Job description

PARENT - Job Description

(This is hysterical. If it had been presented this way, I don't believe any of us would have done it!!!! )

POSITION : Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma, Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :
None required unfortunately.On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

** AND A FOOTNOTE - THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!! **

My job

It is amazing to be a mom. It is rewarding, challenging and life altering. It is my job and I love it! It is overwhelming yet humbling to think that I comfort Emma and provide her security that no one or nothing else can. When she gets hurt or can't fall asleep at night she calls for me. Recently Emma has become rather attached to me at bedtime. She wants to me to read a half dozen books, lay down beside her, rub her back, and rock and/or sing to her. Some nights I can't help but think that in twelve years she won't want me to tuck her in. In fifteen years she will be preparing to move away to college and will be a whole phone call away :(

I can remember viewing my mom as that provider of reassurance and refuge. It is a great responsibility to bring a baby into the world and to nourish, guide and teach it to eventually become a productive member of society. Sometimes I wonder how I will be able to physically and emotionally provide this for two (or more) children at the same time. I truly believe that God will provide the strength and ability to do so.

I looked up synonyms for the word "mother" and here are some examples of what I found: administrator, architect, author, builder, creater, dean, elder, encourager, generator, initiator, introducer, leader, maker, matriarch, motor, prime mover, organizer, originator, sponsor and supporter. It is awesome that as soon as we become mothers we are all of these things and more! Talk about some major multi tasking!!

"Two" cute!!

Yesterday we went over to a friend's house here in Cameron. Maggie has two little girls, Ava and Anna. Ava and Emma were actually born on the exact same day (12/11/06)! Anna is just over a year old. They are moving to Houston this weekend.

There is nothing quite as cute as two 2 yr olds in a splash pool :) The girls had such a fun time together! Enjoy the photos.

Our little dancing star

Emma did a great job at her first recital on Sat night! We were so proud of her. Here are some photos and the video is soon to follow! We are taking a break from dance classes this summer but look forward to starting pre ballet in the Fall :)

Austin trip

Jarrod was asked to accompany three students to the state history fair in Austin over the past couple of days. Emma and I met them down there last night and had a fun time! Emma got to swim in the hotel pool with her daddy as soon as we arrived! She loved it! She jumps in with no fear.....and it worries me to no end! She even woke up at 2am and asked if we could go swimming. Unfortunately I had forgotten the bag with our swim suits, sun block, swim ring, and camera!!!! I was so mad at myself :( I guess I learned my lesson in packing numerous small bags. Oh well. I had planned to stop by Old Navy in Round Rock because they have a maternity section. Well, it was a joke. They had next to nothing....and what they did have was the wrong size. They didn't have any swim suits, so I was just out of luck! I did find Emma a (third) swim suit for half price!

After swimming, we went to the Bob Bullock museum to browse the students' projects. They were each required to create a biography project over someone of their choosing. There were some really neat ones there! Following that we enjoyed dinner at Texas Land & Cattle. One of the students made Emma an origami bird and she absolutely loved it :) Upon returning to the hotel there was a horse and carriage outside. The three of us decided to take a ride. It was a first for me and I was so sad that I didn't have my camera :( Our horse was named "Rowdy" and we rode around downtown Austin for about twenty minutes. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of the bats but apparently they flew early last night. The weather was nice at sunset so we walked the three blocks back to our hotel. All three of us slept together in a king size bed and it was qute cramped. Emma doesn't sleep so well away from her bed. Who can blame her?!

This morning we went to the capitol and met state representative Dan Gattis. I took this photo from his facebook page! It will also be in the Cameron Herald next week :) We then took a tour. We had our own personal tour guide and his name was Jarrod Smith. He has been to the capital numerous times before and is such a history buff! After the tour we drove North and stopped for lunch and shopping at the Round Rock outlet malls. In Carter's I commented on how sweet and pretty a little girl was. Her mother had her in a sling and she was just nine weeks old! I asked if it was her first and she said that it was actually her fifth! Her older four are all BOYS!!! I told her that I am four months pregnant and she said that I don't look it at all. I told her that I have been pretty sick and she said that she had been horribly sick with the girl but never with any of the boys. Isn't that wild?!

