Why yesterday sucked.....

No matter how old your babies get, they're always your babies. I learned that yesterday as I carried my 13-year-old daughter down a flight of stairs, to the car and into the hospital after she sliced her feet open.

I wasn't supposed to be home yesterday when she got hurt, but thank God, I started catching a cold and had a fever on Monday night, so I just happened to be home. I can't even imagine what she would've done had I not been home with her. Also because I was sick, I had dropped the boys off with their grandma about an hour and a half before she got hurt, which I later realized was a good thing.  So anyway, I was in bed yesterday afternoon when I heard a thump and then she started screaming from her bedroom. I went in and saw the glass table flipped over and she was on the ground screaming. She says she was not standing on the table, she was sitting on it....either way, I have absolutely no idea why she would do that. She says the table flipped back and her legs were dangling over when the glass shattered. Anyway, I pulled her into the bathroom and once I figured out where she was bleeding, I wrapped her cuts (which were on both of her feet) with towels.  I knew she needed stitches, but I didn't think an ambulance was necessary, so after contemplating how the heck I was going to get her to the car, after calling every man I knew who may be in the area and got no answer, I just picked her up and carried her myself. She is taller than me and weighs almost the same, so thank God for adrenaline. She was saying "I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry" as I carried her. She hasn't called me mommy in forever. Poor Lulu. 

(Side note: I got her to the car and didn't remember to wear socks and shoes myself. I was a HOT MESS. I didn't even throw flip-flops on....because I didn't even notice my own feet. Haha) 

She got 19 stitches on her left foot and the rest of the cuts were able to be bandaged and Steri-stripped.  Her tendons were luckily not cut, and as all of you probably know, Lindsey's entire life is dance, so again, thank God it wasn't worse. When I saw that her heel was cut, I won't lie, I was panicked. 

She's in pain, but she's ok. She won't be able to walk for 2 weeks and she will have to ease back into dance when she goes. I'm picking up her crutches today so she won't feel so stuck. 

July 4th pictures

The Soul's Right to Breathe

"I'd rather be a free man in my grave, than living as a puppet or a slave." -Winston Churchhill

Before I go any further, I want to thank all of the men and women in uniform who have fought and died for the freedom that my family, friends, and I enjoy. I am so very thankful for those who have protected my freedom of speech and expression.  I thank the military for allowing me to give my children a peaceful childhood, one without terror and violence, and I am thankful that I get to wake up in the morning and live my life how I want to live it.

Sometimes I think we have so many options as Americans that we may take our freedom for granted.  It's important not to do that because if you don't appreciate or understand the value of freedom, it's easy for someone to take it away from you.  If you don't know what it feels like for someone to pin you down and force you into things, you might not see what a blessing a set of wings and an open door is.  So tomorrow, as you get all cute in your red, white, and blue and drink beer and watch fireworks, remember what it all means.....

For freedom to exist you have to appreciate it.  There are always going to be those who would rather conform and follow, but there have to exist those who are willing to fight.  Appreciate those people.  To appreciate freedom, you have to also respect opposing opinions and lifestyles and understand that you are enforcing freedom for yourself by accepting others.  It always kills me when one group talks about their religion, their civil rights, and their political beliefs while trying to permanently squash another.  They don't even understand the simplest principle on which this country was founded and they will never understand how lucky they are to live here.  People like that scare me on one hand and then on the other, I want to laugh at them because they don't understand anything at all. Being free requires having an open mind and an open heart and when people are closed off; they are trapped in their own heads.  It's sad.  The people who want freedom for themselves but are unwilling to give it to others are undeserving of the freedom they've been given and they will never ever appreciate it.  Understanding the concept of freedom is much like understanding free will.  How can you claim to understand that God gave us free will and then not understand that this comes with responsibility?  If we take free will for ourselves, we are going to have to put up with and live amongst people who are different than we are and who believe different things because you are no better than them.  Freedom is the same way.  Henry Ward Beecher said "Liberty is the soul's right to breathe".  We are blessed to live in a country that was founded on the belief that freedom is inherent.  Respect that.  Honor it by respecting others.  Love others, even if they are different.

