Giving Credit Where Credit is Due (To Jimmy Dean)

Sometimes I don’t give the Big Kid enough credit. Her unwavering independence and willingness to tackle mornings without any help whatsoever is nothing short of a dream come true. While I’m running at full speed to take a shower, feed the baby, comb my hair, make sure lunches are packed, find clothes that don’t look like they’ve been in a pile in the corner for a week, clean up the cat puke in the hallway, and the zillion other things I have to do before I can leave for work each morning, Alexis just does her thing.

She sets her alarm and wakes up on time every day. She gets dressed without any help at all every day. She has her homework done and often helps get Mila dressed. She lets the dogs out for me. She even makes her own breakfast. I don’t hear a peep from her the entire time.

That breakfast thing, of course, is a super big deal. I can’t seem to manage to feed more than one person per mealtime lately. Mila gets priority, so the fact that Alexis takes care of herself saves me from being the jerk mom who doesn’t make sure her kid is fed before school.

For years Alexis has lived on frozen waffles in the morning. Each and every morning she microwaves three of them and then watches TV while she munches. It’s great, except that lately dinners haven’t been the most balanced of meals. We’re running at top speed in the evenings just as much as we are in the mornings. Long of the short, there wasn’t enough protein happening in her day.

 

Boom.

I was asked to give Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches a try at what can best be described as the perfect time.  They met all of the requirements – microwavable so Alexis can continue to make her own breakfast, fast, delicious, and they pack the protein punch that she was missing.

The morning after I tossed two boxes in our freezer, one of the boxes was empty. Apparently Alexis isn’t the only one who is a fan of a Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Croissant sandwich early in the day (she takes the sausage off her sandwich since she’s still rocking the vegetarian lifestyle – that means the husband gets double sausage. Win-win.). The next day she destroyed the Delights sandwich with egg and spinach. I hid the Egg, Red Peppers, Onion, and Pepper Jack Cheese Croissant Sandwiches from her because I’ve decided I’m not sharing those. SHHHH!  (To learn more about Jimmy Dean and to see a complete list of product offerings visit Jimmy Dean's website or check them out on Facebook.)

More protein. Just as much independence. That’s exactly how I like to start my day. What about you? What’s your favorite way to start the day off right? Share your answer in the comments for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.

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The Real Power of the Internet

I have a way of managing to time things SO BADLY, so of course I was standing in a group of people talking about how fantastic social media is less than two hours before The Dress became the thing everyone was talking about.

"Twitter can do anything!" I believe I said. I also made mention of how powerful blogs can be and even threw in a kind word about Facebook. And then The Dress ruined all of my delusions.

So.

Sometimes I just need to take back what I said. Other times I need to prove my point. Let's see which one we can do here...

There are two fantastically magical social media things happening right now. Please to be helping, if you can? Maybe?

The first is one that I've mentioned before. It's Random Acts of Kindness Day in Memory of Carli Hope. All you have to do is do something nice for someone on March 26th. That's it. Participating will make it possible for a little girl to make the world a better place on what would have been her 5th birthday.

Go to the Facebook page and say that you'll participate so that Carli's parents can see how much their little girl matters.

The other thing that most certainly proves that the internet can achieve magic is Make Room for Kids, hosted over on That's Church. Ginny is good people and what she does to make sure kids who are hospitalized are just a little bit more comfortable is fantastic. If you have a dollar or two, help her out.

Thanks for reminding me that the internet is more than just cat pictures and arguments over what color a dress is.

Screw the Impossibilities

They say lightning can't strike the same place twice, but I'm here to tell you that's not true. Lightning strike Number Two is snoring softly across the room right now.

The first time lightning struck, it was luck. The second time, it was luckier because that time we knew. We knew that we were being gifted with something that was just this side of impossible.

When luckier happens, a lot changes. All those years of fighting impossibilities is supposed to dissipate and you're supposed to just be grateful. And I am. But, the impossibilities found their way into my soul. They aren't leaving. So, what other people think and what I think aren't quite aligned.

I know the impossibilities lost, but I don't always feel it. I still get that twinge of jealousy when there's a lightning strike announcement. I still fight the urge to roll my eyes when someone complains about having a bunch of lightning strikes close in age. I know it's hard to parent a bunch of lightning strikes close in age, but do those parents realize how much harder it is for some people to get lightning to strike once, let alone a bunch of times in quick succession?

It's not fair to anyone, but what about life is fair?

The hardest thing about being on this side of two lightning strikes, though, is knowing. You know how very worth all of it they are. You know how fantastic life can be. You so badly want everyone to get a chance to see for themselves.

I want all of you who are fighting the impossibilities to feel the amazingness that is a lightning strike.

I wish wanting was enough to make it happen.