From SWEET DREAMS to REALITY......!

This was a recent morning, most of it happened before school started! Now not all mornings are like this, but like the saying says "when it rains, it pours!" There comes a point where you just have to laugh at everything that is happening!! And then wonder...why is this ALL happening to me?  IN ONE DAY!? What did I do? It started off with the KIDS fighting....Alex got punched in the face...by Katie(why, cause she says he is annoying)....to 6 kids making SNOWFLAKES in my kitchen and me having to sweep up all the bits of paper. And I swear, these kids were cutting just for the sake of cutting!!

Then as we started to go to school, the kids were running on the snow covered ice(regardless of my yelling "don't run, there is ice there")...to which Katie falls and then declares she will not go to school....to me finally bribing her to go, cause if you can't go to school then you can't go to a birthday party tomorrow! She decides to try school and since we don't have any tissues on hand, I use my red mitten and clear the snot off her face.

When I finally arrive home, sweep the floor from all the sand off their boots, put away all the PS3 equipment, I noticed cat puke in the corner!! While cleaning that up, my headache, which I have had since waking up, is intensifying and I wish that I could go back to my dream....BUT no, in the fridge I notice that a bag of milk has been leaking for about a week, and NO there wasn't any sour milk smell.

Finally cleaning and organizing things, to a point where I thought I could breathe....the phone rings....it's the SCHOOL!! Katie is too sore and is crying to go home! In the back of my mind...I was thinking about my DREAM!

My DREAM...cause it most certainly was a dream...I was being PAID to go to PARIS and WRITE!
I was travelling to the EIFFEL TOWER! I was just starting to walk up the stairs when I woke up......!

And you wonder why I like to have the occasional glass of wine!!?

After a Twitter Party, I still #ChooseAverage and thats OK!

Last night I partook in my first Twitter party...it was on the recent release of the Dove commerical........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DdM-4siaQw.

After reading tweets, favourites, retweets and commenting here and there...I left the party and thought about what was written as I laid in bed...it was hard to fall asleep. Sentences were forming in my head! Comments I should have said but the 140 word character was crippling my expressions.

I would have walked through the average door...that's what I feel...I have always felt average! But now that I am approaching 40(gulp), I am more comfortable with my average self...slightly! I am average on the outside! On the inside, I #ChooseBeautiful! I have a huge heart that is full of kindness and laughter....it oozes out of me! Isnt' that more important?

Beauty comes from within. And lets face...most outer beauty, in today's society, is fake. Make up and plastic surgery haunt our every move...we see it daily...hourly....through ads, magazines, tv and even hear about it on the radio.  It is fed to us, subconsciously...maybe we really don't hear what is being said...but deep down we HEAR and SEE it! Women and men, are competing...who is thinnest, smartest, prettiest, handsomest, sexiest and wealthiest. Those that are suckered into this are influencing their children...and so the cycle continues. Its scary! I have to admit...I am guilty!

I want rid of my grey hairs, flabby tummy and flapping arms. I read about various exercises and tried things out....only to quit after a few weeks...and partake in the once in a while regime. Slowly I am realizing I have that flabby tummy cause I gave birth to 3 huge, beautiful children. Flapping arms...well, I was slightly bigger years ago(and I should rejoice and celebrate that I am no longer that older self). So I am a work in progress! I realize THOSE ads are GARBAGE! But what about our younger, vulnerable generation? Perhaps Dove is targeted towards those(of all ages and gender) with self esteem issues? For those that are easily swayed by society ....Dove wants to encourage strength and #ChooseBeautiful.

But for me...I know I am average...and I am OK with that!! I will never have that waist, that face, that hair, those arms....but I will have a beautiful heart which will outshine it all...and make you fall in love with me!
 I am teaching my kids....my Daughter and Sons... that they are beautiful on the inside...even when they don't think so! That we should love and respect ourselves(our true self)...perfection does not exist, there are flaws in everything...and that most of society, media, fashion and Hollywood(minus a few great actors/actresses that know the truth)are fake! Be you! Love you!

After I #ChooseAverage, this was part of the next screen, along with a kit to help me #ChooseBeautiful::

"Beauty is a choice available to all of us every day. However, it’s a simple truth that women all over the world don’t feel able to see themselves as beautiful.
Mindfulness is a way of helping us all think more positively about ourselves by learning to appreciate our own unique beauty."

Here come the TWEEN YEARS...first sign, "I'm running AWAY!"

As a parent you know most school mornings are a rush.....trying to get everything done and motivate your kids to, let's say, SHOWER!! Currently my 9yo dislikes SHOWERS and does a dance of frustration when it's his turn!! This happened yesterday...as a result a mini-battle ensued and he lost privileges to the PS3 for the rest of the week!! Any parent knows....you have the power when you threaten to take away the PS3! Quickly their attitude changes...it's their life line..(sadly)...and once you take it away...they become a puddle of mush on the floor! But after doing this, things change...the child actually does other things!! They go outside, they read, they draw...!! It's a miracle!! They're ALIVE!!

This morning he was back on the PS3...I reminded him about his punishment!! He thumped upstairs and I didn't see him for awhile! Getting the other kids ready for school, I walked past his door...he was dressed, poster down off the wall and he was bunching up his bed sheet! Curious...I asked what he was doing!

"I am running away, I am giving the poster to Alex...and the sheet is for the food that I am taking....I'm just gonna walk to school and sit on the curb and wait for the bell."

My reply, "What are you gonna do later? And you can't take my food. You use your OWN money to buy food. And you will need lots of money to survive. And if the police see you, they will bring you back to me or take you to foster care. You will live in a strangers house and most likely go to another school."

He thought for a bit...."Well, I'll get a job delivering and buy my own food. I just want a new life."

I listened to his speech and he seemed determined in his running away! I could only think of this, "Well food is really expensive now a days...delivering doesn't pay much...you are going to be eating a lot of pasta and you don't like pasta! Also...you want a new life? By doing this you WILL have a new life for sure! But you know what, you will leave THAT new life too, cause you didn't change. You need to change your thoughts, attitudes and perspective and life will be amazing...if you stay here and just change your attitudes and accept that you have to shower, DAILY...you will have an amazing life!! And you know what...if you don't shower..you are gonna be alone...cause you will be STINNNNNKY!! Life can and will be hard and it will be harder when you leave. If you stay here...you have Daddy and I to help you! We will always be here to help!"

We sat on the bed and decided to have a "redo"!! He is currently in school and his bed sheet is back on his bed!

The running away made me think of myself! When I was around his age...I ran away!! I didn't like how I was being treated...and that part is fuzzy....I can't remember WHAT triggered the running away...but I was determined!! My little Brother was standing by the tree...crying, cause he didn't want me to leave! I remember THAT vividly!!
I ran away....and returned shortly after!! Mom didn't even know that I was gone!! LOL!! I feel like I have come FULL CIRCLE!

I have 3 kids....it's just the beginning, isn't it!?