If I Got Ten Wishes . . . {Tuesday Ten Linkup}

Today is World Wish Day!  Truthfully, it's probably a good thing that we don't get countless wishes.  Imagine if everyone in the world got a wish today.  It would be utter chaos and some might even wish for unpleasant things.  However, it is fun to imagine, so today Rabia and I thought it would be fun to think about ten wishes we would make if we were gifted with a magical genie in a lamp.

Ten is a lot of wishes!  So, first off, I would start with some wishes that would improve the whole world.

1.  I would wish for world peace.  Cliche, maybe, but I would love to turn on the news and hear happy stories instead of constant stories about violence, arguments, and war.

2.  Then, I would end hunger.  It really boggles my mind how anyone in this world can go hungry when, at least here, we have such an abundance of food.  Then, every week when I buy groceries for my family of five, I am reminded why many people can't afford to eat - or at least eat well.  I would use one of my wishes to fix that.

3.  I would end child suffering.  If had a ten wishes, I would use one to make sure no child is ever abused or exploited again.  In my career as a preschool teacher, I saw firsthand how abuse can affect children.  I have always had a soft spot in my heart, a deep compassion for children.  It breaks my heart to seem then hurt in any way.

4. I worry this one might upset the balance in the world.  I mean, there has to be a cycle of life so the Earth doesn’t become grossly overpopulated and deplete all of our resources.  (Perhaps, I’m over thinking just a bit.) That said, I would wish for an end to disease.  No more cancer or AIDS or Alzheimer’s.  Everyone is touched by these in one way or another it seems.  Eradicating them would end so much pain, suffering, and grief.

Now that I have used a few wishes to save the world, I would start getting a little selfish.

5 and 6.  For my fifth and sixth wishes, I would probably ask for a couple of the super powers I fantasized about in a previous Tuesday Ten.  It would be hard to choose, but I think I would ask for invisibility and super speed (or maybe teleportation).

7.  Next, I would wish for some instant home renovations.  With a snap of the genie’s fingers, our master bath would be re-done and the kitchen would become the kitchen of my dreams.  It would also include some new furniture and designer touches.

Photo Credit

8. My seventh wish would be for a cleaning fairy.  This lovely little fairy would happily fly around behind my children cleaning up all their messes.  She would do the laundry and the dishes.  She would mop, vacuum, and dust every day.  My house would be constantly shiny and lemon-scented without me lifting a finger.

9. For the eighth wish, I would do a reverse Little Mermaid.  She gave her voice away to get what she wanted, but I would do the opposite.  I would wish to have a beautiful voice and the ability to play any instrument effortlessly.  I love music, but have no musical talent. (Except for my ability to re-write song lyrics for Stephanie to perform.)  With ten wishes, I could fix that.

10. Finally, for my last wish, I would ask for money.  Not an overly exorbitant amount.  After all, by this time I would have gotten most everything I could ever want.  I would want to be financially secure for the future.  I would want enough to pay for my daughters’ college educations wherever they want to go.  I would want to give them the weddings of their dreams.  I would want to travel (via my super speed I wished for already) all around the world with them.  I would want to do it all without having to stress about where the money is coming from.  How much would that take??  I honestly have no idea.

There you have it - my ten wishes.  This was actually much harder than I thought it would be.  Ten is a lot and I didn’t want all of them to be completely selfish.  But, as I mentioned in #4, sometimes, if this was real, we would have to consider the ultimate consequences of the wishes we made - even if they seemed like something good.

**I have to share this little side story.  Recently, a young cousin of mine who has some significant special needs and one of those diseases I would like to see gone forever, had to have some very major, potentially dangerous surgery.  My girls have actually never met this cousin of theirs, but as I was telling them about the situation, my youngest got teary.  She asked me why God made him sick and I had no answer.  She did, though.  She said, “Well, if I ever get a wish, a real wish, I wouldn’t use it on myself.  I would wish for him to be better.”  She has such a  big heart.  If any of us ever did get wishes - real wishes that would definitely come true - I hope we would make our wishes with the kindness and compassion of my sweet six year old.

How about you??  If you found a genie in a bottle who gave you ten wishes, what would your wishes be??

