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Bling

While I was out yesterday with a sick child, which I'll elaborate on later, I got BLING! Heather over at Confessions of a Coal Miner's Granddaughter awarded me with the following:

Aw! A treasure! She thinks my blog is a treasure! This really made my day yesterday. She said she was proud of me for "announcing to the blogosphere that [I'm] Wiccan." Most of you don't know the internal struggle I went through over whether or not to talk about it here. My apprehensions came from IRL experiences where my relationships with certain people changed completely when they found out I was not Christian, even when I'd known the person for years! I was just a little scared. I was relieved, shocked, surprised, and comforted that so many of you still visit my little home on the interwebs. Thank you all so much. And thank you, Heather, for helping boost my confidence in confessing my faith.

Since Heather has already received this award, I won't award it back to her, but anyone who hasn't visited her yet ought to. She's witty, extremely brilliant, and somehow always finds a way to make me chuckle. I love her boldness and her snarky comments. In fact, I just proposed to her - or left her a comment asking that if we ever decide not to be straight, would she marry me? Of course, I just realized she'd have to meet my IRL BFF Manda, because I'd have to marry Manda, too. Neither of them currently live in TN, though... Why do my greatest friends all have to be so far away?

So, I must pass on this award. I am limiting myself to 5, because I could be here all day awarding you all for different reasons. Of course, limiting myself is terribly difficult, but here goes (in no particular order).

Three Boys and Me - Heather, your blog is definitely a treasure! Your anecdotes about being outnumbered by your boys are absolutely hilarious. Your sons are priceless, and your husband seems perfect for you. While I'm sure life isn't ALWAYS fun, fun seems to abound at your house.

Patti-O - Woman, you rock! You make me laugh often, occasionally you make me cry, yet you ALWAYS entertain me. I can hardly wait to read one of your novels (for those of you new to the Patti-O, she's written 3 - one she says will never be published, one that is currently being submitted to publishers, and one that she just finished the first edits).

Mom is in the Fishbowl - Annikke, while yes, your blog is definitely a treasure, I believe you yourself are a treasure. I love reading about your family and your life, and I appreciate the bond we share as WOHMs. There is so much more, though. I love your comments that you leave not only on my blog, but other people's blogs. Your kindness and compassion are obvious in your writing. If I ever make it out to Colorado, I'd love to meet you.

Mom's Happy Handful - Devan, you are certainly an amazing woman! Folks, this woman has 6 beautiful children, ranging in age from 18 to 8 months old! I am in awe of your ability to keep it all together! I love reading about your children and your experiences. The letters and posts written from your baby's perspective are absolutely darling - and believable!

Milk Breath and Margaritas - Amy, these are two of my favorite things, too! I love your writing style and your stories about you and your kids. Keep the posts coming, because I'm hooked!

There are so many more blogs that I treasure. In fact, check the blogroll on the left. As the title proclaims, all of those women rock. (And no, I'm not sexist, but I've been working on connecting with mommy friends and other strong women - something that's lacking IRL.)

Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day! To all the veterans I hold dear to my heart, thank you for serving this great country of ours. This includes, my mother, my step-father, my biological father, 3 uncles, and lots of friends. While I may not always agree with the reason for our military involvement in some things, I definitely support the people who serve in the military. It takes a lot of honor and commitment to endure some of the hardships you encounter, and I admire you for it. Again, thank you.

In other news...

***Warning: I'm talking about Breasts again! If you don't want to know, skip to the next ***.

I have ANOTHER plugged duct! The first one cleared out Friday night, bringing wonderful relief and leaving only a little tenderness. Yesterday evening, I discovered another one slightly to the right of where the first on was. I don't know what I'm doing that keeps causing these, but I do not enjoy them in the least. I slept with the heating pad last night, which made it feel better, and it's moving down today. The moving part is only painful when it actually moves or when it's time to pump. The rest of the time, I'm fine.

***It is now safe to read again.***

We had a good weekend. NaBloPoMo is actually rather difficult because it's hard to find time to just sit and write when I'm at home. Any down time I have at home is spent doing other things. But a short post is better than no post at all, right? Saturday night we went to a chili cookout at a friend's house in the country. I really admire that she drives SO far to come to work. I don't see me doing that in this life. We all had a great time. Sunday was spent doing laundry and taking it easy. No major drama and nothing stressful = my kind of weekend.

This morning I got my flu shot, and Tree Faerie will have hers on Saturday morning. I figure with her in daycare and me working, we can't afford to get the flu. DTTF isn't getting the flu shot, but he's a big boy and can take care of himself. I bought Vicks Vaporub just for the occasion and even shared!

For those of you who don't know, if you put Vicks Vaporub on the shot site after getting a shot, it relieves and reduces the soreness. A lady who works for one of our clients told me about this a few hours after Tree Faerie got her 4-month shots. I didn't use it immediately, but the next day her legs were really tender, and she screamed whenever the daycare teachers touched her legs. I had to go pick her up from daycare because they couldn't console her. I put Baby Vicks on her thighs as soon as we got home (and yes, she screamed), and within 30 minutes I had a happy baby again instead of a scream-monster. I've been a believer ever since.

Wonder Women

Ack! The other day Carrie awarded me with a Wonder Woman Award, and I almost forgot! Thank you so much, Carrie!

There are so many women out there that I think deserve a Wonder Woman Award, so I decided I'd limit myself to 5. So, in no particular order:

Random Faerie - She is my best female friend and has always been an inspiration to me. She's a wonderful mother and a fabulous wife and friend. She was one of the inspirations for starting this blog, since I've been reading hers for years.

Manic Mommy - Another inspiration for this blog, Manic has made me laugh and cry for over a year with her anecdotes about her children and her life.

Carrie - of course! With 6 kids (7 if you count her husband!) it amazes me how she manages to keep their lives running together while her sanity stays intact (or at least mostly)! Now that she's started investigating noises (or lack there-of) with the camera ready, her once-funny posts are now hilarious!

Monnik - A great mom with wonderful stories and great causes! And she manages to find the time and energy to RUN! Intentionally, no less!

Writer Girl - Her strength and compassion make me want to be a better person. She has taken the trials and tribulations given to her and has made it work.

My list could go on and on. In fact, if you'll just take a peek at the women listed under my blogroll (titled: Women Who Rock!), all of those women deserve a Wonder Woman Award! That's why I read them every chance I get!