Happy 4th of July one day early!  Be safe!  I will not be posting much the next few days because I will be in Ohio with Brea.  I will post pictures when I get back. And then there's this video:

Girl Code

Girls who make statements like "I hate girls, they're all drama", in my opinion, are missing out on some amazing relationships.  In my opinion, they are doing one of two things or both:  1.) They are either drama themselves or 2) They are not picking the right girls to be friends with.  While it is true that girls can be drama, I can honestly say that  I don't have friends like that. When I have, they don't get far with me.  (Or I don't get far with them because I do something unknowingly to set off their dramatic flair and then I shrug my shoulders and say "Meh" because I ultimately don't care.)

All my bitches love me and I love all my bitches because we understand and abide by Girl Code:
(by the way, I totally sounded like Lil Wayne when I said that.)

1. Chicks Before (A Word That Rhymes with Sticks): You want to know why Brea and I have stayed friends all of these years?  We established a rule when we were 15.  We told each other that we would never let a guy come between us, period.  We went even further by deciding that even if we HATED each other's boyfriends, and trust me, we have in the past, we would keep our mouths shut until the other asked for an opinion.  I married Brea's cousin, we're now divorced, and Brea and I just got matching tattoos.  Trust me, our relationship is solid because we put each other first, and sometimes putting someone first means having to deal with situations or people you don't like.  In the end, I know that there is always at least one person who is there and she knows the same. We can say anything to each other because we know it's always in each other's best interest.
2. Venting is allowed, judging is not. Sometimes we need to cry and cuss it out.  Sometimes we aren't ready to be logical and calm and our best friends know that.  We need to be able to let everything out, without judgment, and once we calm down, we will ask for a fresh take on it because why?  Because we are ready.  Venting is a necessity for us and it's something that men don't seem to understand.  I remember when I was married, I often said to my husband "I'm just talking about something, I don't need you to fix it or offer up a solution!"  Poor men, they just don't understand us and it's because they are trouble-shooters.  I get it.  They simply can't comprehend that talking about something can itself be the solution.  Sometimes we also need each other to drag the venting out....what I mean is this: I am not always the first one to say that I am not ok.  I will never forget the time Brea told me that it wasn't normal that I hadn't cried all year (when I should have) and before I knew it, I was crying on the phone and I finally started to deal with some things.  My friends know when my smile is hiding something and they push me when I need it.
3. Blood Is Not Thicker Than Water. My girlfriends have been part of my family since I was a child.  I would take a bullet for them. 
4. Take Care of Each Other (even after death). Ok, so one of my girlfriends and I have a deal that goes something like this: if we look horrendous in our caskets, close it.  If we die, break into the corpse's house and collect and burn anything embarrassing-this can be anywhere from deleting text messages to throwing away all sexual contraband and crotchless panties.  We also have a deal that if we happen to die from something humiliating (like Toxic Shock Syndrome), we plot a massive cover-up and tell everyone that we died from something else. 
5. Have Each Other's Backs. If someone says something about one of my friends, my friend can rest assured that I will have their back.  This rule also becomes extremely important when drinking and partying.  You watch out for your friends and you protect them at all costs.  I once got thrown into a paddy-wagon because I wouldn't leave my sister when she was being harassed.  That's a long story, one that did not leave me with a record (thank God) but anyway, if you are my friend....believe me when I say that I have your back, even if I am about to get handcuffed for it. My friends have all had my back as well.  My friend, Katie, once witnessed a boyfriend grab my arm too hard and that led her to scream "Don't ever touch her again!' Before I knew it, she'd punched him in the face and he flew backwards over a chair.  She grabbed me and said "We're leaving. Now!!!" And we left. See, when you have friends like this, you know you have each other's backs and you trust them.  You take their opinions into consideration before you do anything.  I never argued with her.  I left without saying goodbye to the prick and that was that.
6. Keep Secrets Secrets. This is pretty simple. You take stuff to the grave, period. 

Break-up like a woman

I thought this list was pretty good.  If you are getting over someone, hope this helps.


http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/relationship-advice/breakup-grown-woman-recovery