My GO TO Girl

So, I have a girl - a "go to" girl. A girl who can answer any, every, all crazy things I throw at her (or at least she's that good that I don't realize it if she can't).

We met 15 years ago in college (and yes I know it is hard to believe that I could be old enough to have a college friend for that long, I use great skincare) and I can't remember a time when I didn't think she was the coolest thing ever. Then, in college that is, she made good grades, was a role model at work and had plans. You know, she knew where she was going to be, who it would be with and how to get there.

She is a teeny bit older than me, so she went through all the milestones before me...marriage, first house, kiddos. I got to experience all that vicariously for a while (awwww, yes, I would love to hold Jackson, he's the cutest thing ever, uh, why does he cry so much and are they all like that?) and then I got my own (husband, house and kiddos).

She wasn't just a work role model or a smart chic anymore. She was a MOM. A mom before me. A wife before me. She had a double stroller and an SUV. And she's my mentor.

She's the one who can straight up tell me that my two year old is running my household and that it has to stop NOW (and put the book to help me in the mail the next day to get me started). She empathizes with my struggles with my younger daughter (who she swears is really a middle child without a younger sibling). She was proud of me for sharing my faith story with MOPS a couple of years ago (and I'm Catholic...there's no Catholic testimony girls). In fact, she encouraged me to join MOPS - a part of my life for the past five years that I cannot even imagine surviving motherhood without.

Here's the thing about having a mentor mom...you gotta admit you aren't perfect. You can't be afraid to ask advice, you can't be ashamed of your failures. I'm sure even my mentor mom has her moments (although I venture to guess they are spaced a little further apart than mine). And I am sure all the super moms out there have someone they call when they can't take it anymore.

This week's meeting will have our mentor mom panel. My mentor will be there (she's the one with the skinny butt and good hair...just kidding!...but she really does have good hair and she is thin) and I'm sure you'll have some lovely piece of wisdom to take home to your families (or you'll at least get a good laugh).

If you have a mentor mom...let her know how much she means to you. If you need one, don't be afraid to ask for help. Let's get sentimental here - what have you learned from your mentor mom?

Dani

More pictures.

Thank you Kathleen for your adorable picture of Mark.

All aboard!
Here's the sweet Shultz children...




Fancy Nancy. Thanks Kelly Hunter!

And who could forget Lily "Awesome" Delahoussaye and Jane the "Butterfly/Ballerina/Cowgirl/Fairy?


Aleah and Andrew are the cutest little mice ever! Thanks for sharing their smiling faces Allison!

Have you ever seen a cuter...bear?...and genie than Luke and MacKenzie Harrison?!


Rebecca Read! Your kids are adorable!





Thanks Erin Reed!


Here's a gang who can come to the rescue...it's the Lira girls!

Ritter kiddos

Phoenix as a "Recon Commando" (hiding in the bushes)






Jake was a skeleton:

Pictures.

For some reason, I couldn't get my pictures uploaded on the last post. So I thought I'd just put them in a new one. Besides, my kid is so adorable, she deserves her own post!

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Email us your pictures, and we'll put them up.

Thank you Lauren Merkel. Look at how adorable her kids are!


Here's Dani Herrera's girlies (Isa is Velma from Scooby Doo, I think you can figure out Francesca)

Happy Halloween!

The first year JR and I dated, we had plans to go to a show in downtown Austin for Halloween. I don't know if anyone has been to 6th street in Austin for Halloween, but it's nuts. So we wanted something that really stood out in the crowd.

It was JR's idea to go as Britney Spears and Madonna, and kiss the whole night (Remember when they did that at the VMAs?).

Not many of you have met my husband, but just imagine Addie with facial hair. He was Britney.

We were a huge hit. People kept asking us if they could take our picture. It was, by far, the most successful costume.

The past two years, Claire hasn't really "gotten" Trick-or-Treating. This year, she did. I might be a little biased, but she was an ADORABLE Tinkerbell!

The publicity team has decided to do a little contest. Send us pictures of your kids' adorable costumes. We'll put them up on the blog and pick one at random.

So let's see them!

[cori]

Table Talk Ideas

Hi Ladies,

I thought I'd share the current questions my family has in our Table Talk envelope, since we use it almost every evening, I would LOVE it if you could share any of your questions.

Was anyone nice/kind to you today...what happened?
Name 1 new thing you learned today
If you could do something that's inappropriate, what would it be?
2 story starters...'once upon a time blah,blah,blah....
How can you show your teacher that you respect her? (P answers only) Or how can you show respect to each person in the house (then everyone could answer it...I'll add that one)
What is special to you?
Who's your favorite person? (P and J answer only)
What's your favorite color?
Say something nice to each person at the table
What’s your favorite kind of weather and why?
Where would you like to go on vacation...top 3 places?
If you had to eat a bug, what would it be?
What’s 1 thing you are grateful for today?
What do you want to do tomorrow?
What's the worst thing that happened to you today?
Did anything funny happen today? What was it?
Did you show love today? How?

