"We Hate Thursdays..."

We have a full house this summer, and mom has taken full advantage of all the bodies at home! We have all been assigned a night to be in charge of dinner! Here is the dinner schedule...

• Sunday: Macy
  
• Monday: Brook
  
• Tuesday: Daveed
  
• Wednesday: (leftovers)
  
• Thursday: ME!
• Friday: Date night (if you don't have a date, you're on your own!)
  
• Saturday: Mama

Tonight I made BBQ Chicken Pizza. I've never really been into cooking, but I want to get better. I lost my sense of smell and taste when I was in college, and even though it came back, it's caused me to be unsure and insecure with my cooking skills (I'm not sure what I taste is what you taste). Long story short, my cooking abilities are a little behind my siblings abilities. So last night we were joking about my cooking and everyone decided they hated Thursdays! We had a good laugh, and I decided that I hate Thursdays too!

As you saw above, tonight I made BBQ Chicken Pizza. That is a picture off the internet. My pizza is below...


I'm learning. It'll take a while...

Boost your own self esteem...

Struggling with your self-esteem? Just do what Jessica does!

Mommy Day...

Everyone always says, "I have the best mom in the whole world!" I have met a lot of amazing women, and all of them are amazing mothers (both my grandmas, all of my aunts and cousins for example). I think that it is fair to say that a good majority of mothers are good mothers, maybe even great mothers. But there is a small percentage of "Elite Mothers". My mom is one of the elite mothers here on the Earth, and I'm so grateful that she's mine.

When I grow up, I want to be just like my mom, and here's why...

1. She's love everyone, no matter what. She gives every person the benefit of the doubt, and never judges anyone.
   
2. She is a great cook.
   
3. She made me play piano, and even though I didn't appreciate it at the time, I cherish it now (even though I need to "relearn").
4. She always encouraged/enforced modesty. While shopping, she would state her opinion in a question format... "Do you think that skirt is too short?"
5. She kisses people she hardly knows, which breaks down a barrier.
6. She balanced five kids, and I never felt neglected.
7. She was a great teacher. She installed the love of learning and books into each one of us. One of my favorite childhood memories is picking out books to read in our home library.
   
8. She has the ability to laugh at herself. Like the conversation that just took place tonight at 9pm. Dad, "Let's get started playing cards. Kelly has to be to the reservoir at 6 o'clock." Mom, "Tonight?!?!" long pause while we stared at her... "Oh, right!"
   
9. She didn't let us watch a lot of TV. We didn't have cable. She taught us how to play board games, play outside, and play "house". We had lots of dolls, barbies, and dress-up clothes, we were taught to use our imaginations!
10. With all the soccer, basketball, volleyball, choir, piano lessons, and everything else going on, I was always supported 100%. I'm sure that's not easy with 5 VERY active children!
    
11. My mom loves me unconditionally. I gave her a run for her money in high school (I have no doubt that she had second thoughts about giving birth to me), but she showed me what it means to be loved, no matter what.
12. I scarcely remember the number of times when my mom raised her voice at me, or disciplined me (even when I deserved it). Except for that one time when she spanked me and my sisters with some sort of cooking utensil :)
13. My mom is an amazing listener. She listens to all my stories, even the long ones.
14. She is a people pleaser. She wants to make everyone happy, and somehow, she always finds a way.
15. She's an amazing women, mother, wife, grandma, daughter and friend. My best friend in fact.I would say that my mom is the best mom in the whole world, but I don't want to take anything away from the other amazing women in the world. I do know that my mom is one of the few "Elite Mothers", and she is a perfect fit for me. Mom, you are the best mom in MY world, and I love you.
    

Teachers Aren't Teachers for the Money...

This was forwarded to me from a co-worker, and I love it! I love my job, and everything involved in it! Here is the story below...

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
To stress his point he asked another guest, "You're a teacher. Be honest. What do you make?"
The teacher replied:
"You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America .
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.
Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn’t everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.
You want to know what I make? I make a difference. What do you make, Mr. CEO?