<a href=“www.the-golden-spoons.com“ target="_blank"><img alt="The Golden Spoons" src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/lspoon1/35772375-425c-4d00-be98-7bd0fae4c333_zpsd2bae8b3.png" /></a>

Your Tuesday Ten Hostesses are:


We hope you have enjoyed our #TuesdayTen lists! If so, please link up one of your own and share your post using #TuesdayTen! 
RULES:
1) Link up a post, old or new, pertaining to the TuesdayTen topic for this week and add our TuesdayTen button to your post or sidebar.
2) Please do not link up contests, product reviews, or sponsored posts. Links not pertaining to the topic will be removed at the hosts' discretion. 
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Next Tuesday, May 4 is National Tourist Appreciation Day.  Come back and share you list of Ten Tourist Attractions you have seen or would like to see!
If you would like to receive a weekly reminder about Tuesday Ten including a list of upcoming topics! (We have topics scheduled through June!) just click HERE!

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It Doesn't Have To Be Quality Time All The Time

My kids were on Spring Break Wednesday-Friday of last week.  By the time they came home Tuesday afternoon, we were all more than ready for a little time off.  As soon as they walked in the door, they dropped their backpacks and kicked off their shoes.  The two youngest ones immediately went off to play together.  When my oldest got home, she plopped in front of the TV with the iPad in her lap.  Me?  I went to my happy place - my office.  I sat in front of my computer reading blogs, cruising Facebook, and even typed a blog post.

Then, after a while, the mommy guilt began to set in.  "It's not good for her to sit in front of the TV for so long" I heard in my head.  "I really should be doing something WITH them."  "This is an excellent opportunity for that elusive quality time and you are not taking advantage of it!"

 I let the words resonate for a few minutes and thought about what kind of quality time I could create.  It was a dreary, rainy afternoon, so anything outside was out of the question.  We could have watched movie together, but that was just more screen time.  We could have baked something together, but that would have led to arguing, I'm sure, and sweets that none of us need to eat.

Then, I had a mother thought.  It occurred to me that, at that moment, everyone was perfectly happy!   No one was whining or complaining about homework or chores.  No one seemed disappointed by this supposed lack of quality time.  In fact, the only sounds I could hear beyond the "voices" in my head were calm and quiet interlaced with giggles and a little TV noise.  It truly was blissful.

Why would I ever even consider disturbing that peace???

Was it because, while trolling Facebook, I saw pictures of friends on beaches or at Disney for Spring break and I felt guilty that our plans did not include any travel??  Was it because, while perusing Pinterest, my lack of craftiness was excessively apparent and I felt inadequate?  Or, was it just because, as mothers, we always want to give our children the best we possibly can and we put way too much pressure on ourselves to be at the top of our game all the time?

The truth is, we were coming off a couple of super busy, hectic, and stressful weeks - ALL OF US.  My children needed some time to chill out and decompress just as much as I did.  They needed some time to "veg out" and relax; to not think about school or activities or what else needed to be done.  They needed some time to just be and so did I.

So you know what?  I let it ride.  I let them play and watch TV and do absolutely nothing.  I continued reading blogs (which is relaxing for me) and chatting on Twitter.  Amidst the calm of that afternoon I realized . . . . .

Not once have any of us regretted any lost quality time from that afternoon.  We were spending our time doing exactly what we needed and wanted to do.  It wasn't the traditional definition of "Quality Time and Family Togetherness," but it was still relaxing and rejuvenating.  Everyone was happy and content.

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves these days to be the best at everything whether it's an occupation or parenting.  We fall victim to comparison and feel like we are not good enough or that we should be doing better; doing more.  The truth is, we are already doing ENOUGH - very often, much more than enough.  We don't have to push so hard all the time to make every second purposeful and productive.  Sometimes, it's o.k. to just unwind and not do much of anything at all.

It doesn't have to be quality time all the time.

Or, maybe it's just a different kind of quality . . . . . . . . 

