when I grow up . . .

Skyscraper Museum, Scott Duncan, SOM

I asked my four-year-old what she wanted to be the other day.  "I want to be a Science Test!" she chirped.  So sweet.  Happy sigh.

My 10 year old?  A child who is intelligent, creative and driven.  She wants to be an architect working in New York City for Uncle Scott's firm.  My "Miss Precise."  Uncle Scott is a Director at SOM.  At 38, the youngest Director by decades.  Travels around the world.  Lives in a glamorous loft.  Works on massive projects.  Makes gigantic decisions.  Has teams of people working for him.

My 8 year old?  A professional chef who owns her own restaurant.  Coming from a child who LOVES Top Chef.  :)  She is my 'chopper".  My 'cooker'.  My 'money sorter'.  My "Miss Enthusiasm."

I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was younger.  Not original, I guess.  But, absolutely adored horses, dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters.  This was replaced during high school with my dream of becoming a reporter in Washington, D.C., followed by a strange vision of becoming a lobbyist during my college years.

I instead became a paralegal and transitioned while pregnant with my firstborn to becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom.

My days are jam-packed, just like everyone else's.  Car lines, music lessons, dance, baton, preschool, church, MOPS, Girl Scouts, neighbors, friends, family, laundry, groceries, dog, vacuuming, cleaning, washing dishes.

This wasn't exactly what I was going to 'be' when I grew up.  But, I am privileged to have this as my job.  It is an honor to be home with my family.  I try to do my "job" to the best of my ability.  I have to, at the end of the day, feel that this is enough.  It is enough simply to be "this" since I am now grown up.

Normally I am comfortable with this concept and satisfied with the impact I make on my family, my home and my community.  But, funny, I feel a little doubt there today.  It is not a feeling I like having.

So, I will return to putting away laundry, emptying the dishwasher and cleaning some baseboards.  All before I get in the car lines, two today, babysit a friend's daughter, run to the store for dinner, make dinner, get everyone to dance, homework, bath, brush teeth and get into bed.  And I will tell myself that this is enough.  What I am doing is making a difference.  'This' is what I should be.

It IS enough, isn't it?

windshield wipers . . . delicious! ;)

I picked up Ella, my three-year-old, from preschool the other day.  It had been Yellow Day.  Yellow painting, yellow clothes, yellow goody for Show and Tell, yellow snack.  I always love to hear about her day and asked her what she had for yellow snack.  "Windshield wipers, Mommy!"  said Ella.  "Windshield wipers?"  said I.  "Yes, windshield wipers." "You know, windshield wipers with banana pudding," she said appreciatively.

"Ohhhh, do you mean 'va-nil-la wa-fers"?  I said, cracking up.  "Yes, Mommy, wan-il-lad wa-pers.  Yum!"

She cracks me up.  I just love her to pieces . . .

date night . . . OPPAAAAA! ;)

While Date Night does not come as frequently as it once did, I am delighted to discover that I still know what to do . . . Pretty black dress, dressy shoes, earrings (that I made of course!) Since a trip to Greece was simply not practical this week, we took out the Date Car (not my Mom Mobile ;)) and made the half hour drive to International Drive in Orlando. We went to Taverna OPA, an utterly fabulous Greek restaurant unique to Florida. Belly dancers, flaming appetizers, Fire-eaters, attentive staff, great Greek wine, divine shrimp kebab entree and dessert . . . sigh.  Bumped into friends, danced around the room in a giant "Greek conga" line and completely enjoyed myself . . . every minute. Coming to visit Orlando? Make this wonderful restaurant a must on your list. Date nights? OPPPAAAAA! ;)

(This beautiful picture can be found at free image site www.cepolina.com)

must . . . go . . . do . . . laundry! :)

Ah, blog world, you are enticing and exciting, but I simply must depart and do some chores. I thought I would share a beautiful visual with you from one of my favorite spots in the world. Not only is she a fabulous friend, she is a gifted artiste! I can't wait to post pictures of the two signs she dropped off for me this weekend -- two signs for Morgan's Parisienne room. Tres magnifique! (Yes, you are right. I know no French. ;))

Please check out Heather's site at The Polkadot Fieldmouse. She is simply a precious person!

to Zicam or not to Zicam? ;)

Good afternoon and happy Sunday to all! While I am normally quite careful about strongly presenting one side or another of a subject, there are certain things that work for me and that I simply feel confident getting behind. :) I am a firm believer that each person is entitled to their own opinion. I love creatively-opinionated people, even if I disagree with them . . .