My next blog will probably be a video of Emma's dance recital this weekend. I'm counting on my smart hubby to figure that out :)

Update

Here are some photos I have taken over the past couple of days. I don't fight much with Emma about nap time anymore, so she fell asleep in the middle of Barney early yesterday evening. It was so cute!

The other photos are from this afternoon. We set up her frog pool again and she splahsed around for a few minutes. We are looking forward to trying the Cameron city pool out for the first time next week. It actually looks like a mini toddler water park. There is a frog slide and other neat things! The other photo is of what I found when I returned home from the grocery store. Jarrod had used a bungy cord to pull Emma on her pink tractor. She loved it!

The Desperate Housewives two hour finale was great last night! As always, it left me in total suspense. I cannot wait until September to pick up on the juicy drama :) Tonight is the two hour premiere to The Bachelorette. The only other reality show I watch is Big Brother (when it is on). I don't want to sound like a total TV watchin' fool. I think that The Bachelor/Bachelorette is a totally un natural way to meet someone who may end up as a spouse. However, it is totally entertaining, and therfore I watch. It's pretty halairous to watch some of the 'contestants'. Does anyone else watch???

Yesterday Emma had a dress rehearsal for her upcoming dance recital. It went REALLY well. It was a huge stage, the audience was full of people and she did great! I decided to hide on the side of the stage. She actually participated much better than she would have if I had stayed beside her. She was only one of a few who did the moves. I was so proud I could have cried! We're really looking forward to her debut this Saturday evening!

There are only nine total days of left of school for Coach Smith. He is also teaching summer school but that is only four hours in the mornings. We have lots of fun things planned for the summer time. In June we are going to the beach with my family, a marriage retreat and two weddings. In July we find out the gender of baby Smith #2 and are going to the Texas FFA State Convention in Dallas where Jarrod will have his ten year officer reunion!

Yummy!

I have been craving a salad like this one so I finally created my own! It has lettuce, strawberries, madarin oranges and crumbled feta cheese topped with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. It was so good (and healthy)! Jarrod is not a fan so I have it all to myself :)

Flip flops

I am not a fan of hot Summer weather in Texas. Yes, I was born and raised here, and I should be used to it. I'm not. Emma loves to play outside but I can hardly breathe!! Summer seems to last from April til Nov, which is not fair as there are "supposed" to be four seasons!

Something that makes the summer seem more tolerable are flip flops. My favorite new flops are Yellowbox. I never owned a pair til now! I bought the pair on the right a couple of months ago and the ones on the left yesterday. You can see that I wear them! They aren't cheap, and I am usually a bargain shopper. These I spluge on. They are the most comfortable things EVER! I definitely recommend them :)

Hump day review

Today was another busy Wednesday. It's often the only day of the week we leave the house. We have dance @9am, usually meet a friend for lunch then run errands and grocery shop. It wears me OUT!! I feel better these days although I get "gaggy" and run out of energy very quickly!

This morning in dance Mrs Lisa lined the girls up on the stars again. They acted a lot better and stayed the whole time. Emma only threw the maracas at me once this time! We have a dress rehearsal on Sunday and the real deal next weekend :) Mrs Lisa said that some of the toddlers try to run forward off the stage but she and her dad run fast - yikes!

We have started potty training....again. What a lengthy and challenging process! Everybody stresses not to push her, and just to let her do it when she is ready. That's a great plan, but I can't imagine affording two kiddos in diapers! Plus, I know how smart she is. She was in panties for two days up until naptime. She did show some progress so I am hoping for the best!

I have decided that there should be a law that all pools in Texas must open as soon as the temperature reaches a steady 90 degrees!!

I have included some photos I have taken this week. I took a series of bathtub pics and after each 'click' Emma said "awww cute"!

My favorite show

Does anybody else out there watch Desperate Housewives? I love it!! Five years ago when it started I didn't watch it. I literally started watching it because it's all anyone ever talked about! Now the ratings have dropped but luckily ABC has confirmed another season!! DH is one of those shows that you HAVE to keep up with on a weekly basis. Otherwise, you are LOST! In case you are not familiar with it, there are five main characters ("housewives") with five completely different personalities. They are neighbors on Wisteria Lane. The show tells all about their complicated love lives, their families and of course their drama.

