♥ Tuesdayz belong to Sazaran

* The whole tattoo idea? It's still floating around. And much to my excitement and barely-containable thrill, my best girlfaces are going to help me decided on the where/how/when/what details of said ink. Eeeeee! Sometimes, rebellion can be fun and totally innocent.

* You know, more than ever, I have begun to appreciate the unconditional support and love of my family. They are there when I need them- emotionally, physically, financially, mentally. You name it and they've helped me with it. I really wouldn't be in one whole piece today if it weren't for their prayers and continual love for me. There is no way on earth I could express my gratitude in the same measure that they have reached out to me. ♥

* I have fourteen pregnant friends. That.I.know.of. How is this number still through the roof? Aren't they supposed to have the babies, eventually?!

* Now that I’m able to publicly admit it, I’m proud to say that Malachi is weaned!! Yay! Actually, though I anticipated Hell on earth, it went so well! He didn’t fuss for more than a few minutes for a couple naps. Now… (drumroll please)… he sleeps through the night! It has been longer than two years since I’ve been able to sleep without interruption every two hours. *BLISS* Oh, don’t take this the wrong way—I still get kicked, slapped and head-butted, but that’s something I’m willing to put up with.

* For the past few weeks, it seems that God has been rearranging my belief system. For example, when I pray, I’ve thrown out all formulas and schedules taught to me. Rather, I focus on pouring out my heart in the most raw and real sense possible. Whether it’s “This SUCKS!” or “What the heck are You thinking?! I need to know!” or “I thank You for being perfect and guiding me in love, though I don’t know what You’re doing behind the scenes” or even “I trust You completely because You are greater than anyone in this world; let Your will be done.” So far, this new approach to His heart seems to have harvested grand results. I feel my faith becoming stronger in Him. Also, it’s a huge weight lifted when I’m able to be completely honest with my fears, feelings and hope- trying to be a model Christian, even before He who knows my thoughts before I think them, is so exhausting! I still don’t know why we even try to come off as the straight-A Christian student when we obviously need a Tutor every day.

* There's a bug going around that I haven't had for a while (and it has nothing to do with said fetuses)- it's the photography bug. I want to get out and take pictures again! I miss finding detail that is usually missed, cheeky expressions of my favorite subject, editing with fantastic lighting. The "ooh" and "ahhh" sounds of my adoring fans. *wink*

* I freaking love making jewelry. It helps me breathe; it helps me clear my mind and purge bad days and dream new things. I really think this little talent of mine was kept hidden for a purpose. It's phoenix-esque in a way that it probably could have come only when I needed beauty to rise from ashes. No joke, y'all, this detailed artistic stuff is something I did.not. do before and now my mom (Martha Stewart incarnate) is all aghast that not only am I doing it, I'm doing it on a regular basis!

“Sometimes you've got to let everything go - purge yourself. If you are unhappy with anything . . . whatever is bringing you down, get rid of it. Because you'll find that when you're free, your true creativity, your true self comes out.” -Tina Turner

“Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things.” -Ray Bradbury

♫ Random Monday: 6/28/10

That's me, giving you an epic high five...with two of my fav's.

*OMGGUYS I WENT TO VEGAS.
It was fun! I went with a great bunch of girls, experienced a ton more than I could have ever dreamed of fitting in to three days, and came back completely exhausted and full of things to dream about at night. I hope it becomes a yearly thing! These girls took serious care of me, and I'll never be able to fully thank them for what they did.

*I got this Chicken and Biscuits recipe from my AshleyFriend that I'm dying to try.

*I do not handle turbulence very well. Or take-offs actually. Landings are my favorite. I've changed so much...more to come on that subject.

*I am running on very little sleep, lots of emotions, and a little bit of stress, and you know, some exciteds about what's coming. Makes for one shaky girl. Apologies for random outbursts at inanimate objects...or you.

*I love potato chips, and am finding more and more that they're my weakness when I'm stressed, PMS'ing...well, anytime, really.

*The truth always wins. It's harder to say sometimes, but I promise when you get to the next chapter, you'll be glad you did it. Eventually, all things surface.