But, Zicam? I stand behind it. This is not an official endorsement in any way. This is one mom of three busy, busy girls (who are saturated in other kids) that wants to help her fellow mom from getting sick. I used to pick up colds regularly. Throw in schools, church, dance classes, girls scouts, grocery shopping -- ugh, when I THINK of the germs I must touch on a regular basis. (Love hand sanitizer, love Lysol wipes.) But, I still would get sick.

My mom kept pushing Zicam on me -- the orange 'dissolvable on your tongue' tablets. Last year I decided to give it a shot. I have no time to be sick. :) On about five occasions during the past year I have felt a serious cold coming on. Headache. Bodyaches. Sinuses. Drippy nose. Each time, right away, literally that day, I took Zicam and took it every couple of hours for the whole day. After food, after drink. Not on an empty stomach. And you know what? Every single time I have felt 95 percent better the next day. I now know to keep some in the house. I won't even let a couple of hours of feeling badly get past me. I'll take a single Benadryl right before I go to bed and it really works.

For me.

Of course, we are all different, but maybe this might be the year you decide to give it a try. It is sort of pricey -- like $10 for a bottle. But you don't need to use a whole bottle -- just enough for a couple of days. Anyway, for what it is worth, that is my 'almost forty-year-old mom of three' opinion. ;) (Just ask me how I feel about Tide -- :) -- that's a whole other post. lol) Pardon me while I jump down off of my soapbox and go get into super-comfortable 'not seeing anyone else today besides family' clothes. :)

flu mist friday . . .

Okay, my friends, it's flu mist Friday here at the Benson house. We haven't ever had the flu mist vaccine before -- what have your experiences been? Any thoughts?

3 words thursday . . .

I love to stop by 'And they lived happily ever after . . . ' It is always a sweet place to visit. Her family is just precious! Please head on over and say 'hello!'

She has a darling idea. 3 Words Thursday. Check out her football post. Too cute. I'm inspired. I can handle three words. ;)

Hmmmmmmmm.

My three words?

Caffeine. Grace. Prayer.

;)

square peg in a round hole . . . the 'whack-a-mole" approach to blog buttons. ;)

Many of you are extremely blog-savvy. I definitely am not. Tend to be more of the square peg in a round hole kind of approach girl if you know what I mean! In the past few months that I have had my blog I have struggled through figuring out the Etsy shop, changing backgrounds, three-column formats, scrolling marquis, etc. Each time I tried something new was a challenge, but a challenge I liked. I found that I enjoyed figuring out formatting and exploring the html world. One hurdle taunted me. I couldn't figure it out to save myself. The blog button. The grab button that shares a little bit of you with anyone nice enough to take you with them. (Thanks, sweet friends . . .)

Sigh. The elusive blog button. While I love my blue and brown professionally-prepared button, (oh my gluestick is a gifted artist), I struggle with a compulsive need to frequently change my backgrounds to reflect my moods. Probably annoying to others but satisfying to me. Kind of like putting on a new shirt or changing nailpolish colors. But, free. ;) Free is always nice in this economy.

So I have given the blog button a whirl using a lovely new discovery. Photoshop. Wow. Have you all known about Photoshop already? Beautiful free layouts for scrapbooks. So pretty! Love this place. Anyway, without much ado, I am placing my 'square peg in the round hole" button, pink and black, over on the right side of my blog. I think it works. I think the code works. So on that rainy boring day when you do not have a single thing to do, perhaps someone would consider trying this out and seeing if the 'whack-a-mole' approach to blog buttons actually works. (lol ;) ) Off to dance class with the girls -- simply have to load the dishwasher before I leave. Hope you are all having a great day!

seventeen bracelets, thirty-three pairs of earrings (and a partridge in a pear tree ;) ) . . .

Friends, I have just made a count of my inventory. Seventeen bracelets and thirty-three pairs of earrings. I have to double this amount in six weeks and still keep things 'oh so pretty!' Sigh. When will I have the time? Aargh.

she's crafty! (tell me you are not now channeling your inner Beastie Boy! ;)

I have a bit of a dilemma. Each year, twice a year, as coordinator, I am responsible for making homemade gifts for the women of my moms' group steering team. There are 32 women on my team this year. I took over from the super-crafty and wasn't at all myself. As such my beading passion was born! I have made earrings, bracelets and necklaces -- all very simple, all group theme-related (meaning colors, flowers, etc.).

Here's the rub. I am not sure what to make this year. I have a budget of $4.00 per mom. That's it. The ladies are pretty sophisticated crafters -- they, while very pleasant and kind, well, let's just say I would like them to be pleased by my efforts. Past coordinators have made an ornament, cell phone charm and soap.

