EEEEK!

MY MOM BOUGHT ME MY SPARKLY

NEW YEAR'S EVE

 DRESS!!!

(If only I would have filmed myself opening the package!)

Can't Wait to Celebrate!

Fall is here! I am so excited to celebrate Halloween, prepare an amazing Thanksgiving meal, visit with family coming in from overseas, and experience Christmas in my big house with my amazing family. I'm MOST excited about New Year's Eve though. This year, of all years, I'm putting a lot of hope into doing something amazing! 27 New Years and honestly I have yet to live the dream... 

The dream is to be decked out,  in a crowded gorgeous room, with a glass of champagne and a kiss. 

I want to wear this:

Also, I'm linking up here because it's awesome.

Glass Breaks, Lesson Learned

I can't remember what the weather was like outside. I can't remember what the house even looked like from the street corner. I can't even tell you which house we were in... What I can tell you is that while visiting in Michigan at around 12 years old I was putting the clean dishes into the cabinet and I broke something. It was fragile, obviously really old, and beautiful. I was so upset. I was also scared I was going to get into major trouble! This thing had to be important. Turns out, it was. However, to my surprise my mom walked in and although obviously disappointed, didn't seem to be angry at me. I found out that I had broken a piece of her grandmothers wedding china. I could have cried for days! I understood the significance because back in Georgia I was raised in a household where the china stayed in the cabinet and wasn't even used for special occasions. It was to look at, not use. That's pretty normal from what I gather. Here, however, it was used daily. Mom said to me something along the lines of, "Well, it's bound to happen. I could keep it put up but what's the use in looking at it? I'd rather use it and enjoy it like it was meant to be." That was that. I learned a valuable lesson that day. I have actually already had similar situations happen with both of my children and when they were scared about getting in trouble, I shared this story.

Right on cue, Mom sent me a note from MariaMontessori.com. The article is titled "If At First You Don't Succeed, GREAT!!!" You can read it here. Doesn't it make sense to allow a child to learn just the way every other human learns... naturally?

How else is Aiden Gray going to learn to carry his juice carefully so it doesn't spill if he doesn't learn that, duh, juice spills. So what if there's a mess to clean up... over and over and over and over again. Eventually it stops. Who knows, he may get so good at balancing his cup that he develops an impressive skill! For instance, I remember carrying piping hot coffee from the kitchen all the way to the shop for my Poppa... I only spilled it once or twice and got burned before I started being very careful. As a matter of fact, I got so good at carefully carrying hot coffee, that I could run the 50 yards and not spill a drop. Honest!

So get this, I searched the net for the above picture of the broken teacup and wandered upon an amazing blogger. Her name is Audra Silva, obviously, and she has a button up on her blog that I took particular interest in. Something I'm working on personally as a matter of fact.

I read her series and I'm sharing her button she made for it. It's a worthy read if you have children and find, too, that sometimes my reaction to frustration is controlled by my temper and not my mind. I strive to be an amazing mother but I know sometimes I feel like I just can't take anymore. Moments like these every sound or  "MOOOOM!?" call irritates me to no end. Personally, I have found letting go of trying to control their every move to keep them from making mistakes keeps me much calmer when they do make mistakes.

So on that note, I have something else to share! Mom sent me this book called "Free Range Kids". Then she sent it to me again. If you want it, I'll send you the second copy. First person to send me a note gets it: chickadette@gmail.com. You can read it about it by clicking the following photo:

Friggin' BC

"Birth Control: As If A Monthly Curse Wasn't Enough"

"Birth Control: The Little Pill With A Will"

"Birth Control:  There's Already One Octomom"

Maaan. Well... Woe-maaaan. I went to the health department for the first time to get birth control for the first time in years. I have had a healthy fear of birth control for, like, ever.  It's a short uncomplicated story.

I prefer to not use it. I am personally very sensitive to any medication and the added hormones have an immediate effect on me. The problem is that I also seem to be very fertile. After my divorce I knew I had to go back to traditional methods just to keep myself safe... for sure. I started taking the pill again. Well guess how that turned out?

At the very least he's adorable!

So anyway, apparently just taking a pill is not going to be enough. We immediately started using old fashioned methods after he was born but now that I've stopped breastfeeding the thought of getting pregnant again keeps me up at night! I pulled out the pills I had and started taking them again but noticed immediately how bat shit crazy I became. No bueno. I took a trip to my local health department to find out what my options were. I have heard of the countless blessings an IUD offers so I inquired about that only to find out that I had to have several tests done and that I had to wait several months to get them. In the meantime, I was offered the DEPO shot or a Nuvaring. Knowing that I was sensitive to hormones I went with the Nuvaring. That way, at the very least, I could take it out. Once you're injected with the shot, you're at it's mercy for 3 months. Although I am pleased with the overall hormonal 'ride' that the Nuvaring has taken me on, I am quite unhappy with the side effects that seem to appear in the bedroom. I also have been having a hard time concentrating, forget words, and I feel like a Zombie.

I have decided to stick with it for the next month, it's only been 2 weeks after all, and then shoot for the IUD if possible. However, I can't help considering just dropping it and taking our chances. I hate being effected by it. If I can't even handle the Nuvaring, will I be able to handle the IUD?

Has anyone had previous experiences and could offer opinions for me to consider? The internet offers so many conflicting opinions I have gotten NO WHERE in my decision making. I am specifically curious about those of you who are also sensitive to birth control and what you have found to be sufficient protection.