*I am dying to see that new Adam Sandler movie: Grown Ups.

*Hit a rough turn today. Best described, officially, as a switchback on a pretty drive. Made my stomach flip, my brain come up with a few different conclusions, and the end result will be better scenery. Thank everything for a soul charger in the passenger seat.

*I love NeedToBreathe. I could listen to this song 100 times over, and it's amazing how fitting it was for today:



*Deep breaths, and a big realization that this summer is going to be loaded with more opportunities to be grateful for bends in the road, passengers, and two little people in my life to make the ride worthwhile.

*“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.”

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♥To tattoo or not to tattoo?

I feel rebellious. Tattoo rebellious. And also a little full of love for my boy. Mix those feelings together and I'm totally planning a tattoo. Did I already blog about this? Maybe. If so, I'd venture to say that any previous design may have been tossed out. Only because I'm indecisive like that! You'd think that would be a major hint to NOT decide on something which will remain on my body foreverrrr.

Times change, but I feel as though people still take issue with tattoos. They can make or break jobs, first impressions and even memories. Often an idea is formed of someone just by their body art before their character is introduced. Last night before bed, I posted a status on my Facebook about wanting a tattoo and already it has thirty comments! All ranging from "do it! do it!" to "beware, lest you never be allowed to work for certain companies".

Just for fun, I like to introduce this little scripture when I argue for tattoos: "On his (Jesus') robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:16. Does this actually mean that Jesus has a tattoo? Probably not. But, it could seem like it? Now, don't take this the wrong way- I hold no seriousness to this argument.

Nomz has a beautiful tattoo! And she shares the same one with her sister- really, I'm jealous of her pain tolerance. <----- Another reason why I must heavily weight the pros and cons of this decision.

So, here I shall open myself up to all of your opinions, encouragements, don'ts, experiences, anything. What are your thoughts about tattoos? Have you lost a job because of one or GAINED a job because of one?

The details:

It will be all centered on Mal. Duh. No one else is cool or cute enough to claim skin space. I want it to be small; one color; in an inconspicuous place (like on the inside of my wrist, on the nape of my neck, between my shoulder blades). Previously, I had a small design of a pair of wings with his name in the middle of them. You know, because Malachi means "Angel of the Lord". I know that a tattoo is a very personal thing, but I want to do allll of my homework before I make the decision but I'm still curious to know what kind of dialog this topic might create.

♫ Texting: How much is too much?

A friend of ours asked us to discuss texting on the blog, make sure to comment and lend her your thoughts!

Texting is quite the buzzword these days, isn't it?

This isn't the first time we've touched on it. I wrote a blog in December about the etiquette of texting, and how it's dangerously easy to do it wrong... Texting Etiquette

There are more and more states and cities putting laws in place to prohibit texting while driving, after research proving that it's dangerous...to put it lightly. Most schools have banned cell phones from the classroom. Work places find it unprofessional to have a cell phone in your hands at all times.

Given those facts, that leaves people of all ages approximately 9 hours a day to text, correct?

After Jen (our friend that requested this blog) posed the question "How much is too much?" to her Facebook friends, she got multiple responses on how many monthly texts are average or "normal". Most of us mid-20 somethings were right around the 700/month range. We felt much older though, when we found out that the teenagers were in the 10,000-14,000 range!

So we're curious readers...

#1. When do you find time to text throughout the day?
#2. How many texts do you send per month, on average?
#3. How many texts/month is too much for our younger generation? Do you have rules and limitations for your kiddos?

Remember, you can comment anonymously if you'd like...so have no fear, we won't be telling your boss, your teacher, or your parents that you're outdoing us all. ;)

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ A firecracker coming undone...

There are days I actually, absolutely, come undone. I lose control of my emotions, my patience, and my mind all together. Today was one of those days.

The fuse was lit this morning, when I realized that I had to get Kyanne ready for school, make sure she was fed first (Hi, this is is me, admitting that I rely on the babysitter to feed by kids every morning.). We rushed through the perfect outfit - a capri/cute tank combo, found a dress for Leyna bug to feel special in, rushed out the door after the perfect hairdo, and ran to the grocery store, where they picked out blueberry muffins and organic juice (made of good choices, my kids).

