Rest easy, sweet girl.

On Memorial Day, my husband and I made one of the toughest decisions to date in our adult lives. After seeing our sweet, sweet St. Bernard's health decline rapidly over the past two months and trying everything we could, it became crystal clear that she was suffering when she could no longer walk or rest comfortably without whimpering. We knew it was time. She looked at us with those eyes, those eyes that I will forever miss, and we knew.

Just 4 months shy of her 12th birthday (which is a great age for a Saint and it brings me some comfort), we said goodbye to our beloved Darby.

Let me tell you a little about our girl.

From that December day when we picked her up from Delta air cargo at the Philadelphia airport, it was love at first sight! She was the absolute most adorable thing I had ever seen. And she was the kindest, gentlest puppy. She never ran off or chewed our shoes. Okay, I think she chewed one of my shoes but they were horribly ugly and I think she was just trying to help. 

She was house trained so easily because she just loved to please us, I think. I can honestly say that I have no complaints about her. Not a one. Maybe the shedding, the shedding was a downer. But that's it. And I actually miss it already.

Before there were babies, she was our baby.

 
Then when there were babies, she loved them so much. The stuff that she allowed them to do still amazes me. Truly.

 She loved our girls and they loved her.

Last summer we rescued a extremely tiny kitten and Darby loved her. She was so sweet and gentle with her. I think that cat actually thought Darby was her mom at times. And I can tell that she is missing her these past two days.

We are all missing her.

People say that it's a relief when you know that your pet is not suffering any more. And that's true. But it also feels strange. It's strange not seeing her when I open the front door. It's strange not hearing her walk around the house. It's strange when we eat dinner and she is not patiently waiting a few feet away (because she never came to the table and begged) for one of the kids to give her some of their food.

I know that it was the right time. Of that, I am certain. But it doesn't feel "right" yet. It feels like she should still be with us. She was a constant in our lives for the past 11 1/2 years. And it doesn't feel right without her.

In the end, I am just so extremely grateful that our lives were blessed by this girl.

Darby, you will forever be loved and missed. Rest easy, sweet girl.

My best friend sent me this and I LOVE it. So I thought I would share it with you.

Beauty and the Beast is Totally Effed Up

I LOVE Disney movies. My kids LOVE Disney movies. My 3 year old is going through an obsession with watching Beauty and the Beast in our van whenever we are driving anywhere. EVERY TIME. ALL THE TIME.

Luckily, I thoroughly enjoy singing along to the songs. (Although my kids do NOT enjoy my singing. Obviously, something is wrong with their hearing and they should be checked by an audiologist ASAP.)

Anywho, where was I? Oh yes, Beauty and the Beast. So after listening to the movie approximately 3,486 times and doing some deep thinking, I have come to a conclusion. The movie is F&CKED UP. For real.

1.  The Beast is kind of a prick in the beginning and deserves to be taught a lesson. But I think it's a little extreme to punish his whole staff, including a child. That's messed up. Poor Chip.

2.  But speaking of children, if you listen closely to the opening story about how the curse came to be, it says that the curse had been in effect for 10 years and the flower will only bloom until the prince's 21st birthday. So the prince was cursed when he was 11? I have no words...

3.  When Belle arrives to save her father and volunteers to take his place, the Beast allows it.  Fine, I get that part. But then the whole staff automatically think that this new "prisoner" will fall in love with their master and break the spell? What are they smoking?

4.  Then the staff, who seem as sweet as can be, continue to believe that Belle will fall in love with the Beast, even though he is a supreme d*ck to her and, oh that's right, CONTINUES TO HOLD HER CAPTIVE.

5.  Does the staff help Belle escape? Nope. They keep her in the castle because they are selfish and only think of themselves and the spell (even though I still hold firm on the fact that the spell was unfair and they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time).

6.  But then when the Beast flies off the handle (major anger issues) because Belle went to the West Wing, she escapes with no problem at all. If it was that easy, why did she wait so long?

7.  Then low and behold, Belle DOES start to fall in love with the Beast. Sure, that's realistic. Stockholm Syndrome at it's finest. Take note, kids. This is real romance.

There are so many other messed up parts. And questions. Oh, the questions I have about this movie!

They include, but are not limited to:

1.  What kind of animal is "The Beast"?

2.  How did no one know about the Beast or his castle when apparently it was a short walk from the village?

3.  How come in every other follow up, straight to DVD movie based on Beauty and the Beast, the Beast is still a beast and not human. WHY DISNEY? I don't get it.

And finally, I leave you with this little gem. What fresh hell is this?

 

Source

7 Thankless Parenting Tasks

Sometimes it's a thankless job, being a parent. Like you do shit that you never thought you would do and there is rarely a "thank you". I know that my kids appreciate the stuff I do...deep down, they do. At least, I hope so. And like I mentioned in a recent post, it's ALL worth it. 

But sometimes a THANK YOU WOULD BE NICE.

I have compiled a little list (people love lists) of some of the thankless "jobs" I do as a parent. I say "jobs' in quotes because I don't think of parenthood as a job. It's not.

But it sure does feel like it sometimes.

Here are some of those "jobs" that go unthanked (I know that this is not a word, but I am using it anyway because I like to live on the edge):

1.  Doing a load of laundry in the middle of the night because my kid just told me at 9 pm that it's school spirit day or wear the color periwinkle day or some crap like that TOMORROW. Sure, let me dig through our heaps of laundry to find that one exact shirt you have to wear in less than 12 hours. I'll get right on it. You're welcome.

2.  Determining if underwear on the floor are clean or dirty. Enough said. By the way, just always always always assume that they are dirty. It's easier that way.

