imagine Abby would be the next Mrs. Duggar :)  Check her out!

Day 6 of the blogging challenge poses the question "if you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the questions 'what do you do?'"  See you then!

Another Blog Challenge

I recently discovered a new blog through Natasha over at Hello Happiness.  Natasha was a sorority sister from way back in the good ol' college days.  Anyhoo - Jenni's blog Story of My Life is a fun new blog to me and she has started a blogging challenge, Blog Every Day in May.  Because I sometimes need things other than my crazy kids to talk about, I've decided to hop on the blogging train.  We'll see how it goes - if I miss a few days, I'll try to make them up to you ;)

DAY 1 - Story of my life in 250 words or less

Born in the hot summer of 1984 in Cartersville, Georgia, I am the much younger sibling in the typical 4 person family.  My dad was a minister.  I grew up taking my naps on church pews.  My mom owned her own business and worked as hard as anyone I know.  We were the family that lugged the fax machine on vacation.  I was a rough and tumble tomboy - passing up barbies for soccer balls.  I decided I wanted a boyfriend somewhere late in middle school finally ended up dating my husband Brandon in our senior year of high school.  I graduated at the top of my class and ran away (from what I'm still not sure) to Knoxville at the University of Tennessee.  I changed my major at least 5 times, broke it off with Brandon, and lived the wild and crazy college life for a couple of years.  After Brandon and I both tried to date other people, we eventually settled back down together and have been inseparable ever since.  He asked - I said yes and we were married in May of 2006.  We bought a house, and almost two years later, welcomed our first son Will into the world.  His brother Brooks was born less than two years after that and I quit my hell-hole of a marketing job to work for cheap at a bank less than a mile from our home. Brandon was diagnosed with (and treated for) cancer in 2011, and we were told we wouldn't have any more children. One week after I sold all the baby gear, I was pregnant with our 3rd - a sweet girl named Tessa.  I believe in God.  I believe in family. I believe in friendship.  I believe in hard work. I am the picture of blessed :)

(That was actually 300 words but I'm long-winded and not good at following directions either)

DAY 2 - Educate Us On Something You Are Good at or Know a Lot About

Hmmmmm - what do I know a lot about??  Not a lot.  And I don't think I have a "talent" like most people do.  So many of my friends have a very obvious talent - painting, playing music, graphic design, photography....  I don't have any of those things.  

I'm a decent writer, a certified grammar police officer, and an awesome procrastinator ;)  But I guess the thing I am the best at is story-telling.  I love to tell the story of an event.  I love to tell all the details and captivate the audience.  One thing I am NOT good at is listening to someone who is NOT good at telling a story.  It makes me jittery as I try to sit still and concentrate on not taking over and telling the story for them. 

DAY 3 - Things That Make You Uncomfortable

Ohhh man - so many things make me uncomfortable.  But it's not the typical things that make me uncomfortable.  I can discuss gross things with no problem.  I can even DO gross things with no problem.  Things that make me uncomfortable:

• Confrontation.  If I confront you about something - you better believe that I am (1) absolutely pissed off or (2) have a lot on the line - my kids, my job, etc...
• When other people are confronting someone else in front of me.  I will find an excuse to leave.
• When other people are doing something dumb.  I get so embarrassed for them.  A good example is the early American Idol auditions.  I HATE seeing or hearing others embarrass themselves.
• Prank calls.  I cannot STAND when radio DJs prank call people on the air.  I have to turn it off.

DAY 4 - Favorite Quote

There are soooo many quotes floating around that are good.  I love seeing a good quote come up on my feed on Pinterest.  But if I had to tell you an absolute favorite, it would be "If you don't like something, change it.  If you can't change it, change your attitude." - Maya Angelou.  This can be used in soooooo many different circumstances.  If there is anything I have learned in the last few years, it would be this lesson.  If something isn't making you happy - change it.  If you can't change it, adjust your view.  I truly believe that adjusting your attitude can completely change the world around you.  Trust me.  I've had to "adjust my view" many many times, especially in the work place.  

Alright friends - tomorrow is Day 5 of the blogging challenge - where I get to profess my love and devotion to a blogging friend.  Hmmmm - I'm still not sure whose blog I will choose.  There are so many that I love to check up on.  I'll also be back soon with Tessa's 9 month update and a fun field trip to the Tennessee Aquarium.  Good night!!

What Do You Want For Your Children?

There are so many things in life that I would love to give my children - extravagent vacations to Disney World every year, new cars on their 16th birthdays,  a big huge farmhouse to run and play in, with plenty of beautiful farm land to inherit one day, trust funds from grandparents.  But lets face it, the chances of any of those things happening are probably slim.  And more importantly, what would my children really gain from that?  I mean - what do any of those things mean in the big picture?? 

More and more lately, I've had to take a step back and look at the "big picture".  Forget my immediate desires to give my children everything their hearts desire - what I really need to be doing as a parent is preparing my children for life.  The Big Picture.

I want my children to know that being honest is NOT the easiest way, but it is much easier than carrying the burdens of a liar. 

I want them to know that their parents love them.  And we love them enough to let them learn how to pick themselves up. 

I want them to know how to appreciate simple things - a Saturday afternoon with nothing to do, a birthday party without a blowup bouncy house and catering truck, quiet alone time.

I want them to be unafraid of new adventures.  Befriend the new kid.  Take an uncharted road trip.  Accept the new job. 

I want them to work hard in all that they do - building tree houses, hauling hay, fixing a fence, at their first job and in their careers, marriages and even childraising.

I want them to know the effort that goes into earning their own living, making a marriage work and being a parent.

I want them to experience the satisfaction that comes from helping others in their time of need.  We all have times of need and one day, it will be them.

I want them to know how to be a good friend.  I hope that they can witness my friendships and know what a good friend looks like.

I want them to know what it feels like to be surrounded by people who share different views and desires, yet stand firm in their beliefs. 

I want them to know that although the world is a scary, twisted place, life is exactly what you make of it.  Let it be a good life.

I want them to know that a good life is not measured by the brand of your clothes, the amount of home runs you've hit, the number of weddings you're invited to, the size of your home, or the newness of your car.  A good life is measured by the laugh lines on your face and the memories that make YOU happy.

What are you doing to prepare your children for the real world?  What kind of foundations are you building for your children?  Because at the end of the day, Under Armour will go out of style, they will grow tired of their new cars and trade them in (or worse yet - wreck them), they will grow too old for their prestigious little league team, and you won't always be around to homeschool them or control who they spend their time with.  Tell me - what are you doing?