Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Gianna Jessen: Abortion Survivor






Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Baby Showers

There is a baby boom going on around me! So many of my friends and family are with child, which means lots of baby showers to attend. I'm not lying--I really do love baby showers. It is so exciting to see a mama-to-be being lavished with onesies, blankets, and diapers, and she is all smiles and glows. She has no idea what's coming. And by that, of course, I mean that her life is about to be changed forever. And by that, of course, I mean that motherhood is completely wonderful. Completely. Of course.

:)

No, I really do love baby showers and getting to celebrate a brand new person coming into existence. There is nothing like it. I loved each of my own baby showers and truly appreciated all the help and gear being offered to me by people who loved me and my family. I needed the support as well as all the baby stuff, as does every new mother. And really, does any woman ever get tired of buying precious little baby outfits?! And I think it's okay that I'm glad that I'm buying them for other people's babies.

So bring on the powder pink and baby blue! Bring on the diaper cakes! Bring on the baby-food-tasting and guess-the-melted-candy-bar-in-the-diaper games! Bring on the baby showers! All us mamas will bring you gifts and sit and smile at you . . . albeit a knowing smile.

Mama Question: What's your favorite gift to give at baby showers?


Friday, September 24, 2010

And the winners are . . .






Congrats to Elise! You've won the Sweetpea Beauty prize package!

                         









                                        --and-- 











Congrats to Alison! You've won the Noah's Umbrella prize package!








Thanks for sharing your comments with us, ladies! I am inspired by your adoption stories. I hope that your family will enjoy these Veggie Tales items. Just e-mail your mailing address to me at heycarriepartridge@gmail.com, and I'll mail your prizes to you next week. Congrats!


Fun Friday: "His Cheeseburger"

In honor of our Veggie Tales drawing today . . . and because I'm craving a cheeseburger . . . enjoy this Silly Song.




Thursday, September 23, 2010

Dropping the Kids Off at School

Most of the time, my husband drops the kids off at school, but there are days when I am the one to take them. I don't mind, though, because I can just throw my hair in a ponytail, wear whatever slouchy clothes are nearby, and put some sunglasses on my un-made-up-and-probably-not-washed-face. After all, I won't have to see or talk to anyone, since I can just let the kids out of the van near the entrance to the school.

Unless my kindergartner begs me to walk her into her class.

This was the case this morning. I sort-of hmmm'd and twisted my mouth as I tried to think of a good reason why I couldn't escort her into the building.



"I don't know, Katie," I said.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?," she pleaded.

"Katie, she doesn't want to," my eldest daughter told her little sister. "She doesn't have any make-up on."

"So!," Katie replied. "It doesn't matter. It's the morning! And I don't have on any make-up either!"

"You're five," Callie reminded her.

"I'm SIX!," Katie retorted, still savoring the memory of her birthday last week.




Katie and I had to laugh, but since Callie doesn't appreciate being laughed at, she decided to answer us with her fourth grade logic: "Well, if you round, you're five!" Hmmmm . . . But I'm not a morning person, so I didn't have it in me to even give an answer to that bit of reasoning.

But I digress.

Since I've never wanted to be the kind of woman who can't let herself be seen in public without make-up and because I certainly don't want to send a wrong message to my impressionable daughters, I decided to suck it up and traipse into the school as-is. Of course, since Katie wanted me to walk her all the way to her classroom and not just to the front door, I had to stop in the office and get a visitor's pass. Then I think I greeted every teacher and parent in the hallway, plus I talked to each of my children's teachers.

The dropping-off process that normally involves hugs, kisses, an opening of the van door, and a wave of the hand ended up being a 10-minute social event. It was good, I'm sure, but I felt very conscious of my aura. On my way out, I had to drop off my visitor's pass in the office, but there was a line of tardy students waiting to receive passes. So I waited. Finally, the school security guard came over to me, took my pass, and told me not to worry about signing out, that she'd do it for me.

"You just want to leave, right?," she asked.

"Yes. I just want to leave."

Tomorrow morning the hug/kiss/door/wave will have to suffice.


Mama Question: Do you walk your kids into the school building or just drop them off?

*Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway! The drawing is tomorrow.


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

A Wonderful Song and a Fun Giveaway!

Listen to this beautiful song, "Meant to Be," by Steven Curtis Chapman for VeggieTales' upcoming release, It's a Meaningful Life. You'll be blessed by both what you'll hear and what you'll see!



And since we're talking VeggieTales, why not have another giveaway?! I have two prize packages to give. To be entered in the drawing, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me what you like or what stood out to you the most about this song/video.

I'll have the drawing this Friday, September 24th, at noon. Spread the word! Here's what you can win:

The Sweetpea Beauty package, which includes:
  • Sweetpea Beauty: A Girl After God's Own Heart (A Lesson About True Beauty) DVD
  • Sweetpea Beauty jigsaw puzzle
  • Sweetpea's Songs for Girls CD
  • Sweetpea Beauty stickers







--OR--



The Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella package, which includes:
  • Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella (A Lesson in Confidence) DVD
  • Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella jigsaw puzzle
  • VeggieTales 25 Favorite Action Songs CD
  • Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella stickers











Friday, September 10, 2010

Fun Friday: Reflections of Motherhood

Sorry I haven't posted anything this week. Maybe this will make up for it . . .

Mamas, what would YOU tell yourselves???




Friday, September 3, 2010

Fun Friday: "(A More Real) Love Story"

Yep.




Thursday, September 2, 2010

And Another Totally Desperate Mom Story!

This Totally Desperate Mom moment was submitted by Tiffany van Gorder. Yeesh . . .

Spent an afternoon at the pool by myself with my two daughters (5 and 2) while my husband enjoyed a day at the golf range. I even took them to get an ice cream cone afterwards. Came home relaxed and ready to do a load of laundry. Walked down the hall to put away some clothes only to come across a pretty bad smell. Not sure what it was until I entered my youngest daughter's bedroom and found my two dogs had gotten into her diaper genie. Needless to say, the room was a mess and I had to go into instant clean up mode - screaming but trying to keep the profanities out of my vocabulary. Five minutes later, my husband gets home after having a pretty good day, thinking he would return to three happy girls. Not exactly the case! The house didn't return to normal until the carpet cleaners arrived two days later and I awaited my next Totally Desperate Mom Moment.