My mom was texting/calling all morning, making sure I felt confident with where the classroom was, how the girls were feeling, and where the school was actually located. I was terrified. Kyanne was excited. And Leyna was completely envious of her sister.

Pulling in to the school yard, Kyanne started to shriek. I haven't seen a kid that excited in forever. Well, you know, next to the week before when they got to ride horses with grandma. "Forever" is a couple of days in our lives.

I let my eyes wander from scared mama, to scared mama...coming to the realization that I am a single mom. Everybody there had somebody with them. A spouse, a best friend, a sister, a mom. A support system of some kind...and right when I was ready to break down at the thought of feeling most alone in the world, I realized that I had a little hand in each of mine. I had a brave pre-K kiddo, and her little sister, fully prepared to walk me to the school and muster up the strength that I didn't have.

My mom was waiting for us, greeting every scared parent at the front doors, she was there. She's assisting at the summer program in the Special Education room, you see, and I'm so glad.

The school smelled exactly like schools always smell...of cafeteria food and basketball courts, and was full of panicky mama's, and excited, squeaky tennishoes on the patterned floor. Bright pictures all of the walls, Leyna bounding around leading the way through the halls she had never been in, and Kyanne holding my hand...because I was squeezing it so tightly she had no choice. At one point, she tried to convince grandma to get me to let go, and I couldn't. She just kept saying "Let go mama, I'm fine!"...couldn't do it.

The teacher was fantastic. She was so excited to meet my baby, and treated her as if she was already her favorite little helper in class. I'm sure every parent got a similar greeting, but she immediately calmed every nerve in me that was terrified of her getting lost or forgotten in mad shuffle of the hallways.

When we hit the playground, Kyanne immediately found a shy friend, held her hand, and let her walk with her to the playground. Mid-walk, I begged her to come back and hug me. With tears in my eyes, I realized that my baby was growing up. And that no matter how hard I drove away that day, that my heart was staying on that playground. She hugged her sister, bid us goodbye, and walked hard away with confidence of a girl four years older than I've been treating her. My baby, is not a baby.

Leyna and I observed for a bit, giving us the chance to see grandma in action. My mom swiftly and gracefully swept up every broken hearted little kiddo that couldn't walk away from their mama's, and made them feel completely safe, secure, and grown up in an instant.

Leyna and I got in the car and started to pull out when we heard the bell ring. Knowing I couldn't leave without seeing her enter the school safely, we pulled up aside the school. Leyna was SO excited to see her sister lead the way up to the teacher. She said "mama, I'm going to miss Kyanne today...but I'm glad you let me wear a purple dress and bring a new puzzle."

Aside from the random tears down my face through the day, I've survived. And, thanks to a lunch time phone call, so did she. On that phone call, I asked her if she had fun at school, and she responded with "Mom, I found some flowers at school, I am giving them to Leyna!". Where did I get girls with such big hearts?

She can't wait to go back tomorrow. If this evening lasts "forever"...I won't mind so much.

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♥Age is just a number...

I bought the cutest pair of dark blue shorts from target the other day. I plan on wearing the heck outta them this summer, beginning with Mal's birthday party. So, I hopped in the 'net and searched for cute trends to wear with said article of clothing. The whole tights/leggings trend with shorts? Yeah, I said I'd never do it, but now I'm thinking that with the shade of blinding white my legs remain to be, it might be a good idea. I'm excited as I find more pictures of cute outfits and then I stumble upon a fashion blog; it warns anyone 25 and older to stay.away. from this trend, siting Katie Holmes as a fashion fail. SUCK! This whole getting older thing, which I was totally okay with for a while, is beginning to turn sour.