When They Grow Up

If you follow the Tuesday Ten Linkup I host with my blog friend Rabia every week, you know that we like to look at what unusual holidays are on the calendar and plan our topics accordingly.  When I saw that today is Take Your Kids (Sons and Daughters) to Work Day, I knew it was the perfect time to write this post that I have been thinking about for quite a while.

As moms, and parents, we often lament the passages as our children grow up.  We marvel at how fast time flies and we remember stages and phases from the past.  I am no different.  I often think about days when my children were smaller and there are some things about those days that I miss.  

However, I also like looking ahead.  I don't want time to go by too quickly, but I look forward to seeing what the future holds for my girls.  I wonder what boyfriends and, eventually, spouses they will have.  I wonder if they will have children of their own.  How many?  Boys or girls??  I wonder what careers they will choose. 

Based on their current interests and personalities, I have some predictions about their eventual occupations.  So, instead of taking my daughters to work with me, I'm going to share what I think their work might be in the future.

Rachel is 11 and in sixth grade.  She LOVES animals.  She became a vegetarian at the age of seven when she learned that eating meat means killing animals.  It may surprise you, though, to know that she does not want to be a veterinarian.  She doesn't like doctors or medical procedures and doesn't want to perform surgeries or euthanasia on the animals she loves so much.  Instead, if you ask what she wants to be when she grows up, her answer will be a zoologist.  She wants to be with the animals and care for them - feed them, play with them, oversee their environments, and teach others about them.  We have talked about it a lot and tried to explain that there may still be some days when animals she has become attached to are sick or hurt.  We have tried to explain that a zoologist may still have to make some tough decisions.  This, however has been her top choice for the past few years.  Her second choice, at the moment, is to be an architect.  I can completely see this as well.  Even when she was little, she preferred blocks and building over dolls or dress up.  She loves Minecraft and has even tried her hand at drawing some house plans before.  I think Rachel would be wonderful at either of these professions.  She is by far the most self-assured kid I have ever known.  She is quite determined and, once she has made up her mind, she will accomplish and excel at whatever she chooses.

Megan is 9 and in third grade.  What does she want to be when she grows up?  A teacher.  She loves school.  She comes home from real school and plays school- sometimes with her younger sister and sometimes all by herself, except, of course, for her imaginary class.  She takes in everything while she is in the classroom and, even at nine, sounds very teacher-like when I overhear her playing.  If, in the next ten years, she decides against becoming a teacher, she might choose to become a chef.  She went through a phase a few years ago when this was her answer to the question.  She loves to watch cooking/baking shows and likes to help in the kitchen from time to time.  I wouldn't say she is an adventurous eater, but she is certainly the least picky of all my children.  Another possibility is that she might become an engineer.  She loves math and is a whiz with puzzles.  At Christmas, she put together a 3-D Eiffel Tower puzzle (with just a little help from her dad) and was very proud of her accomplishment.  She asks a bazillion questions and likes to know every detail about how things work.

Emily is 6 and in first grade.  If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, her answer will either be "a princess" or "a mommy."  At one point, she planned to have 20 kids! Perhaps  it is because she is a little younger, but a career prediction for her is a bit harder to make.  I once wrote about her amazing faith.  She has begun to ask more questions, sometimes questions that are fueled by seeds of doubt, but I think that is completely natural for a child her age and she always seems to come back to her beliefs.  Her faith coupled with her sense of compassion gives me confidence that she could be in ministry one day.  She could also be a doctor or a dentist.  She actually likes going to both and is a trooper when it comes to shots or minor procedures (unlike one of my other children who shall remain nameless).  She is definitely NOT an outdoor kind of gal and would not have a profession that involves dirt, sweat, or one in which she could not wear a dress. 

It's fun to make these predictions and I look forward to seeing where their paths take each of them.  In the end, the choice is theirs and the most important thing to me is that they choose something that will make them happy.

Do you have predictions for which careers your children will choose??  Did you choose a career that was "predictable?"

Note: 4/24/15

Recycling this one for FTSF!! This week's hosts are:

Kristi of Finding Ninee (http://www.findingninee.com/)

Kerri of Undiagnosed But Okay (http://undiagnosedbutokay.com/) 

and Jill of Ripped Jeans and Bifocals (http://rippedjeansandbifocals.com/)

       

My Favorite Candy! {Tuesday Ten Linkup}

Hi everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful Easter!  Ours was great and I enjoyed my little blog vacation.   However, I'm glad to be back for this week's Tuesday Ten!  

