AM~Erica Feels So Guilty

So anyway...

Our Lil Guy, who JUST HAD A BIRTHDAY, is really something else. And we are still glad that he is not yet embarrassed by us being around. Actually, he's still in the stage where he's happy to show us off...

Lately, things have been crazy. Our kiddos are all involved in totally different things. So trying to get them to & from practices/rehearsals while trying to make as many events as possible while having hubby with a very busy schedule with his career...it's tiring. It turns my stomach when we (or either hubby &/or I) have to miss any of the events. It breaks my heart.

Now, there are things my hubby has to be at. There's no way around it. He tries to finagle things a bit, and always tries his best to put the family events first! Always! And there are days when we need a flow chart to keep up with each other & what all is going on!

Now then...Lil Guy doesn't always remember how busy we all are. He's been dying for hubby & I to come meet him for lunch at his school. Isn't that sweet? I'm not gonna lie...I cannot stand eating in the cafeteria. It's loud, stressful, kids touching other kids food, kids trying to make your own kid feel bad for not sitting by them...just thinking about it makes my blood pressure rise. But we have done it because Lil Guy wants us there.

In the past, I have volunteered for Lil Guy's class. On those days, I would generally go ahead & have lunch with him, too. Like I said...the cafeteria experience always made my blood pressure rise...but I loved having that moment shared with Lil Guy. I loved knowing he was happy I was there.

This year, I was not asked to come volunteer weekly. So, I have fallen off the weekly lunching schedule. I think I might have eaten with him twice this year...maybe. He's really been on me again...but with hubby. Now hubby's schedule is hard to work around thru the day. He's had impromptu lunch meetings or working thru lunch...or days he needed to get stuff done at the house. He usually takes a later lunch, too. Apparently Lil Guy eats earlier. So it's been difficult.

He's been on a big kick of asking us to "surprise" him by bringing lunch. But he usually follows up with what day we should "surprise" him. (Yeah...I don't think he is quite understanding the surprise element...) But he's been asking a lot. I keep informing him that I need to work around daddy's schedule. He knows, but really wants us to come meet him for lunch.

Lil Guy pressed again today. I had to inform him that I didn't know hubby's schedule yet. He knew that. It was breaking my heart...
We didn't make it to lunch with him today. And I'm dwelling on it. Horribly.

With all of the violence that has happened that everyone keeps ridiculously debating over...people have lost their lives. School children, college students, innocent bystanders...have lost their lives. They didn't get one more lunch date with their family...their families didn't get one more game to watch with them, one more dinner, one more shopping outing, etc...
We had a guy at our church who was very active in and around the church. He was a very healthy guy who had a fluke health thing happen, and was gone. It was a shock. He will not sing in the choir or church quartet, he will have no more say in meetings, he will not lead another class, he will not get another round of golf with the guys, he will not get another baseball game with his son or a dinner with his wife.

Just...like...that...gone.

That kind of insanity is dwelling on me. However, I would not miss a single one of any of Lil Guy's ball games or programs if I could help it. I turned down 2 amazing opportunities next month so I could watch Lil Guy play his games.

That's what would happen with any of my kids. If there's a play, performance, game, program, etc. that I need to be at...I will make it work. I will work any extras around their schedules so I can root my kids on & support them!

So...tomorrow...hubby & I will "surprise" Lil Guy with lunch. No amount of laundry, cleaning, dishes, shopping, planning, phone calls, or any other event will stop me from making my kid feel special. Especially when he still wants us around.

I love my kids that much. And I hate feeling guilty about even missing any of their things for any reason.

Oh...and don't tell Lil Guy about tomorrow...you know...that whole "surprise thing" and all...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Has a Filter Malfunction

So anyway...

In case you are unaware, have forgotten, or need a reminder...I am, indeed, THE WIFE OF A PASTOR.

And most of you have an image in your head like I used to have about them. These days...those visions & thoughts are oh-so WRONG!!

There's something else you need to know or be reminded about: we are still human & are totally a regular folk.

There is a joke about me being called "first lady." Oh, it makes me cringe so much. Because I'm so not a Jackie O., Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Nancy Reagan, etc. type person. *cringes* NO-NO-NO!! But I tend to get looked at in that manner.

I. Am. Me. I am a strong Christian woman. Don't forget it! But I'm also not going to run up to you & start spouting scripture & tell you what you're doing wrong & how you should be like me. That's not fair. If scripture needs quoted, trust me...it will be! But I want you to be you around me.