3.  Wiping the 5 year old's butt. When do they stop asking for help with this task?!

4.  Cooking the same meal in 46 different variations. One gets pasta with sauce, one NO SAUCE AT ALL ... NOT EVEN A SPECK, one just the meatballs cut up in teeny tiny pieces. Actually don't cut it up because NOW I WON'T EAT IT IF IT'S CUT UP. One likes the garlic bread but only the kind with the cheese on it. (Can you blame her?) And one wants just bread and butter, but wants to spread the butter herself and make the new tub of smooth butter look like it was attacked by a pack of rabid raccoons. One MUST have a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese on the pasta for it to even be considered edible. You get the idea.

5.  In fact, cooking ANY meal is a thankless task because they usually make cute comments like, "What is that disgusting smell?" Or "EWWWWW, I'm not eating that!" before the meal is even on the table.

6.  Giving up the last bite of a favorite snack/dessert to share it with a child. Because apparently you didn't hide in the kitchen and shovel in your mouth fast enough and you got caught red handed...

7.  Sleeping on the bottom bunk or in a toddler bed because they are "scared". You know what really IS scary? The fact that I can't fully straighten my legs for a solid 12 minutes in the morning after spending in the night in a bed made for a person who is 38 inches tall.

I'm sure my list could go on and on and on and on...

But I'll stop here before I start ranting about my stretch marks or giving up wine for 9 months on 3 separate occasions...totaling about 27 months with limited coffee and no wine at all.

Anything you want to add to the list? Please leave a comment and share!

Reasons to Get Schooled at BlogU!

In 3 weeks I'm going to the BlogU Conference in Baltimore. 3 WEEKS!!!!!! I can't wait!

When I first heard about the conference, I just knew that I had to go. It's within driving distance from my house and it's affordable. Since I've registered, I have been counting down the months, now weeks, until the conference. There are so many reasons to register for this conference if you are a blogger and I have compiled my own little list...or two lists as a matter of fact.

I "should be" going because of these reasons:

• AWESOME learning opportunities. Some courses offered at the conference include:
• Treating Your Blog like a Business
• Making Money with your Writing (It's all about the Benjamins, baby.) Oh, and I just made that part up...
• Facebook & Twitter
• Networking with other AMAZING bloggers...just check out the "faculty". Such a talented group of ladies!
• Networking with both NickMom and HuffPost Parents!

I am really going because of these reasons:

• Networking (AKA drinking) with other bloggers
• Friday night cocktail party
• The cupcake bar
• 5 meals without kids
• Retro Prom sponsored by NickMom
• Drinking with other bloggers...wait? Did I already mention that?
• FINALLY getting to meet ladies who have been friends that have lived in my computer for years!
• And OF COURSE the amazing learning opportunities...

So if you think that this sounds like something you are interested in (and who wouldn't be?)...go ahead and register TODAY and get ready to get schooled!

Today is the last day to register for this kick ass conference. So what are you waiting for?

I hope to see you there!!!!!

Please Know that It's Worth It.

As I was complaining talking about my kids the other day at lunch at work, I realized that I was probably making motherhood sound like the WORST.THING.EVER. Especially to those that haven't ventured down that path yet.

And it is not. It's far from it.

I want to be clear, very clear, that it is not as bad as maybe we make it sound at times. And I say "we" because I am referring to myself and all other moms who like to vent about that beautiful chaos that is parenthood.

Yes, my house is ALWAYS a mess. Even when it's clean, it's a mess.  Yes, I rarely have time for myself. I am NEVER alone when my kids are around. I can hide...and they will find me. Trust me, I have tried several times. Unsuccessfully.

My girls are at this really fun age when they fight constantly. ALL THE TIME. And they whine. There are some days when I tell them that I forget what their normal voice sounds like because the whining is NONSTOP.

Everything takes longer. If you think something like running to the store will take 15 minutes, you have to multiply that by the number of kids you are bringing along and that is how long it will really take. Then also add 10 minutes...because there is a chance that someone will have to go to the bathroom in an awesome public restroom that smells like air freshener and death.

Plus it's expensive. The food is expensive...you know, since kids gotta eat and all. And the clothes. And the daycare. Like, literally, my hand shakes every other Friday when I write that good old daycare check. And just when I get ahead (or caught up because, who am I kidding, we are never AHEAD), BAM, here comes another child-related expense.

So as you can see from all of these wonderful factors I have pointed out, it may seem like being a parent is a horrible task that millions of people take on because we are obviously not right in the brain and we want to punish ourselves for all eternity. Right?

Nope. Not it all.

It's something most people choose to do because they want nothing more than to create another human being and find out what they are all about and watch them grow and learn and change every single day. It truly is amazing when you think about it. You created this little person from scratch. You waited for MONTHS to finally meet them with cautious optimism...because you quickly find out that growing a human is a terrifying miracle and you will do anything in your power to ensure their safe, healthy arrival.

And when they finally do arrive? Well, there is absolutely NOTHING in this world better than meeting that little human. That very first breath they take simply takes yours away. And everything you have done to get them here is worth it.

And every day after that is worth it, too.

When they fight and whine, it's worth it. When they refuse dinner or spill their whole cup of milk on the carpet and you know it will smell horrible in a few days, it's worth it. When they drive you absolutely OUT OF YOUR MIND and you can't take another minute, you find the strength down in the pits of your soul...because they are worth it.

So to all those who have ever listened to me complain or vent, and there are many who have, please know this: It's all worth it and I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

You might also want to know that wine, gift cards, and offers of babysitting help though. Just in case you were wondering.