I keep coming back to simple, elegant pendants. I can give them to the ladies on a simple organza ribbon to cut down on costs. They can then transfer them to a chain they already have.

This year's theme is about Travel. Planet Mom. Our table names are things like Ships, Trains, Planes, etc. Our donation basket is the Sky Miles basket. Our doorprize basket is a travel trunk.

I have no experience making homemade pendants. I have no experience making polymer clay pendants.

I keep thinking oval or rectangle. Smooth and polished. Clean lines and elegant or utterly charming. Sterling Silver. Maybe with blues, greens, grays and whites.

What can I possibly make, my bloggy friends? Any thoughts? Something will come to mind, I am sure. :)

a few elite members of the 'truffle-making entourage' . . . still dripping from the pool ;)!

If a soaking wet crew of third-graders can make beautiful truffles, you can too! The perfect teacher/neighbor/family Christmas presents . . . you can substitute adult beverages in for grown-up truffles. A splash of rum in the truffles you roll in coconut, a splash of Amaretto in the truffles you roll in almonds -- no worries, we stuck with vanilla for this crew!

the 10th birthday party . . . we'll always have Paris! ;)

It's Friday night around 5:15 p.m. and all is quiet. The house is immaculate. Pink, white and black balloons, everywhere. Pink tablecloths. The cake arrived at 3:30 and has been placed on a puff of pink netting. Furniture has been pushed back. I made platter after platter of baguettes, meats and cheeses. I bought pounds and pounds of fruits, bananas, apples, watermelon, three kinds of grapes. The crafts were ready -- ribbon barettes, boxes for their truffles. The simplest truffle recipe in the world was printed out and ready to go. Within moments, we had 21 little girls, from third grade through fifth grade, arrive at the house, ready for the birthday party. Three were mine. Four did not sleep over. 17 little girls, all in sleeping bags, on tons of extra quilts, comforters, blankets and more. Asleep by midnight, seven minutes before the shuttle launch. This was a treasure! I loved every exhausting moment of this opportunity to be a mom. Such a gift. What a wonderful job I have!

The truffle recipe:

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups of confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

Melt chocolate and pour into blended ingredients. Whip with hand-held mixer. Pull mixer out of tall bowl slowly to get mixture off of blades. Chill for one hour. Roll into balls. Roll in toppings. My toppings were lined up in different containers: coconut, minced nuts, cocoa powder, sprinkles -- chocolate and rainbow, sugar crystals, and crushed peppermint. These are easy, beautiful and super-fabulous as gifts. The girls loved them! We placed them in mini-muffin wrappers and fit three in each little box. Completely darling . . .

little tear of 'wow' in the corner of my eye . . .

So I stopped by our Braft Club (Remember? Book and Craft. ;) ) tonight on the way home from a ridiculously busy day with all three of my girls right after their dance class. It was about 7:30. My husband travels a lot -- he works with NASA -- and I had a little evening flexibility. I knew I couldn't stay. The kids needed to be home. But, I needed to see my friends and had said I would stop by. :)

They were busy making Fimo Pens. (Oh, I have to make some soon -- they are so awesome! ;) ) But, I digress. So we were visiting for a couple of minutes and we began to leave. As we were leaving, someone was arriving and calling my name. She had a surprise for me. It was Abbie of Overflow creams, lotions and scents. She said her mother was so excited about our efforts for the craft fair that she wanted to help. She mailed a whole box stuffed to the gills with beading supplies to Abbie to give to me. Beads, glass, clay, lampwork, metal, spacers, toggles.

I have to say that tear of total surprise, joy and pleasure coming at the end of an oh so tense afternoon just rolled right on down the cheek. Too spontaneous to stop. I have never even met Abbie's mother. For someone to be that generous . . . well, it makes you want to go do nice things for others. Hats off to kind people everywhere . . .

impatient cow . . .

Knock, Knock.

Who's there?

Impatient Cow.

Impatient Cow Wh -- MOO! -- o?

I crack myself up everytime my daughters and I tell this joke to each other. Doesn't take much I guess :) . . . Today was "making people laugh" day. Happy hopping, my friends!

better late than never . . . i absolutely love Glee!

I finally got around to watching Glee on my DVR. Glee aired on Fox during the middle of the summer. Where have I been? I absolutely loved it. Every minute of it. I believe the show starts up in the next couple of weeks. I won't miss a minute. What a GREAT show! Loved it!

ode to my crockpot . . .