And because I'm such my own person, and will not squeeze myself into a mold I will not fit into, I have my human flaws. *GASP*

Much like the one that creeps out at strange & inopportune times...like church & church-like settings.

Like the time that my hubby was on a short list to be a guinea pig for a possible interview style test to see if a pastor might be ready for a new church startup. He & I were invited to go to Columbia, MO (where the Missouri United Methodist Conference is headquartered) for this interview. It would include the interviewer, hubby & I, plus the Bishop of the Missouri UM Conference & the cabinet. It was an odd set up of having the cabinet & a video camera set up BEHIND hubby & I during the interview. Only the interviewer was facing the camera.

At the end of the interview session, the interviewer asked my hubby if there was anything he felt might have been left out of the interview. My hubby said he was surprised that the question wasn't raised about what the pastor's weakness(es) might be...so...the interviewer turned to me & said, "So, Erica...what is Chris' weakness?" I was so put on the spot! I freaked a little, but answered, "Listening. It would be great if he listened more instead of trying so hard to jump on fixing things." (not verbatim, but you have the major gist) The interviewer turned to my hubby, then said that's basically what all guys do, called him "brother", then high-fived my hubby! As I was mortified by that awfulness, I heard laughing behind me...
...now, remember everyone else is behind me, so I forgot who was back there. I stood up, turned swiftly, circled my right hand in the air to finish in a closed-hand position...when I realized I had just shushed the Missouri United Methodist cabinet...on camera. *face palm*

So, in Ron White fashion...I told you that story to go into these...

Because my inner filter malfunctions, I tend to do &/or say things at these times that turn them into "D'oh" moments & deserve a giant face palm. Like...tonight. I have a two-fer that happened within mere minutes of each other...
You may need to brace yourselves...

Tonight was our church's annual chili supper. It's known all over our large community. Hey! For a bowl of chili, veggie soup or a chili dog, plus a drink & dessert...it's only $5! Can't beat that!! And it goes from 4-7 PM...and it is always busy! Well, hubby & I sat at a table by ourselves, smack-dab in the center of the crowded gym. But several people always walk by for some quick conversation.

However, as we finished eating at our table, we get up JUST as another couple were ready to set their food at our table. I made a sarcastic joke to them that we were getting up & leaving because of the sole purpose that they showed up. The lady laughed & said it happens often. However, I made the joke at least 2 more times...when...someone told me...that it's our city's mayor & his wife! D'oh! *face palm* Think I made an impression?

Yeah, if that wasn't bad enough...it didn't stop there...

Then, as we were leaving, I was playing with a baby of one of our member families. Hubby ended up talking to some other folks that had entered to eat at the chili supper & I heard him introducing himself. I, then, hear him try to introduce me. So, I turned around, shook hands...and never got their names. But they came with one of our more stately & established members. They asked if we were smelling like chili yet...then...my filter malfunctioned as I said, "Well, we'll probably be smelling like chili later." Hubby's eyes about popped out of his head.

Yep...I disgraced myself in front of our mayor, and then turned around to make a fart joke. At church. I have SHAMED MYSELF yet again.

Please, folks...don't ever judge the pastor by their spouse. The spouse is an individual of their own...even though we are fully connected to your clergy. Things slip. We are human.

I am human...with a weird & wicked sense of humor. It's how God made me. Fearfully & wonderfully I am made. Sometimes the fearful part is greater than the wonderful part...and there might be times when it's the other way around. Just watch out when they work together!

Oh...and on a side note with some of this...always assume I don't know. If I do, it's bonus. But I probably don't...so don't ask me.

Oh...and on another note...there could be a whole other kind of special music at church tomorrow. You wanna come & find out?

~~ 

Christ United Methodist Church has worship times as follows:

8:35 - traditional in the sanctuary

9:45 - is learning hour (aka Sunday School)

10:55 - contemporary in the sanctuary & traditional in the chapel

~~

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S. ~ Yes...I totally used a fart joke to invite you to church.

AM~Erica Took it Down

So anyway...

Now that the THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS COOKIES ARE FINALLY BAKED, it was time to move along with the next thing in the holiday cycle...

Taking down the decorations!

Yes, it is January 11th, and we have never had the decorations up this long after Christmas!

For years, my hubby couldn't stand having the decorations up after Christmas. We were literally stripping the decked halls a day or two after the actual holiday celebration. Something about not being able to see the abundance of beautifully decorated boxes that fed anticipation was just too sad for him.