I think that the show is very well written and leaves its most loyal viewers in suspense at the end of each episode. There are not many other shows that I make a point to watch on a weekly basis....well, except maybe Oprah and The Bachelor!

Next week is the two hour long season finale. Here is a quote from a web site I discovered called Junkie Spoiler: "The previous four finales have featured eight deaths, four characters held at gunpoint, three weddings, three new kids, two women arrested, two affairs revealed, the beginning of an affair, an engagement, an almost-engagement, a kidnapping, a fake suicide, a fake pregnancy, a hit and run, over a hundred thousand in stolen drug money, and a woman attacked with a hockey stick." How about that for an exciting show??

It's May in Texas!!

It's time for hot weather again in Texas! Emma loves swimming so I set up her frog last week. Even Roxie got in for a splash!

Just in time for Mother's day....

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!
--- Invisible Mother.......
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, theway one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone andask me a question.
Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously, not.
No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor,or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me atall.
I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands,nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being.. I'm aclock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'Whatnumber is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30,please.'
I was certain that these were the hands that once20held books and theeyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum a cum laude-but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seenagain. She's going; she's going; she is gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of afriend from England ...
Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going onand on about the hotel she stayed in.
I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together sowell. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself.
I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with abeautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe ..
I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read herinscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of whatyou are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I woulddiscover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, afterwhich I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the greatcathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave theirwhole lives for a work they would never see finished.
They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of theirbuilding was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary sto ry in the book told of a rich man who came to visit thecathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tinybird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why areyou spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will becovered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied,'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fallinto place.
It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte.I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around youdoes. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, nocupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. Youare building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it willbecome.'
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not adisease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of myown self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. Asone of the people who show up at a job that they will never seefinished, to work on something that their name will never be on. Thewriter of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could everbe built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing tosacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friendhe's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4inthe morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkeyfor three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That wouldmean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself.... I just want him towant to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to hisfriend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we'redoing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world willmarvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has beenadded to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Great Job, MOM!

Hope this encourages you when the going gets tough as it sometimes does.We never know what our finished products will turn out to be because ofour perseverance.

Marriage

Here are some traditional vows which are commonly exchanged at wedding ceremonies:

"Do you promise to love, comfort, honor and keep [him/her] For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. And forsaking all others, be faithful only to [him/her] so long as you both shall live?"

We all say them. But, do we truly think about what we are promising until something bad happens? I think that it is absurd to commit to someone in marriage until you can whole heartedly promise these things, rain or shine. Like parenting, marriage can prove to be the most challenging yet rewarding thing in the world! I am not expert, that's for sure. All I have is five years of marriage under my belt. However, I know that Christ must be kept at the center of it all. During my last semester at Baylor I took a Marriage & Family Therapy class and absoultely loved it! I even considered furthering my education in this field. National statistics suggest that the divorce rate is now above 50%. I truly believe that if couples live by those vows (among other things) this statistic would decrease.

Here are five suggestions to build and foster a Christian marriage (found on a Christian web site):

1. Pray together
2. Read the Bible together. Experience the Holy Spirit together.
3. Make decisions together.
4. Attend church together
5. Continue dating.

These are some things that are VERY easy to stray away from. This would only benefit any marriage and family. We should each appreciate our spouse and pay attention to our marriages.

Going to the chapel....

Rene and Chassati tied the knot yesterday afternoon in beautiful Salado. What a gorgeous day for a wedding (minus the humidity)!! It was wonderful to visit with relatives who live both near and far. My uncle Billy officiated the wedding. The ceremony was outside by the creek. The reception was at Jack's Barn and fjitas were served for dinner! Instead of cakes, they had giant white and chocolate cupcakes. So yummy!

Sweet feet!!

My cousin, Chassati, is getting married today. Yesterday Emma & I attended her bridal luncheon at Stagecoach Inn in Salado. We enjoyed visiting with my aunts and cousins. After lunch my cousin Rayley and I headed to the mall for pedicures. She convinced me to go wild and get a flower painted on each of my big toes. That's the first time I've ever done anything like that! It looks "summer-y". Rayley got a french pedicure with tiny rainbow jewels across the tip of her big toes. After that we walked the mall and tried on some goofy sunglasses at Pacsun. We thought it might be a little much to wear to the wedding today :) We had a fun time and I look forward to visiting with even more cousins today!