Reenie's Ramblings

There is no greater sound in the world than children laughing.  There is something so great about children playing outside in the fresh air. You know whats as thrilling to see and hear children playing??  Seeing ADULTS willing to be silly, to laugh, to run and play!  Take time to Play! Im convinced those who take time to play, live happier lives...

Someone mentioned that it might be a good idea to proof-read my blogs before I publish them or at least let them sit, and think on them before I publish.  Someone else strongly disagreed with one of them.. The things is... this is supposed to be a place where I "blurt" what Im thinking of.  Sometimes I do go back and read certain blogs and see where I could've word things differently,  But the point is, I started this blog for me, a place to say whats on my mind without fitting into any parameter or genre. When you read my blog, I literally had a thought that day or week, on my mind and sit down type and publish... no in between time... just type, submit.  Its raw, its real and its straight from my heart or thoughts.  These posts are just things I have done, proven, tried, or failed at.  Its about things that I am learning, enjoying and thankful for etc... I want you all to enjoy them but I cant make everyone happy all the time... Im just voicing my opinion or thoug

I realized recently during a conversation that my children seem to others as mild mannered children... "You're lucky you don't have super active children!" was said to me. Mild mannered? um no, they are DISCIPLINED children.. there is a difference!  This is used a lot... "....they just have super active kids so it's hard" NEWSFLASH: ALLLLL kids are "active".  Trust me, both my son and my daughter could wear anyone out!  This is never an excuse for disobedience or disrespectful behavior.  All children will climb the tables in a restaurant, or yell in public, throw a fit if they are allowed to do so.  All children have the tendency to throw a full on tantrum when they don't get what they want, it's called human nature in a small person. Our kids tried that too.... but the results weren't worth doing it again and again. If  you set boundaries (the younger the better) your children will know where they are. Our kids ar

As I am writing this, I am 15 days away from getting on a plane and crossing an ocean... heading to one of the places I have dreamed of visiting.... Rome. This marks the first trip I have ever flown over an ocean..... First time to leave my country... First time to go to an area where I don't speak the language.  I am SO excited and a wee bit nervous! Im what you could call and "anxious" flyer.  I don't like being in the sky if there are ANY air pockets or turbulence..  But I want to see Italy badly enough that I am looking forward to enduring the flights! :) (Its amazing how we can deal with things we don't like just because we want the outcome... Why else would we endure childbirth or long car rides? ) So as I prepare for our trip.... I am picking things to take and pack for while we are in Europe and I thought I would review some of the items I've bought for this trip... So watch for blogs about the Sanuks  and Flojos I bought to wear for all the

We don't have a TV in our home so catching the news comes from either radio or looking it up online.  Sometimes I feel out of the loop and as if I have no clue whats going on in local news or national news.  You know the saying "ignorance is bliss"?  Well in a way that's how I feel about news at times.  Sometimes not knowing every single bad thing that has happened to good people in the last week isn't a negative thing to me!  When I do decide to check out the news because of a national issue I want to read about or because its close to elections and I want to form my own opinion about candidates.... I also learn of some of the crimes, and lawsuits and yuck, yuck, yuck... Its nicer not knowing. Does this mean I live in a bubble of ignorance?  No, in fact you could never read/watch the news and still get disappointed in people, let down by leaders and saddened by crimes that you hear about. It just seems that when I read these articles or flip through the &q

This is what I've said many times when this topic of weight comes up.  "At least my kids have something soft to hug!"  I am not obese, but definitely overweight... 25(ish) pounds to be honest. Here's the thing, I have friends who are very into getting in shape, staying in shape and that's great.. I admire their hard work and success.  I've watched them as they have worked towards slimmer waistlines, thinner thighs and think it could be nice to afford daycare while I had a personal trainer, but that's not my financial reality, NOR is it something I even have available in this rural town.  (yes there are ways to get in shape without all those, but my most "in shape" friends have this available to them) Im also starting to think it might not be a good thing for me personally, if I DID have it readily available anyway! I love that my kids have a warm, soft mama, to hug when they are hurt or sad.  I love that my kids think Im the best cook. 

Okay, so I admit Im not as "on top of it" in the housecleaning department as I should be... but I will stand firm on this.... a house that is a "nothing-out-of-place" house is not as welcoming as a house that has a few things out of place... and occasional dusty surfaces... Have you ever noticed that the magazines that feature ways to decorate or set up rooms are so inviting?  They are pretty, splashes of color here and there, layout is perfect, art on the wall all coordinates with everything else in the room.... makes you want to copy it in your own living room! Well, I tried that one time... took the tips and added some fun throw pillows of bright colors, arranged the furniture to be more "welcoming" and staged the centerpiece on the coffee table just so, etc.  It DID look neat! It looked awesome in fact, that is, until we all sat in it..  Those magazine pictures of the prefect living room, dining room, bedroom, don't show PEOPLE in them! At

My husband and I are leaving for Rome Italy in less than a month.  As we plan our days, I find I am searching for out of the way places to visit on one of our free days. There is something enticing to me about meandering through the countryside and strolling through a small town in a faraway country.... This shouldn't really be a surprise as I live off a "beaten path".  (Most of the time when I tell people we are from a small town, they imagine 10,000-20,000 in population.  Our town population is 177 people. period.) There is something so peaceful about rural areas... some people find it desolate or bleak, I find it beautiful and refreshing. If everyone took a moment to find their off the beaten path.... maybe we could enjoy a happier world. Doesn't necessarily have to be rural.. maybe near a fountain, in a park, by a lake etc. When you are in a place that causes you to pause.... relax... reflect... dream.  This is a good place to revisit, and often. Ta

I know for a fact, that I am not the only woman in the world who has this issue with her man... Takes his socks off, leaves them on the floor... GRRRRR! I've tried it all!  Moving the laundry basket to RIGHT next to his bed!  Reminded him ever so gently every day, (okay, nagged) to PUT THEM IN THE LAUNDRY!!! One day I was visiting with a friend of mine and saying I just don't know what to do about this! It's SO frustrating! She said to me " Well, you have a choice, you can be mad at him for the rest of your days, because he's not likely to change at this point, OR, you can just pick up the socks." Hmm, didn't like to hear it but it's true. How simple!  Just pick up the socks!  "Well, yea but its the PRINCIPLE of it all! I shouldn't HAVE to do...."  No, just be thankful you have a man who's socks you get to pick up.  I used to take it personally as "he doesn't respect me!" or he "treats me like his m

For a while now I have been telling anyone who will believe it that I am 23 years old.  As I am writing this, I am 8 days away from turning..... its hard to even SAY, let alone type...  Im turning....                                    30                                                       .. that was painful I've been in this quick-to-deny stage of this approaching number and I think most of my friends think its because I don't like the thought of getting "old". That simply isn't true. You see, as a child there are milestone ages: 16, 18, 21, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60 and so on.. When you have reached the first milestones... the next ones still seem far away.  I looked at 25 as a grand age that would be incredible... still young enough to be included with the "young people" but old enough to occasionally be taken seriously. Now 30, on the other hand seemed far enough away that I had these ideas of what it meant.  For example...I expected th