My Daily Miracle

I have to share this kooky story with my Bloggy friends.

J was laid off last November. Right before that, it seemed like my facial cleanser was almost gone. I'd been using it since September.

After J got laid off, we cut back on EVERYTHING, even more than normal. I had been ready to toss my facial cleanser but after the lay off,  I kept it and figured I would squeeze the life out of it for another month. I did.

Then another month and another month and another month went by and I was still squeezing cleanser out! This little container lasted over a year.

Every day it was a reminder to me that our needs were being taken care of. We still lived in the same home, drove the same car, had food to feed our children and were able to cloth the kids. Trust me, I needed a daily reminder.

There were days that this little bottle of facial cleanser brought me to tears. Tears of fear. Tears of relief. Tears of uncertainty. Tears of hope. Tears of anger. Tears of despair.

I finally had to part with my cleanser. It served me well. Honestly, it was hard to do. It felt like if I threw this away, the house of cards we had been living would come crashing down.

Bet the makers of Clearasil Daily Face Wash never had all this in mind when they started manufacturing their product!

Don't Judge a Book

When you look at Mini Me, you see a spunky little girl with pink hair.

She looks confident and strong. 

Mini Me is strong because she has had to fight from the start. She looks tough because her little life has not been easy for her. As a newborn, Mini Me had to detox from drugs. As a baby, she had stomach issues. She was slow to walk and slow to talk.

Mini Me now has to do eye therapy. She has had to do speech therapy for years. And she has mild sensory issues. Nothing comes easy for that girl. 

While it breaks my heart to see Mini Me have to work so hard to do what comes naturally for most people, I also appreciate her struggle. Whatever Mini Me accomplishes is through hard work. I love that she is a determined hard worker. This will serve her well in life. But I wish she didn't have to work so hard all the time.

So, when you see my little girl all smiles and powerful, know that you are also looking at a little girl that struggles to be normal.

"Where there is no struggle, there is no strength."
- Oprah Winfrey

Still I Rise

Regardless of what life throws at me, it doesn't matter.

Regardless of what time of day or night the messy life stuff comes, I know that Still I Rise.

Am I a Creeper?

So.....We needed binoculars for a theme luncheon at work. I asked several staffers of they would please bring in their binoculars. Does everyone only have itty bitty binoculars? Am I the only one with huge ones?

J bought me binoculars so I can look in the windows of neighbors across the way and to see into the offices in the Sears Tower. But now, I'm actually feeling like a creeper 'cause now I see how little everyone else's binoculars are. Not gonna stop me from creeping though...

Pinterest

I avoided Pinterest for at least the past year. I ran from it. I bad mouthed it. I foo-fooed it. And now I LOVE it!!!

What did we DO before Pinterest? Seriously? How did we live? Where did we get great ideas? How did we keep them all in one place?

I am oh. so. smitten. with. Pinterest.

Please don't ask me what my Board or name or whatever you call it is on Pinterest. I don't know. I go in through Facebook and hit a button. Or I just hit a button on my iPhone. I'm WidneyWoman on Twitter. I think I'm hooked up that way so maybe try to follow me there. And please don't send me instructions. I've decided I'm over 40 and I can be one of those old people that doesn't understand the new technology thingyies.

Gotta go! Pinterest is calling me....

Knowing Me, Knowing You - August 2012

This is formerly the monthly getting to know you meme that my dear friend, The Fairy Blogmother used to post, well, monthly. Technically, she posted this May. I'm just getting around to seeing and posting it here. Ooopsy! Fairy Blogmother devises and posts the questions and I post my answers. 

1. For you married folk out there.... Where is your wedding dress?
Repurposed as a dedication/christening gown for Mini Me. J designed it, his aunt sewed it. Mini Me wore it. Now it languishes in her closet. Next to her birth mother's communion dress.

2. Do you or have you played any organized sports?
I used to play volleyball, basketball, ran track, did long jump, and high jump. I actually have some awards for doing well in that stuff. As an adult I did 5K, 10K, and half-marathons plus one biathlon (running and bike 'cause I can't swim) for which I have some lovely t-shirts and a few finisher medals.

3. What is your favourite kind of muffin?
I prefer my muffin top. It's with me all the time.

4. Started Christmas shopping yet?
Heck no!

5. The funniest show on TV right now is.......
Absolutely nothing. It's summer and the getting is not good. Pretty much don't watch TV in the summer.

