Wednesday, November 26, 2008

It's the most wonderful time....

Ah yes! Sliding into the holiday swing of things. And my calendar is getting full again. :-)

It's all good. It's really nice to be busy around this time of the year. But not too busy that you forget what it's truly all about. I know that tends to happen sometimes. Especially when you are jockeying for that position in line to check out. Or just waiting to be waited on by an overworked retail person. Just remember your fellow humans this holiday season...kindness really does go a long way.

*climbs down and puts away soapbox*

My son was in a car accident last week. He's ok as well as the friends he was with. We did have to go to the ER being that his friends said that Ry passed out for several minutes after the impact. So we waited for 6.5 hours to get a scan done of his head to make sure nothing was wrong. During the time we waited, he got a headache and started feeling sick to his stomach. I informed the triage nurse of this but it didn't seem to speed up the urgency for anyone to see him. When we decided to announce that we were leaving the ER because we had been there for SIX AND A HALF HOURS, all of a sudden his name was called to go into the actual ER. Imagine that! Still took an hour to get tests done, read, reported and discharged. *sighs* Now we wait for what the insurance companies will say for all of this. Little does my son know that whatever monies he recieves will go to get him registered for college. Momma's tired of her slacker!!!!

My daughter turned 17 on Monday (24th). We took her and her friends out to eat. It was what she asked for. No major celebration or party. It was her and 3 of her friends. We all had such a good time. She says she had a good time because she knew she was surrounded by people that cared, truly cared about her. Teenagers are very very fake nowadays (save this subject for another blog post..LOL!) Her best friend that she's known since they were 5 or 6 showed up at our house close to Midnight on Sunday with a small birthday cake so that she could surprise Jessa and be the first one to say Happy Birthday to her. As for momma, it's hard to believe my baby is now 17. It's so crazy how the years fly by.

I am off to my cousin's house tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to playing with their small children. OH! and eating delicious food, of course. I will be fixing a seven layer salad, mashed potatoes, gravy & cranberry sauce. MMMM, sounds good so far huh??

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all!!!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Ok so I'm nervous....

The church I attend puts together an annual Christmas musical production. This is complete with an originally written script, actors, stagehands, backstage managers, lighting people, sound & video techs, directors, soloists and a 60 member choir, a bomb-diggity church assistant that pays attention to every detail, costumers, hair & make-up people, and a green room with a food spread to die for @ each night's performance. I know I am probably missing a group of people and I apologize if I am.

But in all honesty, our church's sanctuary is not big enough for this type of production. Only through the grace of God do we manage to get it done.

This is our sixth year doing it. My fourth in being involved in some form or another. I have been a part of the writing team for the last three and got a small acting part several years ago. Since that time, I haven't managed to get another acting part due to the main director not wanting to lose me as a backstage manager. This year, however, I've been given a speaking part and it's alittle bigger than before (i.e. way more lines to memorize!!!). Although not as big as some others. I am also still helping direct and be a backstage manager. Don't ask me how I'm doing it...cause I don't know. LOL!!

My main point in this post is...

I am trying very hard to get over my fear of acting. Isnt' that funny!?? I love cold reading the script when we're writing and tweaking it. All who hear me say that I have a great reading voice and get into character. But it is way different when you are reciting lines and aware that if you don't say them correctly you can mess up someone's cue line as well as worry if someone is going to mess up your cue line. We have some FANTASTIC people in our church that can memorize lines very quickly and in turn act them out on stage with flair. They make it seem very easy. So WHY IN THE WORLD AM I HAVING SUCH A PROBLEM??? AARRRRGGHHHHH!! I know that I can do this because I can be a complete ham and can daydream/imagine like nobody's business!!

With that being said, we have roughly two weeks to go before opening night. I still have lines to memorize. *big grin* It will happen!! Only through Him, will it happen!! I will maintain focus.

Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it. ~ Mark Twain

If you live in the Atlanta area and would like to come check out the play. Let me know!

An Evening in December - Ephesus Baptis Church
A Story of Light
December 6th, 7th & 8th @ 7pm.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Life with Teenagers

Yes, I know I'm not the only one who blogs about having teenagers, the problems with teenagers, how to get rid of teenagers. Ok, the last one I jest. A little.

I just read this blogpost from Shannon, aka Rocks In My Dryer. http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2008/11/what-we-remembe.html

and obviously it got my thinkbox to roaming aimlessly through the marvelous theatrical trailer of "the life & times of Misha". It also made me think of what memories my teenagers may have of their childhood and what the hubs and I have contributed to their mental movie reel of cherished memories.

I have to say that I am completely different from Shannon in remembering good vs. bad memories. I recall mostly bad memories. Not that my life was horrific but I've had things that have happened to me that weren't exactly idyllic. As I think back right at this very moment, most of my good memories involve my grandmother more than my mom. My mom was a YOUNG single mother of the late 60's, 'nuff said. My grandmother stepped in to help in parenting me for the first 4 years of my life. My mom eventually got married to a man that adopted me. But he had been married before and already had a son. Coupled with his ex-wife and his own family background, it made for a lot of drama in our household. My memories consist of alot of arguing and yelling and fighting. Between mom & kids, dad & kids, mom & dad. Wasn't uncommon to settle a problem with someone screaming in your face and/or a belt beating.

I vowed, with my own kids, to not repeat the history. I failed miserably. I have had my children ask me several times to not yell at them when they do something wrong. I think that I have gotten better as the years have rolled on. There are times I still slide back into the old screaming, nagging, whiny mom. The difference now is I catch myself. Either in midflow or even before it starts. Do I say this to glorify myself for recognizing the pattern and stopping it? No. I say it to show that the Lord has given me strength and the knowledge to do so. Of recognizing that it is not easy to change a habit that had been ingrained into you for years and you cannot do it by yourself. That He revealed to me that you can talk to your kids about problems and issues and they will listen. Really, they will listen more when you are not yelling at them. They may not act on your advice or understand what you are saying the first (hundred) times. But it sticks.....eventually.

It's also important to create those fun times with them. To do fun and crazy things with them (such as an impromptu food fight, in your own home of course) or sitting in the living room talking with the TV off and sharing jokes and laughing.

Also remember to hug them and kiss them and love on them. They need your touch. They may not say it but they do. More so than you could ever know.

I say all of this because a very recent memory popped into my own head while reading Shannon's post.

Last night my 18 year old son slid onto the couch where I was sitting and leaned up against me for a bit then slid down to the opposite side and put his feet on my legs. My 16 year old daughter greeted me at the door last week wanting a hug.

When I was a teenager, it was very rare that my mom and I hugged or showed any type of affection at all.

So maybe I'm doing ok at this mom thing after all.......

but only by the Grace of God.