My boy turned two this Monday. I can't believe I'm the mother of a two year old. He is the brightest, funniest, cutest two year old I know. He knows who his mama is and has no problem introducing me to every stranger that crosses our path. His larger than average thirty-six pound frame still curls up perfectly in my arms and his brown eyes know just how to sparkle when he's in trouble, wants something or discovers a bit of humor to share. As he grows older I'm both saddened by the days that I'll miss and excited to see where the Lord takes him. Pre-school is a short time away and soon he'll want to pick out his own, mismatched outfits each morning. Words I didn't know floated around in his brain will come spouting out making me laugh or gasp. Heartache, headache or body-ache I will be there for him.

Though my jewelry-making time has been cut drastically short, I'm still at it during the dark hours of the night. Your support is still overwhelming and I love each and every one of my 169 likerz (but feel free to invite more!!)- here are the latest creationz:



Have I mentioned that I HAVE A NEW JOB??! No? Sorry, I know I'm a blogging loser, these days. Anyway, I work as the Executive Assistant at Element Church. Which is awesome because it's only a two minute drive from my house (I fully plan on taking Bella The Bike out soon for a morning ride to work) and is sooo my element, pun intended. It's about flipping time I put those Bible school skillz to work! Aaaaand, it's totally a God thing. He definitely got me the job, along with the help of Nomz's fasha, to whom I owe a little credit. I work with all male-men which is a new experience for me. I've had my days of feeling really short and really prissy but with total freedom of being myself without the fear of a stoning with each mistake. Oh and the whole goofy every day all day thing is a breath of fresh air. Thank you, Jesus, for your blessings galore. One more thing: it's part of my job to be on Facebook- Eeeeeeee!

♥I LOVE CHURCH

There's a clever little group going around Facebook called "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any
more than standing in a garage makes you a car" that I've debated on joining. Because it's true. But, I haven't joined it, because it isn't completely true.

We've all seen them: the ones who are present in each Sunday service with their cleanly pressed collars and beaming children and we shake our heads because the night before we witnessed them shouting in impatience when those children acted like... children. We've seen the loving couple, arms linked, opening their Bibles to the requested scripture verse and we shake our heads because we witnessed their backbitten and stressed marriage. We've seen the animated worshipper whom is so focused upon the songs that he seems to have forgotten the other songs he worshipped the previous night with the lady in red.

So, it's true, going to church does not make one a Christian. But, I would like to argue that without church, one is not a very good Christian. Church is not meant to be a weekly ritual, ending in a six day amnesia. It is meant to equip, strengthen, encourage, teach, bring into accountability and grow Christians. After all, we wouldn't have learned to read or perform complicated math equations without first going to school right?

The Christian who convinces himself that he can be his own pastor, his own worship leader is only depriving himself of who he could really become by going to church! Believe me, I do know how hard it is to find a church that doesn't seem shallow or inept. It's not easy to connect to another ministry when they won't even connect back! Hypocrites seem to congregate and "worship" all over the place, leaving the genuine Christians as a rarity.

The thing is: no one is perfect. We're all people getting on in life with our own baggage, pain and tangled ball of sin. WE NEED CHURCH! The ones who seem to have it all together are just the same as the ones who drag themselves and their screaming toddlers to service every Sunday- deep down they all need to be taught and drawn in by the Holy Spirit and although He can reach us at home, I think He enjoys it when we meet together as a Family. Family time is healthy time, no matter how weird, difficult or stressful it can be.

I could go on and on about how good it is to go to church (and I know it probably seems like I already have) so I'll just do a short little list about why church rocks.

1. Socializing!! True, it shouldn't be the main reason you go, but it's definitely an added bonus!

2. Getting out of the house refines your focus. Church in front of the TV does not count. Too many distractions.

3. The excuse to dress up.

4. It helps you refocus from a rough week or prep for the upcoming week.

5. It provides a good, moral goal or two to work toward throughout the next day or week.

6. The worship! It's my favorite part. FOR EXAMPLE:

♫ Random Monday: 6/14/10

If you're new to the blog, check out my other Random Monday posts (left nav) to see the logic behind this insanity.

*I'm officially dieting. Actually, it's been official for about a month. And no, people, not to get skinnier, but so that 1) I can tone without working against myself, and 2) I don't actually DIE when a friend of mine tosses me in to a 5K in a few weeks.