So, head on over to the Fairy Blog Mother to see her answers!

13 Years

Yesterday was our 13th wedding anniversary.

Our thoughts on marriage have changed so very much since then. I could write a book about.

The Godfather 2012

A few months ago, the kids' godfather came to town on business. Our kids LOVE their Papa Martian. 

Motor Mouth and Mini Me have really grown in to delightful creatures that can carry on engaging conversations with adults.

Did I tell you how much my kids love their godfather?

It's mutual.

Japanese Jewel

A couple of months back, we visited a city treasure. Modeled after a Japanese garden, the Osaka Gardens are peaceful and tranquil. They are hidden behind the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park. 

Absolutely beautiful. And free.

Cool Kids

I love my kids. They are WAY cooler than I could have ever hoped to be at any time during my youth or childhood.

Ready for school.

Playing dress up around the loft.

Freedom Now

My kids are amazing. They are great kid. 

Polite. Friendly. Engaging. Humorous. Smart.

Delightful.

These pics mean so much more to me now.

My children are safe at home with us. 

They are truly free.

Thankful Thursday: Welcome Home!

I was so happy to have my husband and kiddos come home that I made it special for them.

To make sure it all went well, I set it all up (except for the food) two whole days before!

I love my husband and our children. They are the most important and precious people I have the honor of being loved by. Knowing my children are back home, where they belong, and safe is everything to me. 

Daniel Burnham

I've been meaning to blog this for months. 

Motor Mouth did an AMAZING job presenting on Daniel Burnham.

Motor Mouth built the display and memorized the details he researched. 

Wacky Wednesday: Mini Me & Mommy

Having fun with my baby girl!!!

And my boy!

Glasses - Pt. 1

Mini Me had some minor difficulty in school this year. Fortunately for her teachers, for us, and for Mini Me, the girl is eloquent. 

Basically, the teachers would write words and letters on the whiteboard and the students were required to write them down. Her teachers found that Mini Me was taking longer than most students. They were concerned as Mini Me was doing well in all other areas. 

One day, Mini Me said, "The letters on the board look like they are having a play date." I have three dear friends who are optometrists. After talking to my friend, Dr. C., she suggested I talk to Dr. V, an acquaintance of mine. 

Dr. V. saw Mini Me and did a number of tests. She specializes in little kids.  Mini Me needs glasses to look at the whiteboard. And she needs to do eye therapy to strengthen her eyes. Basically, most people have the ability to adjust from seeing far and seeing up close but Mini Me needs a little bit of help to work on this. 

Mini Me needs glasses but...not these glasses!

Tower Shadow

I love that my kids are learning to ride their bikes in the shadow of the Sears Tower!

Official Artist

Motor Mouth is officially an artist!

He drew the picture below while standing on our balcony

railing and looking at the Chicago skyline.

One of our neighbors, an artist, purchased this drawing for $20.

Our little artist.

And his first $20 as an artist.

Look Ma! No Wheels!

We have the most amazing village!

To teach the kids how to ride without training wheels, I took Motor Mouth and Mini Me out to the school parking lot next to our building. Bike Boy and Glass Girl saw us out there and brought their bikes down to ride with the kids. They are such awesome neighbors!!!

Our friend, Pride Girl, sent me a link to NYC's park district's learn to ride program that teaches kids to ride without training wheels. They take off the wheels and take off the pedals. Kids learn to balance faster. So I decided to try it.

 Within minutes, Motor Mouth was riding without training wheels!!! 

If it weren't for Glass Girl and Bike Boy, this would not be a success story. They were awesome with the kids.

 Bike Boy and Glass Girl are FRIENDS in the truest sense. They love our kids and include them in their lives. Seriously, we have the BEST neighbors. 

It takes a village!

Bikes Held Hostage

There was a bit of drama surrounding our kids' bikes...

The kids' bikes were held hostage in our locker room because I lost the combination to the bike locks. For a year and a half...

Anyway, we needed bolt cutters. No one in had a pair - well, I'm sure Home Depot does. 

A couple of Fridays ago, I asked a new co-worker is married to a fireman if her husband might have bolt cutters in his trunk. No such luck but he hooked me up with our local fire station. A fireman came over and rescued the bikes from their locks!

We had a great family time.

Pritzker in June

One of our favorite things to do in Chicago is to grab a blanket and enjoy the free concerts at Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park.