So yesterday Phillip and I traded cars for the next couple of days. He just happened to be driving my car home from work last night when it shut off in the middle of the interstate during rush hour. He was able to get to the side of the road and called me. Dumb founded we were. Frustrated, to say the least.
So I we went to pick him up off the interstate and waited with him until the tow truck came. They loaded my car up and took it off. As soon as Phillip got into the car he started swatting his leg and yelling, "Oww! Owww! Owwww!" He had stepped in an ant pile and they were swarming his leg! There was no where to pull over so I stepped on the pedal and flew down the interstate only to pull off in a neigboring ghetto and swung in to the first driveway I could. We start picking off the ants that we could see and they just kept coming out of no where. He took his shoes and socks off and at a last resort took his pants off. I was dying laughing thinking of the scene and what in the world the neighbors were thinking. We both were praying that the cops wouldn't show up for indecent exposure. As the scene played out we could only imagine the cops showing up with their guns pointing at us and Phillip keep leaning down swatting at the ants crawling all over him and what the cops would think and do. Not good. We finally got the situation under control and his pants back on and headed home.
As soon as we got home I noticed the answering machine light blinking. I pressed play and heard the following, "If you would like to renew your car warranty please press "1."
Are you kidding me!?!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Great Debate
No I'm not talking about the upcoming VP Presidential debates. Again I'm talking about myself. :) Or should I say My family. It's been a long time since posting much about what has been going on with all of the infertility stuff. That's because not much has been going on. After the miscarriage Doc said that I needed to take some time off. During the past month and a half we've been really searching our hearts and praying as to where we should go with all of this stuff.
Let me preface all of this before I continue. Last summer God told me that He was not done with us and that we would have more children. I do not doubt this but as how we get to that point is what I'm struggling with. It is obviously not in my timing because I would have conceived and had another baby by now! lol
Let me preface all of this before I continue. Last summer God told me that He was not done with us and that we would have more children. I do not doubt this but as how we get to that point is what I'm struggling with. It is obviously not in my timing because I would have conceived and had another baby by now! lol
Continue treatments? VS Let go and let God?
If we continue treatments God is still in control. God gave these Dr.'s their special gift and interest to be in the fertility field. Their job is to get my body into the best condition to conceive. It's God's timing as to when these two come together and I actually do get pregnant.
God knows how many children we will have and how many hairs they will have on their little heads. God is a miracle worker and if we are meant to have another child then He will provide.
Each path God is in control. I have surrendered everything over to Him already. We are still praying and waiting for God to answer our prayers as to which way to go. Please keep us in your prayers and ask that God show us the way.
I'll let you all know how God leads us. :)
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Why Moms Need to Vote
*I read this in the October 2008 Parents Magazine and thought this was so important to share. No matter what party affiliation you are, we as women need to vote.*
Growing up in the '80s, I considered myself a Republican, inspired by Alex Keaton on Family Ties. Then I became an Independent. Then a card-carrying Democrat with Green-leaning tendencies. These days, I'm something greater than all these put together.
I am a mother.
By "greater," I don't mean "better" in a condescending, you'd-understand-if-you-had-kids sort of way. I mean that since becoming a parent, I've tapped into something more primal, more global, more far-reaching and intuitive than a political loyalty. Yes, I (usually) identify with a particular party, but I'll back any politician, any bill or measure that I believe to be in the best interest of children. My kids. Iraqi kids. Sudanese kids. Your kids.
There was a time when I let other people decide the issues and tell me what to support, whom to put my faith in, how to live my life. Not anymore- not by a long shot. Today I'm a woman with a mind of my own. You may be one too. Call us members of the Mothering Party.
I've read reports showing that only about half of all eligible American voters cast their ballot in presidential elections. Though I haven't seen any statistics specifically regarding mothers, I would argue that the number is also too low: In light of our collective power, I think that anything less than a 100 percent turnout by the more than 80 million moms in the United States could rightly be called too few.
The problem is not just our failure to vote. It's also our hesitation (frequently inpired- it's true- by exhaustion) to stand up, speak out, and rock the boat even as we're rocking the cradle. It's our failure to recognize, celebrate, and effectively seize the vast power inherent in the mothering role: power that we wield whenever we shop, whenever we speak, whenever we choose to take (or not to take) a stand.
