YES she did.....

The list of things moms do is long. Super long.

You guys probably remember a post PrissE wrote one time about the 'Expectant Mothers' parking spot at the grocery store. In theory, this is probably a super nice thing for the store to do. In reality, all moms deserve that spot at one time or another.

I'm so proud of our fan and our friend, Tiffany R!! She recently took a delightful coffee conversation and put it into action!

Everyone, picture this: Six super fun moms all sitting in the new Barnes & Nobel -Starbucks just enjoying the morning. Everyone is coming or going from some 'Mom' job, and we're just all taking a brief moment to re-fuel on caffeine and friendships. The one thing that makes the morning special? No one planned to meet there, we just all ended up there together.

Conversation turns to the parking spot. We all start to laugh! The moms that really need that spot are the moms of teenagers, or the moms with 3 children or more. (OR, Moms of multiples! I've been there, done that!) Those are the moms that rarely have their eyeliner on straight, are often late, and are frequently stopping by the grocery store to either feed a random child or set of children, or to pick something up that is 'essential' but has been forgotten until 10 minutes before it's needed.

We all laugh! Really, the mom that needs the expectant mom parking spot could be any of us! Wouldn't it be wonderful if we started a new trend. Hey moms! If you need the close spot at the grocery store, park there! Use the spot! If you have a new baby, park further away, you're probably still exercising, expecting that 'baby weight' to melt off. (Bless your heart, I don't want to burst any bubbles here.)

Or, how about this? ALL Moms, let's work together on this! If you need to park close, do it! And, if you see some Mom parking close without a baby.... don't judge.

So, back to Tiffany.

She did it.

One delightfully busy day, she pulled up at the grocery store, parked in the expectant mom parking spot and exited the giant mom car with only her teenager with her. Oh, poor teenager... sweet thing was EMBARRASSED that Tiffany parked there. 'Mom, you can't park here!!'

Tiffany replied (at the top of her voice, while walking into the store), 'YES I can! Today, I am an expectant Mom. I expect my children to do many things they haven't done yet. Also? I have FOUR children! So, stare at me if you must, but today I need the close parking, so I'm taking it!'

Thank you Tiffany!

Your boldness empowers us all!!

Coolest Mom EVER!

Top 10 Reasons I'm the coolest mom EVER!

1. Musicians on my child's IPod include, but are not limited to: Dire Straits, Huey Lewis, Nickelback, Captain and Tenille, Maroon 5, Justin Timerlake, Jason Aldean, Little Big Town and Black Eyed Peas.

2. My 13 year old son just told me, 'Mom, you should seriously consider getting a YoVille.' and, I know what that means.

3. We swim at least 5 times a week in the summer.

4. We use SPF every time.

5. I can use the word 'Dude' correctly in a sentence.

6. I purchased spray on hair color for my children, and applied it appropriately several times.

7. We are always safe.

8. When we aren't safe, I always explain why.

9. We eat 'breakfast' for supper at least once a week.

10. The little mooches still want me to attend their events. So..... I do.



These are the 'rules' as I have neatly arranged them in my head. This is the truth I choose to believe.

Sadly, I had a break from the voices in my head that keep me all cool and hip, a few weekends ago at marching band contest, where I lapsed into Bizarro Mom for a short monologue to the bubs.

Scene: Saturday Afternoon Marching Band Contest
Location: The football stadium where I marched 90% of my games, in the 'olden' days. So, in all fairness, you could see this moment coming from a mile away.

Enter, Jag marching down the ramp with the High School Band.



Me: OH! Wow! Boys, did you see that? There they are! Marching down the ramp! When I was in high school, this is the stadium where we played all our games, and we marched down that ramp before every game,and there was like, 200 of us or more! And I was always near the front with the color guard, and we would look straight ahead at attention the whole time, and we would march down that big ramp and into the stadium and into the stands, at attention the whole time, and we would sit there in lines, and everyone was so impressed by us, because we were the coolest high school band in town, and everyone wanted to be like us, and no one else would march down the ramp because they were afraid that we would say they were coping us, and LOOK! There's Jag!



Now, you need to know that Jag's band did a fantastic job! I'm so proud of all of them! Seriously? How stinkin' cute is that beret? My kid is wearing a beret! Heart soars!

I'm also thankful to the Bubs, because they just smiled at me after my brief walk down memory lane. They actually wanted to know more, so I explained some more stuff about what Uncle T did with the percussion, and how awesome Aunt Megan was on that trumpet. There might have been some talk about video tapes that still exist, proving the oxymoron, that we were the 'coolest band' in town.

I think they actually thought it was cool! But, they're just 10, and they think bugs are cool, so let's keep it in perspective. Can you hear the voices? They're getting louder.

'Mother of the Year' or 'Did I Really Say That?'; Chapter 2 (Sassy)

My mother is wonderful! She did a great job of raising me in spite of me being her oldest child. (She told me I was her 'experimental' child. She was working out all the kinks of raising kids with me, so she could do a better job with my younger siblings. Ha, ha, very funny Mom.)

I did everything in my power to break her and my father, yet they remained strong. My younger brother and sister had an easier time of it. I paved the way for an easier life. You are both welcome!

Now, I have my own children.

These words actually came out of my mouth earlier this month:

'If I hear one more word about homecoming before Monday morning, we are selling this house and moving back to the big city, where you will attend school with gang bangers and only have homecoming when you're in high school when it is logical to have homecoming!'

Except I screamed it. From the top of my lungs. And. I meant it.

In my defense, it is illogical to have homecoming for an entire WEEK! At our school, everyone 'does' homecoming.... from the smallest 4 year old to seniors in High School, and everyone in between. It can wear a mommy out. Smooth and completely out.

In that moment of being completely worn out, tired and zero patience left for the topic of homecoming, I said those words. You know what? It worked.



Be honest people, after this for an entire week, wouldn't you scream a little too?

Mothers, PMS & Contact Sports

Moms go through a lot. OK, I know dads do too, but I'm a mom, and this is my blog (right PrissE?) One day I woke up, and I had a teenager. The funny thing is, I don't even remember when or how he got potty trained. I assume he is now, or school would be calling..... who understands this dilemma?

About this time last year, I realized that I was a reluctant football mom. It wasn't something I chose, but here I was, sitting in the stands rooting for my teenager on the field. I had horrible dreams about my BABY being injured on the playing field (thanks Mom). The memory of Jag's first game is a blurr of teenagers, PMS and contact sports. It was also an 'away' game, so we ended up driving a very long way in a pouring storm.

I reluctantly told my story the next day, it went a little something like this:

Amy: How did the game go last night? Did Jag have fun rolling around in the mud?

Me: He loved it, but I'm completely worn out, and I now believe there are some things mom's shouldn't have to go through! For the record..... a mom shouldn't have to watch her BABY play in his FIRST football game on the same day she starts her period..... AND, on that same day, there shouldn't be any sort of scary drive home in the dark, on flooded, vacant highways...... ALSO, she shouldn't have to wait in the dark car, listening to the rain pitter patter down on the car waiting for previously mentioned BABY to return home from his FIRST out of town bus trip with the football team. When he arrives home, she shouldn't have to watch him exit the bus, take care of all his responsibilities, by himself, then enter the car only to have the absolute most excited face I've ever seen before.... then, previously mentioned crazy mother has to listen to him tell all about the grand adventure the evening just was, and what a marvelous time he had...... all that is too much for one insane mother, who swears that just yesterday, that BABY was wearing corrective shoes and climbing on a fireplace..... what has happened?

For the record, when Jag entered the game to actually PLAY, I did not throw up, nor surge the field... I was totally calm and didn't even need peanut m&m's to make it through.

Here's a pic (he's #44):


That story is funny to me now, only because I discovered it's pretty fun being a football mom. As it turns out, teenage boys only play other teenage boys, not professional NFL players.... thus, allowing the 'contact' part of the sport to be equal (or mostly). Cheering in the stands actually is fun, and boys love to play football! (at least, my boys do) Thankfully, injuries have been few and far between. I still worry a little bit, but nothing a hysterectomy couldn't cure. Hormones are not for the faint of heart.

I know you must be wondering about Amy, my friend...... I'm going to spill the beans on her soon! There will be a picture. Hide now, my friend, while you can.... soon, your secrets will be out! Ok, maybe not real secrets, but some funny stories, that's for sure!

Spelling Test Morning

** (Email story originally sent out on January 8th, 2008) **

Greetings friends and fellow moms! No one puts this sort of thing in a mom handbook, so thought I'd share this true story.....

7:20am - day of spelling test (We've only been awake a grand total of 5 minutes at this point.)

(Conversation during breakfast)

Me: is the spelling test today?
Bubs: yea
Me: can you spell the words?
Bubs: I don't know, maybe, most of them.
Me: I hate spelling tests

(Conversation, a few minutes later, before we leave for school.)

Me: Fox, spell colorful
Fox: colouerful
Me: no
Fox: (shocked and awed) what?

(Background info: Fox often uses spelling 'tricks' to remember words. They are often random and make no sense to anyone but him.)

Me: here's a trick for you, remember color only has two o's and they represent the two sides of your butt that I'm gonna kick if you don't do well on this spelling test

** strange look from the bubs **

Me: spell colorful
Fox: colorful
Me: see? it worked!
Fox: ** silent, eye roll **
Me: Mav, spell wonderful
Mav: wonderful, I can spell them all
Me: did you hear the trick I told Fox?
Mav: yes
Me: do you think it will help you?
Mav: probably not
Me: everyone get in the car



How many more weeks of school?
More to the point, how many more spelling tests?
YUCK!!