I'm looking forward to new suggestions!
Constance

An interview with Addie. No really, it's real. Ok, it's not, but it could be!

The curtain opens with Addie on the phone.

Addie: And that's why nothing gets done around here. Too many dance breaks!

Cori walks in with a notebook and pen. Addie hangs up the phone.

Cori: Alright lady, tell me your secrets. How do you possibly juggle two kids, a goofball husband, writing a book, being indispensable in MOPS, and everything to do around here and still have time to look so beautiful?

Addie: Well, it's easy. I'm extremely organized. It's the only way things get done! I have a cleaning schedule, I plan my meals every week and clip coupons, everything has a place and I have a place for everything.

Cori: We can all learn from you, Addie! You're so smart!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok, so the interview didn't exactly go like that. Are you surprised? Here's the real one:

Addie: Why do you want to interview me?! My house is a mess, I haven't washed my hair, and I'm pretty sure Lily's running around the house in a felt vest and her unmentionables. I'm not exactly the poster child for organization.

Cori: That's true. Maybe I should re-think this.

Addie: Hey!

Cori: No, I wanted to interview you because you've taken what Jennifer taught you and applied it to your own life. No household has the same demands, so you figured out what you needed help with. What was the thing you used the most from last year?

Addie: The meal chart, definitely. Lily loves to check it every afternoon to find out what we're having for dinner.

Cori: So you have to stick to the chart? What if you decide that you don't FEEL like making spaghetti again and want to order pizza, but the chart still says spaghetti?

Addie: I just have to switch it before she sees.

Cori: I can just hear you, "No Lily, you must be mistaken. Tuesday was ALWAYS pizza. It never said spaghetti. Maybe we need to work on your reading comprehension."

Addie: Something like that.

Cori: What projects did you do this year?

Addie: I did the Mood Board. Lily's going to be on the sad face today because apparently I'm not as cool or pretty or funny as Mrs. Jenny (ed note: that would be Jenny Harrison, the coolest, prettiest, funniest mom in the world, apparently) but whateves.

Cori: You don't actually say "Whateves" in conversation, do you?

Addie: Nope. Just in this pretend interview.

Cori: That's what I thought. What other projects did people at your table do? Which ones are you going to use?

Addie: I like the list of things that the kids need to do in the morning. I'm adding "Tell my mom how cool and pretty and funny she is" to it, but everything else looks good. What about you?

Cori: I'm doing the meal chart, and the mood board too. Claire has no interest in going potty on the actual potty (just behind the couch), so I'm waiting on that. And I'm using the one about when Daddy's getting back from his trip. Hey, who's doing this interview anyway?

Addie: Sorry.

Cori: It's ok. Thanks for talking with me. I'm sure we'll talk for real in a few minutes.

Addie: My pleasure.

fin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What was your favorite organizational project from last year? And which one do you think you'll use the most from this year?

Are there any others that weren't shown at the meeting that you'll use? And, most importantly, how can I get my kid to stop pooping behind the couch?

[cori]

Welcome to Planet Mom!

On behalf of the CUMC MOPS Steering Team, let me extend a warm, sunny, welcome to each and every one of you! We are so happy to see familiar faces and equally excited to see new faces in the room on Friday mornings.

This year is going to be out of this world (I wonder how many solar system references I can sneak in...just to see who is paying attention, post a comment with how many you count!)! The members of the steering team met over the summer to plan social events, fundraising activities, a curriculum for your children, our mission project, crafts and a galaxy of other fun events and adventures.

In case you were too tired, dreaming of starry nights or just too plain excited to catch the explanation of this year's theme during our first meeting, here's what MOPS International has to say:

The MOPS Experience equips women for the joys and challenges of their lives as moms. One key factor in the MOPS Experience is the relationships built within a group. Time and time again, MOPS moms share that the friends they make in MOPS are significant for this season of their life and on into their future. God created us for relationship! It’s one of the defining parts of being human.

However, when you become a mom, all your relationships change. It’s like you have landed on a different planet—Planet Mom—and the relationships on Planet Mom don’t look like the ones on your previous planet. Your relationship with yourself is different—you are a mom! Your relationship with your husband, girlfriends, extended family, community and God have all changed. Many of these changes are positive, some are not. Even positive change requires adjustments on your part.

During the 2009-10 MOPS year, we will explore how to thrive in relationships Together on Planet Mom.

I'd say life as a MOM is like living on Mars sometimes (or should I say Jupiter as a shout out to my table!). I'm so excited to jump on this rocket with you girlies (equipped with plenty of Purel, lots of sunscreen and some goldfish...)!

This year you will be receiving periodic (probably twice a month) postings to the blog instead of a hard-copy or emailed newsletter. I encourage, no implore, you to post some comments. Share with your fellow earthlings your stories, thoughts, ideas and oops moments. That's how we learn!

Remember....we're together on Planet Mom!