I realize, or course, that mothers carry a heavy enough burden without being told we need to do more in the political realm. Sometimes, just getting through the day is tough enough. When your house is a veritable disater zone, when you're trying to b urp the baby and stock the fridge and find time to pay the bills and pick up one kid from a playdate before driving across town to another one's band concert- really, who's got the time to worry about immigration and national health care and fluorocarbons and Gitmo and the future of Roe v. Wade? Some days, it's just easier to block it all out, curl up on the sofa with a pint of Ben & Jerry's, watch American Idol, and hope that somebody else will step up and fix things.
Except no one else is stepping up. And if we truly want to leave our children a world that's worth living in, we moms are going to have to fix it ourselves.
A few years ago, I saw a television documentary about female leaders in developing countries. One woman from a war-torn nation said something to the effect of: "If women were the ones who came to the table to negotiate peace, none of us would leave until an agreement had been reached - because we know that women and children are the ones who will suffer the consequences if we don't."
In the 1960s, Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. Later, John Lennon had a dream. We all have dreams, and here is mine: that one day, all mothers will use their political power and voice not in the way that the media and our husbands, pastors, fathers, and politcal leaders direct us to, but rather as we're led by our personal wisdom, our deepest intuition, our maternal instinct.
I dream of a day when the image of a woman with a child in tow is the first one that comes to mind when people hear the word "activist." I envision a country in which voters' primary concerns revolve not around oil and money, but around the issues facing families and children, issues like health care, education, paid family leave, and flexible workplaces. I imagine what it will be like when the most active political groups in the world are not those obsessed with winning a war, but those determined to win the peace. I picture a day when the driving force behind politics in my country is not power or money, but maternal love.
If my experience raising three children has taught me one thing, it's this: There is no more powerful political act than mothering. There is no greater reason than my children for me to become politically involved, and there is no more important work to put my efforts to than those things that will make this world a better, safer place for my kids. And your kids too.
From the book The Maternal Is Political, edited by Shari MacDonald Strong. Excerpted by arrangement with Seal Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright 2008. Parents Magazine.
Growing up in the '80s, I considered myself a Republican, inspired by Alex Keaton on Family Ties. Then I became an Independent. Then a card-carrying Democrat with Green-leaning tendencies. These days, I'm something greater than all these put together.
I am a mother.
By "greater," I don't mean "better" in a condescending, you'd-understand-if-you-had-kids sort of way. I mean that since becoming a parent, I've tapped into something more primal, more global, more far-reaching and intuitive than a political loyalty. Yes, I (usually) identify with a particular party, but I'll back any politician, any bill or measure that I believe to be in the best interest of children. My kids. Iraqi kids. Sudanese kids. Your kids.
There was a time when I let other people decide the issues and tell me what to support, whom to put my faith in, how to live my life. Not anymore- not by a long shot. Today I'm a woman with a mind of my own. You may be one too. Call us members of the Mothering Party.
I've read reports showing that only about half of all eligible American voters cast their ballot in presidential elections. Though I haven't seen any statistics specifically regarding mothers, I would argue that the number is also too low: In light of our collective power, I think that anything less than a 100 percent turnout by the more than 80 million moms in the United States could rightly be called too few.
The problem is not just our failure to vote. It's also our hesitation (frequently inpired- it's true- by exhaustion) to stand up, speak out, and rock the boat even as we're rocking the cradle. It's our failure to recognize, celebrate, and effectively seize the vast power inherent in the mothering role: power that we wield whenever we shop, whenever we speak, whenever we choose to take (or not to take) a stand.
I realize, or course, that mothers carry a heavy enough burden without being told we need to do more in the political realm. Sometimes, just getting through the day is tough enough. When your house is a veritable disater zone, when you're trying to b urp the baby and stock the fridge and find time to pay the bills and pick up one kid from a playdate before driving across town to another one's band concert- really, who's got the time to worry about immigration and national health care and fluorocarbons and Gitmo and the future of Roe v. Wade? Some days, it's just easier to block it all out, curl up on the sofa with a pint of Ben & Jerry's, watch American Idol, and hope that somebody else will step up and fix things.
Except no one else is stepping up. And if we truly want to leave our children a world that's worth living in, we moms are going to have to fix it ourselves.
