Angels do exist????

So I wrote about angels yesterday and low and behold there is a story on the news about an angel visiting a very sick little girl whose Mother actually had given up and taken her off life support and then a strange glowing figure appeared on a surveillance camera and the girl miraculously is doing so well she will get to be home for Christmas. Well, doubters beware!!!! Sometimes when you need a little boost especially with all the bad news on television a story has compelled me back into good spirits and filled me with hope again!!! I still miss my Mom but I do believe she is always with me and she would be so proud of my beautiful, gracious and incredible boys and she would get such a kick out of them. Then again, maybe she already does!!!!

Christmas Break with my Boys

So we started Christmas break today at the craft store everything is 1/2 off for Christmas. We decided we would spend some time together making gifts for family members instead of playing video games. We bought paint brushes, paint, Christmas greeting signs, ornaments and giant wooden letters in a W, J, B, and a R. We came home and of course, made a huge mess but we laughed and actually to my surprise complimented each other. We only got done with some of the crafts but I already can't wait till tomorrow to do some more and we are going to bake cookies and make a gingerbread tree tomorrow. These are the times I know I will miss more than anything one day. Which is why when I hear Trace Adkins song "You're gonna miss this" I cry and Wade rolls his eyes. One day he will understand. He is going to miss these times too. I try to keep as busy as possible this time of year because I miss my Mom the most at Christmas time. Everything I look at reminds me of her. She loved this time of year we used to have so much fun baking cookies and our favorite Shopping we always did together. The boys make it easier but I miss my best friend and my inspiration, my Mom. We will light a candle at church on Christmas as we always do and visit her grave Christmas Eve when we go to my Dad's and I will tell them stories about things she always did with them so that maybe they will remember her. The boys actually believe she is an angel and when the Peace Lily from her funeral blooms they believe she has visited. It's funny Wade decided this when he was five and it does seem to bloom when we have something important happen. Maybe he's right!!!!!

Interesting kids

So I haven't written in a while but unfortunately I've been very busy. I have had to start helping PTA again because really they need me even though I really want to pull back it is so hard for me because I've been involved too long and my friend is the president and even though she says she doesn't need help she does because we all do. I am managing a Destination Imagination team again this year and these kids this year are amazing. They compliment each other very well. Destination imagination is like a contest where a group of kids have to do a challenge all by themselves without any adult help that could involve anything from acting to singing to building something. This year the kids are doing a music video live about a piece of literature. They chose the Wizard of Oz which was a movie but it is a book now too. They really are truly amazing. I so did not want them to choose this particular challenge because I thought writing a song would be way too difficult, but they have proven me wrong. They have already written a rap song that tells the story and it is funny. I am so proud of these kids and amazed by them. They are working together perfectly and I have not seen one single argument. They decided on costumes and their set their going to build and if they don't get a great score I will be amazed because I have seen greatness from some awesome kids that I completely adore. I actually can't wait till they start their dance moves because this is truly proof of how kids really can do anything if they really put their minds to it. I will never doubt my son or any of these other kids again and when people say to me that kids now a days don't know how to behave and can't do things on their own I will tell you and anyone else "Yes, They Can"!!!!

Long time soccer mom becomes football mom and is stunned

So I have been a soccer mom for almost eight years now. My kids have played other sports like golf and baseball, but I always had one playing soccer. This year though, Ryan decided to become a football player. I thought to myself no way, you are almost the smallest kid your age. My husband and I discussed it and we decided we should let him try it. James, of course, played peewee football and loved it. He also probably was the smallest one out there because even now he's only 5'8". (Which if he reads this, he probably is going to kill me.) Okay, sorry now I'm rambling. Okay back to becoming a football mom. So now you all know, I have four sons: Wade plays indoor and outdoor soccer, Ryan is playing football (which means he practices four days a week), Justin about to start drum lessons and a 10 month who Thank God can not ask to play a sport, and my oldest child oops, I mean my husband playing softball (he thinks he has to practice twice a week besides playing a game on Thursday nights) which means I am a little busy these days. So I know football is Texas' real past time and I knew he would have to practice everyday almost except Wednesdays (which is now my favorite day of the week) and I knew coaches yell a lot, that it is a very rough sport and how intense Dads were about their sons, but what surprised me the most was how intense Everyone including the Referees could be. So none of you are going to believe this story because if you told it to me I would think you were making it up, but unfortunately, it is the truth. So I have to admit I have been to games and I have yelled and I unfortunately, have even told a referee bad call myself (not something I am proud of) but to be honest I have yelled. So last Saturday, we're at Ryan's first football game and my husband is working the chains. There was this guy watching our game standing next to my husband ( not anyone who even has a kid on our team just a Loki-loo from the game before ours) my husband says the guy said "that ref must be blind if he doesn't see all the holding going on". The guy didn't yell it because I didn't hear it and I was only three feet away and I didn't hear the guy. So what happens next, well the referee runs off the middle of the field at the guy with his fists raised and starts screaming obscenities right in the man's face now even I at this point would have shoved the referee, but no, surprisingly the man calmly walks away. Everyone on the sidelines even the coaches are so stunned because while this all happened the kids on the field were in the middle of a play (and that particular ref was the ref in the middle of the field with the kids). Now these sweet little darlings who look so cute in their little Dallas Cowboy and Washington Redskin outfits are staring at the referee who instead of refereeing is attacking a man on the sidelines. Now someone goes and gets the President of the Football Association and he comes and escorts the referee out of the area. He then comes back explains, apologizes and promises to all of us parents that the referee will never ref for this association again. There was silence from everyone, including every child there that day and it went on from the time the referee attacked the man to when the referee was escorted away and lasted several minutes. All I could think about was does this happen all the time because if it does it explains what is wrong with the youth today!!!!! The strangest thing to me was after the silence the game went on and the parents were still yelling the whole game. All I can say is this is going to take a lot of getting used to.