*Diet includes: No yellow cheese, very little bread (whiiiiiiine, but bread is my favorite food group!), no alcohol, no sauce (ranch dressing and BBQ sauce, we'll meet again someday), less red meat.

*I'm getting all giddy about shopping/painting therapy this weekend. My inner interior designer is coming out with a vengeance. Goooooodbye, blue paint!

*When are kids supposed to lose teeth? Because she's about to lose another one, and I'm debating panicking.

*She also starts summer school this week. *faints

*UFC fights are actually more entertaining than I thought they'd be. Though, the actual commentary could improve. Especially if done by two female voices called Nomz and Ilikestars.

*I have a good/bad habit of turning my phone off for the weekend. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just removing myself from reality for a bit. Don't take offense. Text me, I'll get back to you...by Monday.

*Luke, sir, I'm not so sure that rain is a good thing. At least, not in the dosage that it is coming down lately. You're dead on with the whiskey thang though.



Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ 50 things you can enjoy every day!

My advice? Print this out, make your own list & print it out. Just find something, or 50 things, to be grateful for every day. Life's too short to lose track of the good amidst the bad.

50. Technology. Making our jobs easier; our music playable anywhere.
49. The weather. Even when the clouds are angry, they're amazing to look at. Big bang, psh.
48. All 5 senses. Can you imagine how boring food would be if we only had 1? Or imagine losing just one, and living without it.
47. Cars. Because can you imagine your commute if you had to saddle a horse every day?
46. Mirrors. Who thought to put glass with black paper to make it reflect? ...they always tell us the truth. Always.
45. Our country, and the men fighting for it. We easily forget how much harder life could be, just by traveling a few thousand miles in any direction.
44. Friends. The kind that are there for good, the bad, the ugly.
43. Advice. Whether you take it or not...listen to it. Trust it. Especially if it comes from #44.
42. Caffeine. Monday's? Impossible without it.
41. Animals. Sometimes, without words, they make life completely bearable in it's lowest points.
40. The opportunity to go against the grain!
39. Right to religion. Any that you choose. Without a single person throwing you in jail or killing you for it.
38. Steering wheels...to drum on.
37. Sunshine, to bathe in.
36. Alcohol, to take the edge off, and give you the perfect excuse for a Girl's/Guy's Night!
35. Farmers...for food, grocery stores to take the work out of it for the rest of us.
34. Movie Theatre popcorn...for setting the standard to all popcorns.
33. Poetry, daring you think deeper.
32. Books to read, and the ability to do so.
31. Windows down, music up, and nowhere to be.
30. Mountains, beaches, glaciers, and natural things that just spring up and amaze you.
29. Hypocrites, for making you recognize genuineness when you see it.
28. Exercise...punishing you for eating too many donuts and cheeseburgers so you might actually stop doing it. Let's face it, if exercise were easy, we'd never get in shape.
27. Cake!
26. Days of the week, so we have a Friday to look forward to every week.
25. Money. To teach us frugality. <--shocked that THAT was actually a word.
24. Live Chat and Text messages, phenomenons that keep most of us going daily.
23. Snakes, spiders, grizzly bears, moose, wasps, and things that go "bump" in the night, to prove that nobody is actually bulletproof.
22. Education...and the choice to continue it as far as you can take it.
21. Women being treated equally. People died for this right, and it's easily taken for granted.
20. Love. Can you imagine not being able to feel to the depths of your soul, for somebody?
19. Music. It's motivating, emotional, and lyrics of the heart.
18. Rant walks. The type of walk that gets everything out, and lets the fresh air take the yuck away.
17. The ability to choose what we get to do for a living.
16. Freedom of speech. The ability to say, preach, or write what we want, to anybody we want, without fear of being capture and tortured for it.
15. Prayer. There is something about being in complete turmoil, bliss, or trouble...and being able to hit your knees and know the outcome will be for the best.
14. Ventilation System Friends. The type that you can feed all your crap to, and have it returned to you refreshed and clean.
13. Constructive criticism, to help you grow.
12. Reality TV, to make you thankful that you're not nearly as dramatic as you thought.
11. Loss of a loved one, knowing that they're probably in a better place, and to remind us that life is too short to waste it.
10. Births, to force us to realize everything is a miracle if treated like one.
9. Coins...reminding us that there are two sides to every story. And to flip it a few times before choosing which is best.
8. Cameras...enabling memories to really last forever.
7. Family. A part of your life that never fully goes away or leaves your side.
6. The love toward your child or grandchild. The one bond that can never be broken.
5. A child's smile.
4. Pizza, OMG.
3. Cold sheets on hot nights.
2. Forgiveness. And a God that is capable of it when you can't be.
1. Passion. A life without passion would be a candle that remained unlit. Pointless.



Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ You know you're a mom when...

Originally, I was going to write this from a single mom's standpoint. And then I realized that I make the same sacrifices regardless of how much support I have in my life. So, cheers...to all you mama's!

You Know You're a Mom When:

*You'd rather read them Dr. Seuss or Mercer Mayer over and over before divulging in your Twilight saga.

*You're always full prepared to bust out the ninja pants and bust a cap in somebody if they look at your child wrong, speak to your child harshly, or talk poorly about them regardless of their behavior.

*You'll lose hours of sleep, go to bed late, get up early, wake to their cries, but by God if a grown adult disturbs you when you're finally getting rest you are prepared to pounce.

*You never stop being amazed at the little things. "Awww you've been potty trained for two years but you STILL do it right, yayyyyyyy!

*You miss when they woke you up every two hours, and now that they sleep peacefully, you check on them every time you wake anyway, just to make sure they're still breathing.

*You dream about them more than anything else.

*You can't wait to get a break from them, but miss them so fiercely you're almost miserable when they're gone.

*You notice other kid's behavior and constantly compare them to your own kids. Of course, yours are better, and you won't dare let anybody tell you otherwise.

*You've counted the bites on your kid's plate so much that you've started counting your own before you're done.

*You're tired at 9pm.

*You involuntarily turn any and all music down in the car, even when they're not with you.

*Macaroni, peanut butter, and jelly become a regular food group; a staple in your cabinet.

*If you're a single parent...your ex never does it as well as you do. You're the best parent. Duh. And their current choice of mate will always be evil.

*You plot out ways to help your child escape if the current structure you're in were to spontaneously combust in to flames.

*You not only avoid sharing water with pregnant women, but eye contact. Because if it's in the water, it's definitely in the contact of eyes.

*You discover that it's the one and only bulletproof love in your life, and you're willing to risk every other person and thing for them.



What have I missed?

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ Random Monday: 6/7/10

Oh look, our sunshine squished between your one and only Daily Offensive!

Have I told you how much I love Random Monday's? Aside from the traditional girlie lunch, I get to clear my head of all the cob webs before starting off a fresh week.

*My daughter is FIVE. Five. I'm old. I'm like....26ish, and I feel OLD. And I wouldn't change a minute of it. I look at them and realize how absolutely bored and alone I was until God gave them to me.

*If you work too hard to impress your surroundings with untruths, you're going to forget about yourself, lose yourself, and lose everything eventually anyway. Work on yourself first, and make others love you for that instead.

*Appreciate somebody for what they're done for you, continue to do for you, or do without being asked? Tell them in a way that only they'll understand. Not by spending money on them, not by just "thank you", but by using words that will sink right to the bottom of things.

*I cannot stop cleaning out my closets, people. I have a problem.

*Everybody has skeletons in their closet. And eventually they come out and dance all on their own, even if you try to remove all the people in your life that know about them, send them mail, and invite them to dinner.



*Knowing everything about everything doesn't make you impressive, it makes you annoying.

*I knew snark would escape me on this blog today...apologies all around.

*There is just something about a guy that is willing to triple his work load, be sick, and juggle a girlfriend + kids, all at the same time without complaint. I'm blessed.

*I am so, SO blessed to have such an amazing support system. I say it a lot, but it's really something to look around a table of 20 people, or glace at the aquarium-themed crowd, and see how many are there just to make sure my daughter feels loved on her birthday, and me supported fully. You know who you are, and you know I love you so hard.