A few years ago, I saw a television documentary about female leaders in developing countries. One woman from a war-torn nation said something to the effect of: "If women were the ones who came to the table to negotiate peace, none of us would leave until an agreement had been reached - because we know that women and children are the ones who will suffer the consequences if we don't."
In the 1960s, Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. Later, John Lennon had a dream. We all have dreams, and here is mine: that one day, all mothers will use their political power and voice not in the way that the media and our husbands, pastors, fathers, and politcal leaders direct us to, but rather as we're led by our personal wisdom, our deepest intuition, our maternal instinct.
I dream of a day when the image of a woman with a child in tow is the first one that comes to mind when people hear the word "activist." I envision a country in which voters' primary concerns revolve not around oil and money, but around the issues facing families and children, issues like health care, education, paid family leave, and flexible workplaces. I imagine what it will be like when the most active political groups in the world are not those obsessed with winning a war, but those determined to win the peace. I picture a day when the driving force behind politics in my country is not power or money, but maternal love.
If my experience raising three children has taught me one thing, it's this: There is no more powerful political act than mothering. There is no greater reason than my children for me to become politically involved, and there is no more important work to put my efforts to than those things that will make this world a better, safer place for my kids. And your kids too.
From the book The Maternal Is Political, edited by Shari MacDonald Strong. Excerpted by arrangement with Seal Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright 2008. Parents Magazine.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Me, Myself and I
Last week I was working at my sucky job while Emma was at MDO. This week I filled my two days up with me time! The first day was spent going to the OB/GYN to get my annual exam. It's one of those must have done things. It's been well over a year since I had my last and I know it's not Emma's favorite place to go with me and I don't blame her. So that's how I spent my first day.
My second day I really did something for myself. I went on a bike ride! A bike ride that kicked my butt! For someone who used to ride her bike all of the time to someone who hardly rides it was very challenging. You ask how far did I go? 5 miles! Yes ladies and gentleman. Five very hard miles. I got off my bike and said to myself, "This sucks!" "This was not as fun as I wanted it to be." I can go from riding 8 miles in North Carolina to 17 at the beach to a measley 5 miles in Birmingham? Trust me it was way more hilly than I expected and I chose this route because it was the least hilly route that I could have taken near my house. I SUCK!!! But I guess that means I have to ride more often and harder. Maybe I'll try again next week.
My second day I really did something for myself. I went on a bike ride! A bike ride that kicked my butt! For someone who used to ride her bike all of the time to someone who hardly rides it was very challenging. You ask how far did I go? 5 miles! Yes ladies and gentleman. Five very hard miles. I got off my bike and said to myself, "This sucks!" "This was not as fun as I wanted it to be." I can go from riding 8 miles in North Carolina to 17 at the beach to a measley 5 miles in Birmingham? Trust me it was way more hilly than I expected and I chose this route because it was the least hilly route that I could have taken near my house. I SUCK!!! But I guess that means I have to ride more often and harder. Maybe I'll try again next week.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
My Life Currently...
is going 90 miles a minute hardly having any time to stop. I'm sorry for the lack of posting lately. I don't have to much to write about except what's going on in Emma's life. :) I could write about the funny things she does all day long. So here's what I've been up to in a nut shell.
Since the dreaded mis-carriage last month we've not done any fertility treatments. It's actually been really nice. We've been so busy that I know I haven't thought about it all that much and I don't think Phillip has as well. I'm not sure where that road is going to take us but we remain in prayer about it and will follow where the Lord leads us. So as of now we are not sure when or if I will restart the process. For now we are enjoying the treatment free life and taking life as it comes.
I started a part time job. I quit the part time job. It totally sucked. I think I was trying to relive my glory highschool days. I wanted to help Phillip out a little and try and make an extra few bucks that I could use to buy clothes, get my hair done, shop, etc... It totally wasn't a glamorous place that I chose to work but it was less than 2 miles from our house and they were super flexible with the hours that I could work. It was a grocery store where I was to be a cashier as I was in highschool. This by far was my all time favorite job that I've had. What better place to meet my neighbors and get some adult interaction?
