Bad Parents?

I don't know if it's necessarily a bad thing or not. Mallory seems to have a fondness for "dad's pop".

Sickness again!

Yes the sickness has descended upon our house again and this time it's ME! On Mother's Day I woke up with a sore throat. Thought nothing of it until around 6pm that night I couldn't even manage to swallow. So right away Monday morning I called and went to the doctor. Sure enough, strep throat. So since then I have not gotten an ounce better. But...I have lost 12 pounds. Now that's a diet plan for you. Just get a viscous virus and you'll be sure to loose weight. I have not had one ounce of food since my lunch on Mother's Day. I think my insides are slowing eating themselves to keep me nourished. Not only that, my tonsils are so large I can barely manage to swallow enough liquid to keep myself hydrated. It's been a grand week so far. So if any of you wondering where the heck I am, I'm here at home. I've already decided that the first sign that the pain has subsided I am hitting every single fast food restaurant. I can't believe how much I'm craving a salad from Wendy's and a double cheeseburger from Mc Donalds. Then I'm going to top it off with a smoothie from Spoons. I'm going to binge like crazy!!

Happy Mother's Day

To every mother out there, Happy Mother's Day. As many know the task of being a mother is incredibly tasking. The moments can be joyous, emotional, nerve-racking, and totally rewarding. I consider myself a mother who is rewarded. Even though some days are not as "rewarding" as others there are moments of pure joy. As follows:

* Obviously giving birth to each of my children. The memories are ingrained in my head so vividly even now.
* The laughter I can get my children to display when we are cooking, riding around, or just playing.
* The feel of my children in my arms. My kids were not cuddler's from the beginning but have grown to be over the years.
* The struggles over discipline, eating, and bed time that make my marriage to Jason stronger.
* And finally, just simply being able to be called a "mother".

Frederick Meijer Gardens

On Tuesday I had the privelage of accompanying 2 teachers, 12 mothers, and 51 kindergarten students to the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. I have never been there before so I was excited to see the Butterflies Blooming. It turned out to be a chilly day but the kids didn't seem to mind in the least. We started our trip with a bus ride and when we arrived we walked through a desert setting and then wandered into the butterfly exhibit. It was spectacular to see all the butterflies just flitting about like they didn't have a care in the world. Despite the warm temperatures in the butterfly sanctuary, it was awesome to just look at the different flowering plants and butterflies. The kids patience level was nothing like mine. Of course they would flit from one spot to the next and were ready to go after about 5 minutes. Here is a slideshow of some snapshots we took throughout the day.