*Red Peppers on my sandwich's are my new favorite topping. The end.

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ The Gaga Movement

I got in to quite the discussion about Lady Gaga with a close friend of mine today. Enough interesting points were made that I thought I'd blog them.

LOVE her wardrobe, love her edge, love her voice. I love that she’s an individual and absolutely proud of it.

I think she's got what it takes to grab the public by the ears and make them pay attention, in a good way. She's got a unique sound, a good beat, and she's an original.

That being said, I hate that she’s public about her drug use, hate that she’s obscene as often as possible, hate that she flaunts her naked self on her videos, and hate that she’s not realizing the impression that she could have on a younger generation.

I’ll refuse to let my girls watch her. And it terrifies me that the younger teenage generation are falling in love with her and trying to be more like her.

The girl has talent, but it's meant for a mature audience.

Confession: I loved her music when her album came out. My girls know Poker Face by heart. I would steal her wardrobe and her great danes in an instant. The second I watched Telephone, (If you click that link, it will take you to the video. And be cautioned, there is some explicit material that is not safe for work, or eyes under the age of 18.)

...I stopped listening to her music. Honestly, I think it has gone downhill since her first album. I've realized that if I am going to follow my own rule, and try to live in a manner that I want my daughters to live...I've got to stop watching and listening to things that I'm going to prohibit in my home.

Love Gaga? I'm not going to judge you, because I secretly still do. But ask yourself next time you listen to her, or anything,...if you had a daughter, would you want her following in those steps?

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ Random Monday 5-31-10

Yes, I know it's Tuesday. And it's actually June 1st, not May 31st. But I'm in denial about both. My body refuses to admit that it's Tuesday...but more a morphed version of both days. Today...is MonTueDay. And June...you're actually quite welcome to take your time passing, I'm in no hurry for this summer to be over.

*First and foremost, I'd like to wish Iced Tea a Happy Birthday! Seriously, even if this article says that you haven't aged well...my life wouldn't be complete without you. Happy Birthday Tea!

*Speaking of birthdays...Brandon turned half-way-to-50 this weekend. And we celebrated. All weekend long. And he actually only tried to run away once, and he's got the bruises to prove it (Thank you, Awesome-Cody!)!

*I rediscovered the smell of a good bonfire this weekend. It's been weeks. Which, you know, is forever in bonfire time.

*I realized that the group of people in our lives is full of wonderful, and magic, and hilarity, and rarity, and by not recognizing it often enough, I am selling them short.

*Did you know that Good Times and Chipotle are the two best fast food places to eat if you're conscious about the type of meat you consume? They use organic meat only! And? Chipotle's new commercials rock. I can't find them on Google at the moment, but keep an ear out for them as they thank the Farmer's and local growers for their ingredients.

*I cleaned harder this weekend than I think ever. In my life. Thank everything for Brandon's mom and grandma...otherwise it probably wouldn't have gotten done. Cobwebs, dirty windowsills and and scary fridge=be gone!

*I have this strange urge to run home and throw away anything that I haven't needed to use in two years. I'm so tired of clutter. Hoarders, I blame you.

*In the Westminster, Aurora, or Winter Park, CO area? Make sure you stop by the Cheeky Monk for a taste of Belgium! Their food is amazing, and their beers are somewhat rare in this part of the country. The service was astounding, and their prices reasonable. Plus, it was all accompanied by a dark atmosphere and candlelight.

*I love my girls. I love my girls for breaking my heart and putting it all back together within five minutes this morning. Mostly, I died from their cuteness this morning.

Example 1: Leyna started crying when she saw me because she had a dream that I was on fire, and was relieved when I wasn't. I held her SO tight and realized in an instant how much I loved her.

Example 2: Kyanne's ability to sleep anywhere. Including wrapped in a blanket, with my sunglasses, seatbelted upright:



*I love feeling protected, taken care of, adored, and spoiled all by the same person. Odd how it always happens when you least expect it.

*I'm overwhelmed that Kyanne will be 5 this week.

*I feel like I left home behind this morning.

*I need more coffee.



Yours Truly,
Nomz