There was obviously a huge communication problem from the get go that started with the management. I didn't realize this until the day I quit. My first day I cashiered and had a blast. I was only working 3 hours that day so it wasn't a big deal. The problems started Saturday night. I walked in and worked the register for maybe 2 hours. The rest of the night I was told that my duty was to clean, sweep and mop all 9 of the registers. Ok I was pissed. No one talked to me, introduced themselves to me or wore a smile on their face. I felt like I was in a dream. Isn't this the place where they say, "Where Shopping is a Pleasure." and for the employees, "Where Working is a Pleasure?" All the while, I was praying that the Lord just give me a servants heart and to keep a smile on my face so that I could represent Him and not be a total b***h. What I really felt like was I was being hazed because I was the new girl. I made it through the night and end the end I felt ok about things. The registers sparkled and you could eat off the floor once I was done.
Sunday I went back with a better attitude ready to meet some new friends and neighbors. I asked for my till and the guy looked at me like I had horns growing out of my head and told me that I was on the schedule as front service. Meaning bagger. I stopped cold in my tracks and thought to myself, "Oh no. Not another bad night." I put a smile on my face, carried my till to a register and then proceeded to bag groceries for other cashiers. I was thinking to myself, "what the hell?" How did I get the shaft again? After I came back from dinner I guess they figured I hadn't been tortured enough they told me that my duties for that evening were to clean the upstairs. This included sweeping, mopping, cleaning both the mens and women's restroom, cleaning the break room and taking the trash out. I about choked on my own spit when they said I would have to clean the bathrooms. It is definitely not my favorite thing to do in my own house.
The next day I called in a quit. One of the managers told me that she was told that I was hired on as a front service person. I was told that I was going to be a cashier. Why would I have been trained as a cashier if I was only going to be a bagger? Duh... She said she would have the store manager call me to talk about my experience but have I heard from her yet? I think not.
I truely value my time with Phillip and Emma. I would not give it up for the world and I realize I would do anything, sell anything, cut anything out, scarifice anything to be able to stay at home and be with my family. I'm so appreciative for Phillip providing for us and all of the hard work he puts in daily and thank the Lord for him everyday. I am truely blessed.
Lastly, my precious little one, Emma, started Mother's Day Out last week. She goes twice a week and is having an absolute blast. She's a little social butterfly and loves being with and around other little ones. I can't wait to see her grow and enjoy this fun time in her life. I'm so excited for her and she's made it a super easy transition for me. As soon as we get to school she's chomping at the bit to get out of the car. She gives me hugs and kisses and is off to her room. No tears or tugging just excited to be with her friends. This time gives me the opportunity to go to Dr.'s appointments, grocery shopping and running errands. I know those were not her absolute favorite places to go but she humored me when I would take her with me. Try bringing a two year old to the dentist with you! lol Yes, I would bring her to the dentist with me. I had no other choice and it makes for some great stories. We do well working with what we've been given. :) So I am very happy to say, I'm back to being CEO of The Martin Family. The best job in the world.
So that's my crazy life in the last month. I'll be sure and post more often. I do a much better job keeping up with Martin Times since I post mostly pictures and little snipits of our life over there. This is more of my therapy blog! lol I hope this all finds you doing well and look forward to catching up on everyone's blog Friday!
Love,
Me
Since the dreaded mis-carriage last month we've not done any fertility treatments. It's actually been really nice. We've been so busy that I know I haven't thought about it all that much and I don't think Phillip has as well. I'm not sure where that road is going to take us but we remain in prayer about it and will follow where the Lord leads us. So as of now we are not sure when or if I will restart the process. For now we are enjoying the treatment free life and taking life as it comes.
I started a part time job. I quit the part time job. It totally sucked. I think I was trying to relive my glory highschool days. I wanted to help Phillip out a little and try and make an extra few bucks that I could use to buy clothes, get my hair done, shop, etc... It totally wasn't a glamorous place that I chose to work but it was less than 2 miles from our house and they were super flexible with the hours that I could work. It was a grocery store where I was to be a cashier as I was in highschool. This by far was my all time favorite job that I've had. What better place to meet my neighbors and get some adult interaction?