I made a wonderful recipe yesterday. It was my daughter's 10-year-old birthday party for family and she had chosen French cuisine. Not being experienced and still being a regular non-fancy person, I decided to try a chicken cordon bleu recipe. Sadly, I had been storing items in my oven and off of my counter, forgot and lit the oven last week, burning the plastic Pampered Chef nesting bowls inside. Huge bummer on many fronts! Well, still needed to make dinner. My mother gave me a Chicken Cordon Bleu crockpot recipe which was simple and came out very well. I thought I would share.

Need:

Large package of fresh chicken breast, washed, trimmed and pounded flat (relatively)
1 lb. package of baked ham slices
1 lb. package of swiss cheese
Dill weed
Basil
Parsley
Salt
Pepper
1 c. white wine
1 can of fat-free cream of mushroom soup

Lay-out in large baking dish chicken breasts, top each breast with a slice of ham and a slice of cheese, sprinkle liberally with dill, basil, parsley, pepper and a bit of salt. Roll each breast and carefully place in bottom of large oval crock. Repeat. Mix white wine and soup -- pour over chicken. Cover entire dish with extra swiss. Cook for four hours on high, keep until ready to serve on low or warm. I transferred them all to a white serving dish and spooned out 'sauce' from the bottom of the crock over the breasts. They were very good and super-simple. I served a wild rice mix and young asparagus on the side with crusty French bread. Served five adults, three children and left enough for tonight. Ah, so nice to have dinner already ready . . .

here it is -- my seven minutes of fame . . . oh so stressful!

Okay, friends, I promised! I have included the link of the interview about my moms' group. Normally, I would be too self-conscious to do this, but if I can't relax with my blogging friends, then well . . . ? Be patient, I am interviewed with my friend, Melissa, after a brief introduction of a few other stories to come . . . Click on the right side next to Today in Brevard, Previous Shows -- go to August 24th, Lifestyles -- woman in red shirt. Enjoy! :)

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/NEWS01/90126025&template=mogulus

the bedspread is in . . . so excited!

Morgan turns ten in a few days. Room painted, check. Stepstool, shelves and bookcases painted, check. Curtains purchased, check. Clock, check. Artwork, on its way from Aunts and Uncles. Lamp from grandmother, check. I can't wait! (And even my laundry is done -- it has been quite a week! ;) )

Now to paint the ceiling fan, hang the curtain rod and wrap everything else . . .

She has asked for french cuisine. I let the girls (and anyone else who is here on their birthday) choose the country of their choice for the food I prepare. Problem. My oven is not working. Sigh. I'll share that story next time. Off to Bunko! :) Have a great night!

my television debut was taped today ;) . . .

Shhh! Don't tell anybody. Ha. Ha. I had my first television experience today. It was more fun than I thought it was going to be. A local television station interviewed me and a precious friend about our moms' group. I was nervous, but because the topic was one that I know inside and out, I couldn't help but have fun. No wardrobe malfunctions. No spilled coffee. No major "foot in mouth" moments. It was great to be behind the scenes, checking out how it all works. I have a tremendous appreciation for those who regularly appear on camera and are naturals. It is much harder than I thought it would be to come across like you want to. I had a ton of laughs and am really glad to have this experience under my belt. Plus, now I have major cool points with my girls because they think I'm famous! ;) If I can track down any kind of link, I'll post it . . .

beginning bloggers . . . i have found the answer to 'how do I get my treasured blogging badges to scroll?"! ah, getting misty again . . .

I love my bloggy friends' blog buttons. I think they are pretty and I love anything that showcases peoples' creativity. Over the two months or so that I have been blogging, I have developed quite a collection of great buttons of lovely blogs. I have been admiring the scrolling marquis approach on many a sophisticated blog for some time now and was keeping that in the back of my mind as My Next Great Blog Adjustment Project. Lo and behold, McKlinky sends me a note with all of the clues -- literally fell out of the sky. Love that! Here it is for everyone else that might want to give it a go . . . (Oh, and minor tweak -- I widened the pixels from 125 to 185 to fit the wider badges favored by some of my friends -- you'll see what I mean when you review the code.)
McLinky's Scrolling Marquis Widget Advice
Enjoy!

and why has it taken me six days to come relax on my blog? for shame . . . :)

1. Preschool and regular school began last week. Homework.

2. Had to find a family picture that I was actually in for my preschooler's Coconut Attendance Tree. (Unbelievably hard! I am the picture-taker.)

3. Had neighborhood kids over every day. Literally every day and I loved every minute of it. Everyone is so much happier.

4. Worked a "dancewear" yard sale at my daughters' dance studio open house. All day Saturday.

5. Church.

6. Girl Scout Meeting at the Police Department.

7. Anniversary Dinner at my parents' house.

8. PTO Meeting.

9. Painted my daughter's room, bookshelf, nightstand, two stools and rearranged her room. This weekend will be the "Big Reveal" for her 10th Birthday.