Does Anyone Ever Feel Like A GOOD Mother?

So this morning I wake up feeling really good about being a Mom and that I must be doing a pretty good job. Then BLAM!!!, my kids remind me who is really in charge and it isn't me!!!! The day started out well, everyone got dressed and ready for school without much prodding, then they get in the car and I don't know how else to describe it but all heck broke loose. I have no idea how it started but it ended with me calling poison control. Justin and Ryan somehow got into a hand sanitizer fight. So of course, after calling poison control because Ryan says he might have gotten some in his mouth and finding out he will be fine I have to decide what I am going to do with the two of them. I don't have any time to really ponder this because I have hurry up and drop them off so I can get Wade to school on time. So I decide to drive in silence all the way to school and then tell them to get out and go to school without our usual good-byes and now I feel like the worst mom and I still have to decide how to punish them. So much for things going smoothly at the Arnold house and we were juggling so well!!!

Top Ten Things I will never do or say to my daughter-in-laws

So I have compiled a list of the top ten things I will never say or do to my daughters-in-law.

10. I will never ask to move in with any of my children!!

9. I will never call her sisters a"*****"!!!

8. I will not lock myself out the house and leave her 4 month old child inside while she is at work!!!

7. I will not give my daughter in law gifts for her birthday like fingernail polish remover.

6. I will not ask when my son and her show me the engagement ring, "Is that the ring you bought for the other girl?" (My husband has never asked another girl to marry him.)

5. I will not chew up food and then feed it to her baby. (Thank God, I caught her doing this with my husband's niece before we had children and informed her this should not be done with my children.)

4. I will never send her father a letter telling her father what a bad person his daughter is because she didn't inform me of her mothers death!!!

3. I will not go gambling the night before my son's wedding and then show up late to the wedding.

2. I will always use a child seat with my grandchildren. ( She has never drove my children anywhere!!!)

1. I will not tell my grandchildren anything bad about their father or mother from their past or present!!!!

This list is really a lot longer and is added to daily. I dedicate this list to everyone I know who has their own list.

How do you get along with in-laws who seem to hate you?

Yesterday, my husband's family came over for my mother-in-law's birthday. Some days seem to last forever and they are never the days you enjoy. My in-laws seem to hate me, especially my sister-in-law. Everyone was in MY living room having a discussion about children, laws and such. They all seemed to agree children were all stupid and it is the public education systems fault and also that their civil liberties were being violated because you can't smoke in a lot of public places anymore (of course, they all smoke) and to them they are being persucuted like the Jews (which I think is hilarious). So they wanted total freedom to drive drunk(again some of them have DWIs), not wear seat belts, no child seats, smoke anywhere they want. So I said," Okay if you want total freedom without laws then same -sex marriage should be allowed and beating your children. (I do believe in freedoms that do not harm people should be allowed I'm not sure how I feel about same-sex marriage, but I would never believe child abuse is okay). Then, of course, my husband's sister starts screaming at me that no those things are wrong because the bible says their wrong. Which in turn, I calmly (yes, I did stay calm for my husband's sake only because this isn't the first time she has screamed at me) stated well if your using the Bible as your measurement some people interpet the bible to state beating your children is alright which she screamed the Bible doesn't state that. I then stated the passage in the Bible that states "spare the rod, spoil the child". I then try to explain that the Bible can be interpreted to mean many things by whoever is reading it. I also tried to explain that I was not trying to state every law we have are just laws, but that we are the people who vote for people and the only way to change things was to elect new people. She wasn't listening though, because she only thinks she is right. It is too bad that she can't or won't hear other people's opinions because I did agree with her that as long as you weren't blowing smoke in my or anyone else's face you should be allowed to kill yourself with cigarettes.

Does a Mother ever stop worrying?

It seems like I never stop worrying. If it's not one kid it is the next. I wish I could just let things happen but, no I have to think about everything all the time. Right now, my biggest worries are my oldest is starting middle school, and my middle child is going to play football. My oldest is a great kid except lately I am wondering why I taught him to talk. I have done everything in my power to get him in a better school than he was suppossed to go to and I think I have but, of course, I am still worried that at registration we will be told the school can't except a transfer because they are full. I believe he will be most upset but, I know whatever is suppossed to happen will happen. I just want to give him every opportunity I can in life and I'm sure sometimes he thinks I am pushing too hard but I wasn't pushed enough as a child and therefore, I want to make sure he knows how important his decisions are even at his age. He's always done pretty good at school academically and he is super about helping others and being a good example for not only his brothers but other kids at school even. So I guess I should just chill (as he would say) at let things happen. Ryan, my middle child is a small child but tough so I think he should be okay at football, but I worry he might get hurt because his focus is a litttle off sometimes. He is a natural entertainer but, he does just enough in school to make it and not an inch more which worries me. Maybe my oldest is right I do need to CHILL!

It amazes me what people say

So I am at the grocery store today and I had three different people react to my little group of soldiers. One lady says "Honey, I feel so sorry for you. You must be the unluckiest woman alive to have had four boys'. I just looked at her and said really I feel like the luckiest! Another lady said, "four boys ,I feel so sorry for you" and I just said better than four girls. I can not believe the gall of some people I love my kids and yes, it is hard to relate all the time to the quirks of the male mind but I also learn so much from each of them everyday. I wouldn't change a thing about my life with the four musketeers for anything.... So people remember this rule of thumb "If you don't have anything nice to say Don't say anything at all"

Thank God my mother taught this to me.....