Do you know that today is National Jelly Bean Day??  Well, it is!!  In honor of this "special day" and, since Easter was this weekend, Rabia and I thought it would be fun to sure our favorite candies for this week's link up.

I definitely have a sweet tooth and I love candy.  I try to keep it out of the house because if it's here I simply can't resist!  I put it out occasionally around holidays, but I usually end up eating more of it than anyone else.   In my opinion, candy should be sweet - not sour or tart.  I don't care for Sour Patch Kids, Lemonheads, Smarties, or Sweet Tarts.   I like things that are fruity and chewy.  Or, of course, chocolate!

So, what are my favorite candies??

I've decided to break it down into two different categories - because I take my candy seriously, ya'll!

Non-Chocolate Candy

Skittles

(A fruity rainbow in your hand!)

Starburst

(Fruity, chewy.  My favorite is red!)

AirHeads 

(Fruity and chewy.  Sensing a theme here?? Again, red is the best, but the "mystery flavor is always fun, too! )

Gummy Lifesavers

(Yes, fruity and chewy!)

Good Jelly Beans 

(Not the "old fashioned ones and definitely NOT the licorice flavored ones.   Jelly Belly or Starburst jelly beans are the best!)

Chocolate Candy

Hershey's Kisses

(There are so many varieties and I haven't found one yet that I don't like!)

Twix

(A little crunch and a little caramel!  Yum!)

Kit Kat

(The cookie crunch is the perfect compliment to the chocolate!)

M and M's 

(A rainbow handful of chocolate!)

Reese's Cups

(Chocolate and peanut butter - kind of like the perfect marriage!)

I thought it would be fun to ask my kids about their favorite candy, too, since they just eggs and baskets filled with it.  Here are their responses when I asked them to name their three favorite candies:

How about you??  Are you a chocolate lover or do you prefer something fruity??  Maybe you like the sour candy!  Come link up and tell us which candies are your favorites!

<a href=“www.the-golden-spoons.com“ target="_blank"><img alt="The Golden Spoons" src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/lspoon1/35772375-425c-4d00-be98-7bd0fae4c333_zpsd2bae8b3.png" /></a>

Your Tuesday Ten hostesses are:

We hope you have enjoyed our #TuesdayTen lists! If so, please link up one of your own and share your post using #TuesdayTen! 
RULES:
1) Link up a post, old or new, pertaining to the TuesdayTen topic for this week and add our TuesdayTen button to your post or sidebar.
2) Please do not link up contests, product reviews, or sponsored posts. Links not pertaining to the topic will be removed at the hosts' discretion. 
3) Visit your hosts and follow them on social media. 
4) Visit as many other linked posts as you can and show those bloggers some love by commenting and/or sharing.
5) By linking up you agree to be subscribed to our #TuesdayTen mailing list. Emails are only sent once a week and you can unsubscribe at any time. 

If you got an actual genie in a bottle who gave you TEN wishes, what would they be??  Next Tuesday, April 29, is World Wish Day and that's what we'll be sharing!  If you would like to receive a weekly reminder about Tuesday Ten including a list of upcoming topics! (We have topics scheduled through June!) just click HERE!

An InLinkz Link-up

Happy Easter Bloggy Vacay

My kids have a short spring break this week, so I'm taking a little bloggy vacation for a few days to decompress from a couple busy, stressful weeks and to spend some time with my family.

l'll be around on social media a bit and I'll be reading and commenting as time permits.  For the most part, though, I am stepping away for a few days.

I'll be back in full force on April 22nd for #TuesdayTen.

Hope everyone has a Happy Easter!  

Am I Holding Her Back?

My youngest daughter is six.  She is loving and affectionate.  She loves to hug and cuddle.  She still carries her "blankies" with her around the house and she is by far the "girliest" one of my three daughters.