10. Made and sent out invitations to her "Une Soiree a Paris" party.

11. Met with my daughter's orthodontist about beginning treatment.

11. Colored my hair. (Part of my Fall Overhaul -- read more).

I had to write down this list. I have felt like I haven't accomplished much in my house this week. My living room floor is covered in laundry. Everything needs Fall Cleaning and I need a Fall Overhaul. Sometimes making a list of things you have already done as opposed to what you have to do will say "look -- you did plenty!" But, I have missed my blogging nest and my bloggy friends. If only I had a laptop that I could play with in the car line, picking up the kids from school . . . If only! (Oh, and the picture of my imagined Martha Stewart-esque organized self? If only . . . if only! :) )

tag, i'm it!

I love Smell the Coffee, Lisa. She is a great commenter, hilarious, quirky and fun. Simply great! I enjoy every minute I 'visit' with her! She's tagged me so I get to share. Five things that I love. Hmmmmmmmm. Of course, there are the serious answers. My family. God. My friends. Church. The list I am about to share is a walk on the wee bit less serious side.

1. Totebags -- maniacally (is that a word?) obsessed with totebags of any kind. I have a totebag for everything. I like shopping for totebags. I like getting them, filling them, looking at them -- everything totebags. Three of my happiest (jk) days were the day we made bedazzled tote bags in my moms' group, the day my moms' group gave me a Vera tote as a present and the day I found five beach tote bags that were normally $20 apiece on clearance for $1.48. Yes, I bought them all and I have used them selfishly just for me. Decadence!
2. Dance music -- I can get so much more done when Disturbia and Mambo 5 and Lady Gaga are playing in the background.
3. Caffeine -- I start the day with coffee and iced tea and don't stop all day. I love caffeine and it loves me.
4. Grosgrain ribbon -- I love the way it looks, it feels, the colors, the texture -- I would wrap myself in it and wear it everywhere.
5. Bread -- good, crusty, yummy warm baguettes with butter on it. Oh, I like bread so very, very much!

Wow. I had no idea this post would be so random. Hilarious! I am tagging two people who I would love for them to spend more time blogging. These women are WONDERFUL and I love them to pieces.

-- The Polkadot Fieldmouse
-- Laugh or Weep

Thanks, Lisa Anne, for making me laugh! Heather and Jesse, tag, you're it!

calm before the storm . . .

My girls returned to school this week. Ella began preschool for the first time. It is a strange feeling to contemplate having those few hours two times a week to myself. Sort of a guilty feeling, surprisingly enough. I can see myself filling that time quickly with obligations that are kid-related, like additional volunteering at my children's schools or my church, but am getting this weird vibe that maybe I should grab a little bit of it for myself. For so long, we have been running, running, running, would it hurt for me to have a little bit of "off-duty" time? I don't know. Perhaps leaving the door open during this calm before the storm is the right answer. There is nothing wrong with grabbing coffee with friends. There is nothing wrong with a little sanity break at the computer. Hmm. Hi, I'm Linda and I am learning how to be comfortable with seeing blank spots in my calendar . . . ;)

thank you, 5 Sweet Peas, for my Fab Award!

A heartfelt thank you to the delightful Melissa at 5 Sweet Peas for this wonderful award! Melissa is full of great encouragement and comments. Please check out her oh so pretty! site. This award came at a simply delightful time -- can you see the sweat on my brow from yesterday's efforts? (LOL -- It was actually fun!) I appreciate the award and the sentiments behind it.

The rules for accepting this award are to post it on your blog with a link to the blog that gave it to you and tag 5 other fabulous blogs. I love so many that it is hard to choose. As I just honored many of my favorites a few weeks ago, I'd like to share with you some new discoveries -- I hope you enjoy them too! We also have to list 5 things we obsess over. Took me seconds to make this list.

1. Caffeine
2. My girls
3. So You Think You Can Dance (such a dufus . . .)
4. My moms' group
5. Chocolate, Travel, Great Wines, Wonderful Friends, Blogging (Oops! Couldn't help myself!)

Thank you again, Melissa -- very sweet!

Five of My Newly-Discovered Fab Blogs

Smell the Coffee, Lisa

The Blah Blah Blahger

Jesse Kate Designs

Pickled Pepper Photography

Carma Sez . . . There's Always Something

omg, is there no end to my ocd happiness?

I know I am in trouble when I found myself choking up with joy that I was able to figure out how to line up all of my buttons on the right side of my blog . . . Linda, step away from the blog! LOL! ;)