Easter Five question Friday! Well....mostly....

1. What is your favorite Easter tradition?

My favorite Easter tradition is to go Easter Egg hunting on Easter, go to Mass and visit with family.

2. Are you a "shower" or a "long, hot bath" kind of person?

Oh my gosh, long, hot bath. Just love it. I heard on the radio once that you should bathe with a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide and 2 cups of Epson Salt at least once a week.  I. just. love. it!!!!

3. Can you parallel park and if so when is the last time you did it?

Yes, I can parallel park, did it last week.  Would love one of those cars that did it for me, though. Not a favorite thing for me to do.

4. What is your favorite Easter candy?

It has to be the candy covered Cadbury Chocolate Eggs, but I have not seen them this year.  Also love Brachs jelly beans.

5. Easter: do you go all out with the Easter Bunny or focus on the religious part of the holiday?

95% religious.  We mention the Easter Bunny, but because we follow Lenten traditions, we follow with the true Easter meaning as well.  It is big celebration of love.

Five question Friday!

1. What is your favorite sign of spring?

 

Oh, the flowers!! Right now, the daffodils are springing up in my garden and they make me so happy to see them!!  I love the way they spring up more and more every year and this year, they are a sight to see. :)

2. What was your best birthday ever?

 

Believe it or not, my birthdays usually stunk every year.  This past year, it was awesome. I could not have asked for a better birthday.  Nothing special, but it was just an amazing day all around. I especially liked being wished "Happy Birthday!!" all day long by my facebook friends.  

3. What is your favorite dessert?

 

Death by Chocolate.  Best ever!!

4. What is the best excuse you've ever used to get out of a ticket?

 

I am so sorry, officer, I just didn't realize it.  <Puppy dog eyes>

5. Do you wake up before your alarm, with your alarm, or after hitting snooze several times?

 

Thankfully, I have an internal alarm that gets me up every morning. Do I bound out of bed every morning? No, sometimes I get more zzzs, but it depends on the workout schedule for the day.  If its a longer class, I get up right away, it its shorter, I might linger for a few more minutes.  Usually, I have to get up earlier because I have to clean the living room up in order not to trip on anything while I am working out, so I will usually get right out of bed.

Five question Friday!

1. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

 

If I could change one thing, it would be to be wiser and anticipate more what the other person is feeling before saying or doing anything.

2. Write about a time when you got lost.

 

I know I have been lost before, but nothing specific comes to mind. I do know that I always found my way back and that I usually can tell by my gut that I am going the wrong way.  It's kind of like a pulling back sensation.  I think of it as a gift. :)

3. Camping or 5 star hotel?

 

Oh, so 5 star hotel. Not the outdoorsy type.  Not overnight, anyway.

4. Have you donated blood?

 

No, hate needles.

5. Do you have a budget or do you 'fly by' most months?

 

Daniel and I have a budget that I run and we keep to it, mostly. :)

Wordless Wednesday....

April Fools!

Been crazy busy, but had to pop in to share my best April Fools joke.  It was a long, long, time ago, but it was a good one, simple because I pulled it off. ;)

I was the 3rd key manager at a local store in our area (that's like asst, asst manager) that caters to the trend setting, night club/ teenager type of woman. (Or those of us who want just one piece to jazz up our wardrobes a little bit) 

It was a normal, busy day and there were a fair amount of people in the store.  My manager was at the front of the store, straitening the merchandise and what not.  I was toward the back of the store and was devising a plan to trick her.  I was pacing the dressing room floor and presto! It came to me.  Our dressing room was the type that was open with mirrors all around and everyone could, well, you know....see each other. I would pretend that a man was in the dressing room trying on women's clothing.....very awkward if you were a woman trying on clothes.  


So, I got as hysterical as I could, and ran toward the front of the store, yelling, "Mary! Mary! There's a transvestite in the dressing room trying on clothes!!! I don't know what to do!!"  She ran, in a panic to the dressing room (God knows what was going through her mind) and when she got there...you got it....APRIL FOOLS!!!  She was so mad, but only for a minute, then was cool with it.  Mission accomplished.

These days, its not as lively in the April Fools department in my life, but that's ok.  I got to fool Nathan yesterday when I told him there was no school.  (He was half asleep)  April Fools!

Thankfully, the snow storm that never was is in the books.

I guess Mother Nature played her own April Fools joke.  Fine by me!

Loudly yours,


Alicia

Choices

Here is a card I like to keep around since it reminds me that I can choose realign my thinking.  When I read the top, it gives me a stomach cramp, but the phrase below is so powerful and peaceful.  Looking at the 2nd phrase gives me a calmer frame of mind and gives my mind the clarity I need to give myself more options than just to freak out when adversity comes.  I unfortunately tend to be a reaction type person, so I have to watch myself and take the time to stop, breathe and think before doing things.  It is very hard for me to do that as a Mom since things fly at me faster than I can think.  

Last year, two of my youngest kids decided to would be a good idea to paint my newly renovated bathroom with white paint.  They painted EVERYTHING...the floor, the walls, the bathtub, the blinds, the toilet, themselves...you get the picture.  

Recently, hubby took the time to go to our local Home Depot to get stuff to remove the paint (for the most part) from the bathroom.  He did not yell at them while he was doing the job, (unlike me, I would have been yelling out loud in frustration while cleaning it) and my youngest coyly approached him in the bathroom.  "Uh, Dad?" she said. "Vincent and I are sorry that we painted the bathroom."

Wow.  Just wow.  No provocation, nothing.  She just up and apologized. 3 years old.  She gets it.  My solution would have been on the "making them feel guilty" side, assuming that they don't even give a crap, much less feel remorseful!  I would have handed them their head and probably make them feel the pain by scrubbing alongside me!! Thankfully, I was at work and hubby got the gift of realization on the part of a 3 year old.  I on the other hand am grateful that I was working and we could both see that something is sinking into our children.  

Thank God.

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Lucky Leprachaun....

I have no idea why, but we have been bit by the Leprechaun bug at our house, a week late.  What can I say, my kids can sometimes be late bloomers.  It all started when my 2nd eldest Daughter, Yanni, (I like to call her) left a note for the Leprechaun on the coffee table in our living room. The note reads: Dear Mr. Leprecaun, Here is a gift for you. I tried to make it for days. So please, take it. From Vianne (I think she is referring to time when she say she tired to make it.) 
So, lo and behold, the Leprechaun came and left a note: It reads: THANK YOU!

 

This morning, she found the note and was very excited!

(She also informed me that her cousin got a charm with her initial on it from her Leprechaun)

We got into a debate with Rach, my 11yr old about Leprechauns being real and I pointed out the if fairies were real and Leprechauns were the ones who made their shoes, wouldn't they be real, too?  I told her that I would ask the Leprechaun to help me get lucky and book another party! Guess what?  A phone call came this morning. Guess who has a party tomorrow?  Me. Guess Mr. Leprechaun is real, after all!

Loudly yours,

Alicia