I was in a beauty pageant once.

I didn’t win, but I did come pretty close. However, I learned something back in 1993 that I have never forgotten. As I spent my last weekend at a dance competition, I was reminded of that lesson.

There isn’t enough sparkle to cover ugliness on the inside.

“You write? About what?”

I answered my friend, who had no idea I had a blog or wrote anything at all. He continued,

“So you write about all your trips to Target?”

There is no organizational hack, no time saver, no system for winners, or anything else that will give you everything.

Let that sink it.

“Sign and date here, please.”

My eyes filled with tears, and no matter how ridiculous I felt, I couldn’t stop them.

Approximately twelve years ago, I was going to a Christmas party with some women from church. I wanted to look nice, but casual. I instantly knew exactly what I would put on. I grabbed my favorite jeans from the drawer and slid them on.

Aaaahhhh.

I loved my jeans.

My dad bought a Laserdisc player a LONG time ago. Remember those?

The laser discs were big, like old LP vinyl records. They had two sides, which meant you had to flip the disc over halfway through the movie. Still, it was awesome. It was a cool technological upgrade (especially from video cassettes) for our family, and we starting gifting our favorite movies on disc.

I ran to the store this week to pick up a few groceries, including a bunch of bananas. I was checking myself out and everything was going smoothly until I weighed the bananas. They didn’t show up on the scale. I tried multiple times—nothing.

I took my Christmas trees down a little while ago. The process is a bit tedious and time-consuming. But I always love when it is done and put away. It feels like freshly-shaved legs…like you’ve lost a little weight, even. Everything is cleaner, crisper, and better.

For the last several years, I have attempted to get Christmas shopping done early. I failed miserably. It just never happens.

The week after Christmas, we went to the beach.

Annie and Norah tried digging a heart in the sand in order to frame their cute faces for a picture. It didn’t work out very well. The heart was too wide and their initial plan changed into digging a massive hole instead.

I faint a bit.

I’ve done it since I was a little kid. But I know now there are certain triggers for me that make fainting more likely—things like not eating and not drinking enough water. I even feel faint when I’m super anxious. Apparently fainting has some genetics involved because my daughter did a similar trick about a month ago…and under similar circumstances.

My dad had a knee replacement in December of 2018. It was a surgery with a difficult recovery, but he was doing well. Because of his surgery, we didn’t see him the week between Christmas and New Year’s, as we usually did. I didn’t think much of it.

It’s Nutcracker time! At our house, the second weekend of December means showtime has finally arrived! My three youngest girls have been dancing in it for years.

This year, I have a senior.

I love making quilts. Piecing the quilt together is my favorite part, hands down. There are so many different fabrics in all sizes, and when you start it looks like a big pile of nothing. However, as you cut and pin and sew it all together, something beautiful is created. Something from nothing. It’s a remarkable feat.

It was May 2020, and life was weird. We were home. ALL THE TIME. Our lives were virtual. Everything just seemed a little…off.

My oldest daughter had just moved back home, and she brought her three cats with her. THREE. Brian was certainly against the cats being inside, and I was not loving it, either. I pulled out an old dog kennel from the attic and locked the cats inside the garage. That would have to do for a while. The situation was as uncomfortable with the cats as it was with my daughter. Everything felt strained.

I like piles.

Well, I don’t really like piles, but I am quite the expert at creating piles. Every once in a while I will have a burst of organizing genius and make themed piles—piles of paper, pictures, school papers, items to be donated, gifts to be given, miscellaneous things, and clothes to be returned to stores. (I have more, but this list is getting embarrassing). I occasionally straighten the piles and even clean under them, but the piles remain.

I never played with Barbies growing up. Well, thats not quite true. I did play with Barbies, but never at my own house. I asked my mom when I got older why we never had them—and she told me she didn’t think little girls should play with dolls that had boobs. 😂

What is a relationship?

Simply put, it is any connection between two people. We all have relationships, usually a lot of them. We have relationships with friends, coworkers, family members, our children, spouses, bosses, acquaintances—even with ourselves.

When people discover that I have six children, they often comment on how busy my life is. And while that is true most of the time, there are times when I’m not busy at all. My kids are doing a lot of things—and sometimes that leaves me at home. Not being busy. Being bored.

It was Thursday night, and the high school homecoming dance was Saturday.

“Hi! I’m here to pick up my girls’ dresses. I left them last week and they should be ready today.”

I handed the seamstress my ticket, and she went to the back. She was there a long time. She eventually emerged, but she was empty-handed.