A couple weeks ago, she came home from school and told me she didn't want me to fix her hair in pigtails anymore.  Instead, she was only going to wear headbands.  When I asked why, she said one of her "friends" had told her that pigtails make her look like a baby and first graders aren't supposed to look like babies.

I think my heart broke into a thousand pieces.

After a while, though, I began to think about it a little more clearly.  You see, she IS my baby.  She is the youngest of my children; the last one to go through all the firsts; the only one that still climbs up in my lap for snuggles from time to time; the only that, up until that day, would dare to let me put her hair in pigtails - ever.

Honestly, there are times when I think "Why can't you be more independent?"  Like when I am trying to get all three girls out of the shower/bath or when I am trying to get all of them out the door to church.  Thinking back, her older sisters were more independent by the age of six than Emily is now. They had to be because when they were six I had at least one younger, needier child to tend to.

On the other hand, however, I am in no hurry to get rid of her blankies.  I adore the way she sucks on her tongue when she sleeps.  I love when she climbs in my lap and plants a big, wet kiss on my cheek.  I am sad that, having reached a size 7, I can no longer buy her the cute dresses she loves so much, but, instead, have to shop in the "big kids" section.  When we walk together, I still reach for her hand and I still find myself saying "Be Careful!" often.  And, I still like putting her hair in pigtails!

Oh, the cuteness!

In light of this recent event, though, I can't help but wonder if I'm holding her back??  Am I encouraging her to stay dependent and immature??  Do I really want her to grow up??

I actually look forward to the future and am anxious to see what life holds for my girls (in due time).  Careers?  Husbands? Children of their own?  I have no desire to have anymore children and can't even imagine doing the pregnant or newborn stage again.

But, maybe, just maybe, I am subconsciously clinging to the last little bit of baby I have left in my sweet Emily.  After all, she may not always be a baby, but she will always be the baby in our family.  Even when she's a grown woman, she will forever be my baby, as will her two older sisters.

Maybe I am holding her back just a bit.  But, you now what??  Maybe that's o.k.  There will be plenty of time for independence, mature fashion choices, and headbands in the future.  For now, I'm going to hang on to my "baby."

Here's to pigtails, and blankies, and sloppy, wet kisses!!  I hope they last just a little bit a whole lot longer!

To quote Taylor Swift (who I would rarely quote) . . . . . . . . .

"Oh Darling, don't you ever grow up!"

The Biggest OOPSIES! Ever - Tuesday Ten LinkUp

A few weeks ago, Rabia and I were emailing each other with topic ideas for our Tuesday Ten.  As you have probably noticed, we like to look at obscure "holidays" and make our topics correlate.  We were trying to come up with something related to tax day for April 15, but then Rabia saw that it was National Rubber Eraser Day and suggested that we list ten mistakes and what we learned from them. I instantly loved the idea and we plugged it into our topic calendar. 

Well, for me, that was a mistake (Ha!).  I started thinking about this post days ago, but I was coming up blank.   Now, I am certainly not perfect and I make many, many mistakes.  Most of them, though, are small.  I yell at my kids, I publish posts with typos - things like that.  Fortunately, I can't think of any big missteps I've made (except this one)- and certainly not ten of them.  Because of this and the fact that I enjoy historical factoids, I decided to go in a slightly different direction.

If you are participating and have spent time listing your mistakes, or if you are reading and this has got you thinking about some major blunders from your past, have no fear!  My list of some of the biggest mistakes in history will surely make you feel a little better about your own minor ineptitudes.  After all, I'm guessing none of your mistakes caused anything to blow up or cost anyone billions of dollars.