There was obviously a huge communication problem from the get go that started with the management. I didn't realize this until the day I quit. My first day I cashiered and had a blast. I was only working 3 hours that day so it wasn't a big deal. The problems started Saturday night. I walked in and worked the register for maybe 2 hours. The rest of the night I was told that my duty was to clean, sweep and mop all 9 of the registers. Ok I was pissed. No one talked to me, introduced themselves to me or wore a smile on their face. I felt like I was in a dream. Isn't this the place where they say, "Where Shopping is a Pleasure." and for the employees, "Where Working is a Pleasure?" All the while, I was praying that the Lord just give me a servants heart and to keep a smile on my face so that I could represent Him and not be a total b***h. What I really felt like was I was being hazed because I was the new girl. I made it through the night and end the end I felt ok about things. The registers sparkled and you could eat off the floor once I was done.
Sunday I went back with a better attitude ready to meet some new friends and neighbors. I asked for my till and the guy looked at me like I had horns growing out of my head and told me that I was on the schedule as front service. Meaning bagger. I stopped cold in my tracks and thought to myself, "Oh no. Not another bad night." I put a smile on my face, carried my till to a register and then proceeded to bag groceries for other cashiers. I was thinking to myself, "what the hell?" How did I get the shaft again? After I came back from dinner I guess they figured I hadn't been tortured enough they told me that my duties for that evening were to clean the upstairs. This included sweeping, mopping, cleaning both the mens and women's restroom, cleaning the break room and taking the trash out. I about choked on my own spit when they said I would have to clean the bathrooms. It is definitely not my favorite thing to do in my own house.
The next day I called in a quit. One of the managers told me that she was told that I was hired on as a front service person. I was told that I was going to be a cashier. Why would I have been trained as a cashier if I was only going to be a bagger? Duh... She said she would have the store manager call me to talk about my experience but have I heard from her yet? I think not.
I truely value my time with Phillip and Emma. I would not give it up for the world and I realize I would do anything, sell anything, cut anything out, scarifice anything to be able to stay at home and be with my family. I'm so appreciative for Phillip providing for us and all of the hard work he puts in daily and thank the Lord for him everyday. I am truely blessed.
Lastly, my precious little one, Emma, started Mother's Day Out last week. She goes twice a week and is having an absolute blast. She's a little social butterfly and loves being with and around other little ones. I can't wait to see her grow and enjoy this fun time in her life. I'm so excited for her and she's made it a super easy transition for me. As soon as we get to school she's chomping at the bit to get out of the car. She gives me hugs and kisses and is off to her room. No tears or tugging just excited to be with her friends. This time gives me the opportunity to go to Dr.'s appointments, grocery shopping and running errands. I know those were not her absolute favorite places to go but she humored me when I would take her with me. Try bringing a two year old to the dentist with you! lol Yes, I would bring her to the dentist with me. I had no other choice and it makes for some great stories. We do well working with what we've been given. :) So I am very happy to say, I'm back to being CEO of The Martin Family. The best job in the world.
So that's my crazy life in the last month. I'll be sure and post more often. I do a much better job keeping up with Martin Times since I post mostly pictures and little snipits of our life over there. This is more of my therapy blog! lol I hope this all finds you doing well and look forward to catching up on everyone's blog Friday!
Love,
Me
Hormones Suck
I'm 28 years old and NOT a member of the "Hair Club for Women" but thinking I should be.
What goes around comes around. If you say you would never do something; it almost always comes back to bite you in the butt.
What I'm talking about and hating at the moment is this darned hair growth. How many women out there feel me? Have you ever been standing in a grocery line and the woman in front of you has a big long black hair growing out of a mole or a hairy chin? Do you find random long hairs on your body in random places and wonder what the heck is that doing there? Come on people. Feel me here.
I just can't pluck enough. I try and try. I carry tweezers around with me so if I'm in different light I can do a quick check in the mirror to make sure I didn't miss one. I guess it's hormones but it's so disturbing. I'm 28 and feel like it's out of control.
"Maybe I'm just having a bad hair day..."
What goes around comes around. If you say you would never do something; it almost always comes back to bite you in the butt.
What I'm talking about and hating at the moment is this darned hair growth. How many women out there feel me? Have you ever been standing in a grocery line and the woman in front of you has a big long black hair growing out of a mole or a hairy chin? Do you find random long hairs on your body in random places and wonder what the heck is that doing there? Come on people. Feel me here.
I just can't pluck enough. I try and try. I carry tweezers around with me so if I'm in different light I can do a quick check in the mirror to make sure I didn't miss one. I guess it's hormones but it's so disturbing. I'm 28 and feel like it's out of control.
"Maybe I'm just having a bad hair day..."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
