Did you ever smell your mom...

I've been told by many that newborns bond with their mothers through smell. And not just any smell, her smell. Yes, they also recognize the voice and know her touch, but the smell...the smell takes them back to where it all began.

My mom use to tell me a story from when she was growing up, and how she use to miss her mother after being gone for weeks at a time visiting relatives, and run into her arms and take a big sniff and melt into her arms as the smell of her familiar Momma would make her relax.

I remember growing up, I had a really rough day at school, and my mom was the school secretary, and I would fake headaches to get sent to the office just so she would hug me and take me in her arms. Thinking back now, I'm pretty sure it was the smell and comfort it brought me.

Emily spent all weekend at her grandparents and was gone for 3 days. When she got home Sunday evening, she curled up in my arms and grabbed my arm and SNIFFED. Then she looked at me and said, "Mommy, I missed you so much."

What is the smell that we seek? A hormone? A scent of home? A lotion? A detergent? A smell of food? A perfume? A smell only a Mom can emit? What is the smell?

I don't know what it is, but if it brings my baby home and into my arms and brings any ounce of comfort to her, then I'll stink of whatever smell she needs! :o)

XOXO

Anyone want a teenager...

He's super cute
Sleeps A LOT
Stinky
Goes by the nick name "Pookie" from his mama
Works hard when he wants too and not when you need him too
Outgrows his clothes faster then I can buy them
Is taller then most women already and is not finished growing yet
Plays nicely with his Lil' sister when he's in the mood too
Otherwise he teases her nonstop until she's screaming
Likes to cuddle with his mama right before bedtime
But doesn't know who she is when friends are around
But knows where her wallet is when he wants something
He costs a lot in maintenance and upkeep
Braces come off in 4 months
VANS shoes cost as much as the payment for his braces
Talks on his cell phone more then he talks to his parents
Disappears into his room for endless hours at a time
Doesn't have anything to say to his parents other then "huh?, what? k, later, and fine"
Has countless girls calling his phone at all hours of the night
Said phone now left downstairs at bedtime
Has girls writing notes on his arms and backpack
Did I mention he sleeps a lot?
No really, A LOT
Did I mention the girls?
Did I mention how stinky he is?
His feet stink just as bad
So does his Axe he sprays on everything
And he goes through a bottle of Hair Gel a week
He eats a lot too
He eats everything
Nothing is sacred, he'll eat it
We have to order him his own pizza now, or we don't get any
He runs 2 miles a day in the evenings
He plays sports
He's really good at them
Did I mention that he eats a lot?
That I am now grocery shopping every 5 days instead of every 2 weeks?
Did I mention how cute he is?

FREE - to a good home
(he's potty trained)

XOXO

When you may have crossed the line...

Have I mentioned that I'm moving? Yep - cross country too. Going from sunny California to Snowy Vermont. But the trade off is worth it, right? I'm moving into a fully furnished with all brand new furniture and decorations, and as my daughter says, the coolest part is the backyard that has a Hot Tub built into the granite rocks with a gas fireplace next to it. And it comes with a 2011 GM Arcadia SUV and lots of $$ to pay the taxes on this property.

Ok, Ok...I haven't actually WON the house yet on HGTV's Dream Home Giveaway, but when I do, I'm moving!

Emily is the sweetest, most gullible little thing in the world, and sometimes it's fun to play with her, and sometimes when your not even trying too, she falls right into it.

She saw me doing my daily entry to try and win this house and saw the pictures of the house, and asked what I was doing. I "casually" mentioned that I was looking at our new house (insert the snicker i added here after saying it). Well, she didn't catch the infliction of my voice or my snicker and freaked out!

"Oh my gosh, are we really moving? Where's my room? Can we bring Toby? What about my Toy's? Whose going to live here in this house? What about my friends? I'm going to be sad?"

So I ask "so do you just wanna stay here then?" Thinking this would be my way out of the conversation she so already believes is happening.

"Oh No Mom, I'm moving. I want a new house. I hate this house. This house is old. When are we moving? Can I bring my doll's? Are the boy's coming too or just us girl's?"

And before I could say another word, off she ran, down the stairs yelling "DDDAAAADDD, we're moving!!!!! And mom says we're going to ..., MOM, Where are we moving too? Vermont? Dad, we're moving to Vermont!"

I slowly peak my head out the door of the office, and my husband is furious with me because he knows exactly what just happened and is shaking his head at me with a smirk and says "Oh she's gonna make you pay for that"

So I sit Emily down and try in vain to explain that we haven't actually WON the house yet, but if we DO, then we will move, but until then, we are not actually MOVING anywhere. I swear all she heard was HOUSE and MOVE. We tried watching a movie, but every 5 minutes she would think of something else she needed to pack for the move and ask if we could take it or did she have to give away all her things?

Well, by the next morning, I assumed when she didn't wake up mentioning it that we were in the clear and she finally understood we were NOT moving. That is until I picked her and her friends up from school and as they piled in the car I hear "Cindy, is it true your moving? What about Emily's toy's? Can you take the dog? I'm going to miss you? Why would you move? What are you going to do with your house? I don't want you to move? Does my mom know your moving? I'm going to tell my mom your moving. Can we come with you?"

I was ready to either cry or laugh. This clearly was getting blown out of proportion and Emily OBVIOUSLY did not GET that we were NOT moving and had clearly NOT forgotten. I can just imagine what she told the school and friends.

So I try explaining to the girls and home we went.

The next day, I had several parents ask me if it was true? Were we moving? *sigh*

Then the girls pile into the car after school and tell me "My mom said you can't move with out us, and we're going with you. So I hope your house has room. And Emily said she can't take her toy's, but my mom said I can take all my toy's so Emily you can play with my toys. I'll bring my doll's and we can share. Wanna share a room? We can play and run around."

During the car ride home they had planned the whole future and how we were all going to live together. How her friend's mom worried about how to pay the property taxes on that house, how would we adjust to the snow and how would the dogs take to the new house, "Cindy, is there room for the dogs? Is there a dog house for them?"

OK...I "may" have crossed the line in telling her that night we were moving to a new house, but I clearly was kidding and had not intentionally planned on teasing her...

Now if you'll excuse me, i need to go unpack her suitcase now...

XOXO

Happy Friday Quote...

"In order to Succeed, your desire for Success should be greater then your fear of Failure."

Bill Cosby

XOXO

Happy Friday Quote...

"Remember your Yesterdays, but Live for Today, and while there is

still time...make Changes for your Tomorrows."

XOXO