1. In 1912, Captain Edward Smith crashed the supposedly unsinkable Titanic into an iceberg. A mistake compounded by the fact that there were not enough lifeboats for all the passengers aboard the ship.  Over 1500 passengers died in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  This "mistake" cost innocent lives and $7.5 million dollars then, which would translate to approximately $168 million dollars today.
2. In 1999, NASA and Lockheed Martin engineers were working on a Mars orbiter.  The engineers from LM used the traditional English system of measurement while all the others on the team used the metric system.  This incongruence prevented the navigation coordinates from being transferred properly.  Therefore, the orbiter was lost in space forever and NASA was out about $125 million dollars.
3. Fall 2003.  A hunter who was lost lit a signal flare near the San Diego County Estates in California.  The flare started a fire that eventually became the largest fire in the state's history.  Almost 300,000 acres were destroyed as well as over 2300 homes.  Fourteen people died and there were over a billion dollars in insured losses.
4. In 1989, one of the worst oil spills in history occurred when Captain John Hazelwood crashed the Exxon-Valdez into the Prince William Sound, spilling some 760,000 barrels of oil.  Clean up costs were upwards of $4 billion and the Captain was accused of being drunk at the time of the crash.  He was convicted of negligent discharge of oil.   
5. In 1986, scientists were running a test when four nuclear reactors went out of control leading to a fire and explosion.  The explosion released deadly radiation into the air.  This disaster at Chernobyl killed 30 people and cost $358 billion dollars in cleanup and lost farmland.
6. In 1919, the Red Sox sold a player to the Yankees for $125,000.  That player was a young Babe Ruth who would lead the Yankees to four World Series titles in the next fifteen years.  The Red Sox??  It was another 86 years before they won a World Series title!  Oops!!
7. It took 177 years to build the famous tower in Pisa, Italy.  However, it took less than a year after its completion for it to begin leaning due to being built on unstable soil and having a shallow 3 meter foundation.
8. Back in 1876, Captain George Custer grossly underestimated the number of Native Americans his troops would encounter in the Battle of Little Big Horn.  They were met with an army of thousands and Custer's entire company of soldiers perished in the battle.
9. A group of four young men auditioned for Decca records in 1961.  The record company decided the young musicians were "unsellable" and decided not to sign them.  The group??  The Beatles.  They eventually signed with EMI and the rest is history.
10. Alexander Graham Bell offered Western Union a patent on his new "telephone" invention in 1876.  Western Union turned him down stating that the invention had "too many shortcomings" and was "of no value to us."

I bet none of your mistakes were as big as these!!  Hopefully, reminding ourselves of these gigantic snafus will remind us that we are all human and teach us that, even the strongest, most intelligent people are susceptible to messing up once in a while.  But, just in case you are still feeling bad, remember that some mistakes can actually turn out to be a good thing!

~In 1928, Alexander Fleming mistakenly left a petri dish open.  This led to his accidental discovery of penicillin - arguably one of the most significant "inventions" in human history.   It eventually won him a Nobel Prize as well.

~In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.  However, he was trying to reach China and India.  His mistake was thinking he could reach them easily by sailing west across the Atlantic.  Lucky for us, he was wrong and discovered North America instead!

<a href=“www.the-golden-spoons.com“ target="_blank"><img alt="The Golden Spoons" src="http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/lspoon1/35772375-425c-4d00-be98-7bd0fae4c333_zpsd2bae8b3.png" /></a>

Your Tuesday Ten hostesses are:

We hope you have enjoyed our #TuesdayTen lists! If so, please link up one of your own and share your post using #TuesdayTen! 
RULES:
1) Link up a post, old or new, pertaining to the TuesdayTen topic for this week and add our TuesdayTen button to your post or sidebar.
2) Please do not link up contests, product reviews, or sponsored posts. Links not pertaining to the topic will be removed at the hosts' discretion. 
3) Visit your hosts and follow them on social media. 
4) Visit as many other linked posts as you can and show those bloggers some love by commenting and/or sharing.
5) By linking up you agree to be subscribed to out #TuesdayTen mailing list. Emails are only sent once a week and you can unsubscribe at any time. If you would like to be added to the mailing list without linking up, click here.

Come link up again next Tuesday, April 22.  It's National Jelly bean Day and we will be sharing our favorite candies!
A little housekeeping:
Rabia has set up a web form where you can sign up to receive a weekly reminder about Tuesday Ten including a list of upcoming topics! (We have topics scheduled through June!)  If you would like to be added, just click HERE.
If you would like an invite to join our #TuesdayTen Pinterest board so you can pin your post to it, Let me know in the comments or send me an email.  I will need your pinterest url or the email address associated with your pinterest account!

An InLinkz Link-up