In the past very few years, he's been able to leave up the tree & all until about New Year's Day...and that was really stretching it for him. But with the CRAZINESS HAPPENING IN OUR HOUSE throughout the holiday season, it made things more challenging.

In the midst of NEW CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS, we decided we would leave up our tree & decor until Epiphany (which is January 6th, also known to be Three Kings Day and the 12th day of Christmas...which is for totes realz, people).

Well, Epiphany came & went...and the tree was still up, with no boxes to even house the decor elsewhere. It was staying put. Life still happened & thwarted our plans...again. *sigh* But we bought new decorations at after-Christmas clearance sales...so we kept decorating the tree anyway...and we were enjoying how it will look next year.

However, with the cookies baked (and only partially eaten), the egg nog is expired, the extras moved out (mostly), the Christmas stuff is FINALLY taken down (mostly)! *WHEW*

And how do we prep for getting the stuff taken down? By putting on music, of course! Just like we enjoy listening to Christmas music as our decorations take a whole day or longer to go up, we had quite an eclectic playlist for the 45 minutes to an hour to take it all down.

As we took down the ornaments, wreaths, garland, stockings, knick-knacks & the tree, we jammed to Lady Gaga, Florence & the Machine, the Beatles...and many, many more! We danced, did lip syncing, and outright belted out some tunes to make things move faster. "Bad Romance", "Hurt", "Dog Days are Over", "Fix You", "Twist & Shout" are all just a small part of our interesting playlist...that we never totally got thru. But there was some seriously good tunes as we got everything down.

And you know what? We have a lot more room around here! And you know what else? It really does take way longer to put things up than to take things down.

That's crazy talk, folks!

Anyone else with some procrastination issues in taking down their Christmas stuff? I mean besides the Christmas tree we left up for over a year that we really will take down this time... (oh...I have shamed myself...again)

If it matters at all...we are making plans for the ENCHANTED FOREST TREE ENTRY for this coming year, as well as our ornament additions (which we've been testing out to see how the look...cuz, well, you know...the tree was still up), and what to do with that downstairs tree...that we really are gonna take down & then put back up several months from now...

OK...a bit blurry...but here's the star we are gonna use next year

Better overall pic...but with the topper being used for the tree downstairs next year...
...and the same topper will be used for the Enchanted Forest entry next year, too.

Found large, glittery bells & large Santa suit ornaments on clearance...
...so we added them to the tree to see what they looked like.

Another pic of big glittery bells & you can see some Santa suit ornaments.
We forgot about the poinsettia additions...so added those, too.

Looking forward to seeing our big tree like this next year...for the whole season. *sigh*

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Should be Shamed

So anyway...

I know I brought up about TRENDS THAT SHOULD GO AWAY...but...I came across another one that I haven't really had a chance to get in on. Well, I take that back...I'm sure I've had plenty of chances, it was just more apparent today.

There was a thing that became more apparent last year that started with kid shaming. Remember that? It started as a punishment from parents to stand outside with a sign letting everyone else know what they did wrong to "teach them a lesson". Then it hit social media, of course, with this right here:

Oh yes...it then became much bigger than just the neighborhood knowing. And it was a controversial parenting method.

Then...much like the planking-to-owling trend...kid shaming transitioned into pet shaming...well, mostly dog shaming:

There probably isn't a lot of cat shaming happened, cuz...well, you know...the cat might kill you in your sleep.

But it didn't stop there...there was a new shaming in town...
Maybe you've seen or heard of it? That would be "Mom(my) Shaming"!

One of my favorite mommy blogs & Facebook pages, The Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva, has glamorized it like reality TV glamorizes "real life"...but in a much more lighthearted way.

What makes it better? It's MAMAS SHAMING THEMSELVES!

So...back to my part I've taken in the trend...
Today, this happened:

Sign reads "The family is going to enjoy some Thanksgiving & Christmas cookies...
from precut store-bought dough shapes...that I had my daughter bake...on January 10th..."

*sigh*

There is actually more shaming than just that, too:

I. I have on no makeup

2. I have nothing going on with or in my hair...except for my hurs gettin' all did...yesterday

Q. I made my daughter take the pic

*sigh*

Al a "Puss in Boots" (in "Shrek the Halls")...I have shamed myself.

Time to go eat some Santa & turkey cookies...since they're done now, and all. Happy Thanksgiving & Merry Christmas! *face palm*

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica