A Not Me! Monday - Lest Anyone Have the Illusion That I Have it All Together...

In the glorious spirit of Not Me Monday, I bring you this post that will hopefully make every mom out there struggling to keep it all together feel just a little less alone!

On the last week of school, my brain did NOT shut down and turn to jello when overwhelmed with the vast amounts of activities, field trips, end-of-the-year celebrations, teacher thank-yous, etc. One rainy morning, we were NOT frantically running around to get to school/work. We are NEVER frantic, always peace filled and organized. James and I were NOT having a heated discussion about his math homework, because that would absolutely NOT EVER happen. I am ALWAYS patient, calm, cool and collected.

So, it was NOT raining and James' shoes DID NOT have dirt chunks on them from the night before when he was playing outside at bible study. I was NOT running around trying to remember everything we need and get us out the door on time, while still discussing the math paper, when I grabbed the shoes to take them outside and clump off the dirt. I did NOT sit them on the freezer so that I could run back in for something that we forgot. James did NOT get into the car through our attached garage. I did not then pull out of the driveway, while still discussing said math paper. We did NOT pull into the parking lot at the school (where I also work as a one-on-one with a special needs student) with seconds to spare before my student arrived.

When I said, "Hurry up..we have to get in the building!" While I stood in the rain in the wet parking lot...Oh, no...He did not look at me and say, "Mom, what about my shoes?"

I did NOT exclaim, "What do you mean, what about my shoes?! Why wouldn't you tell me that you don't have your shoes?!!!!"

It all came back to me, and I remembered the shoes sitting on the freezer. I did NOT feel panic rising as I saw the buses coming...the bus which carried the student I work with. I had to get him off the bus. I did NOT look at my son and tell him that he would have to walk into the school in his socks...through the wet parking lot.

When we arrived at school, I did NOT then have to explain to our classroom teacher that I would have to go home after I got my student off the bus and get my son his shoes! When I returned with the shoes, James' (actually very sweet and always encouraging - really) teacher did NOT proclaim that "Never in her 33 years of teaching has a student ever come to school without shoes!" I did NOT hang my head and say that I was so glad we could be the first!

For those out there wondering if this story traumatized my son...he wasn't without his shoes for long. I actually did run home and get them as soon as my student was off the bus, and I did bring him dry socks, too! Also, God in His infinite wisdom has blessed my sweet James with one of those personalities that takes things like this in stride. He is very good at making light of things and laughing it off. He is also very well-liked by his peers...so to them this was just another funny thing James did! Boy, oh boy was it a memory!
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MORE WAYS TO HELP SUFFICIENT GRACE

Just wanted to let everyone know that my blog-friend, Holly, is having an awesome Raffle/Fundraiser over at her blog, Caring for Carleigh. For $2, you can be entered into the raffle for a beautiful opal necklace. You can enter as many times as you want through the chip-in widget on her blog. All proceeds will be donated to Sufficient Grace Ministries. Please help us spread the word about this fun way that you can get involved. Every little bit adds up! So click on over there and enter Holly's raffle for Sufficient Grace. Raffle ends June 22nd. Thanks so much Holly...you are such a beautiful, sweet mama with a beautiful amazing heart...and a dear encouraging friend.

And...don't forget about the Thirty One Fundraiser/Giveaway that Tammy is having. Click here to read more about it, and don't forget to leave a comment to be entered into our Thirty One Giveaway to win an adorable bow purse from Thirty One. Contest ends June 25th.

Aye, Aye, Aye...a Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Aye, Aye, Aye! That's all I can say about the sad events that have NOT transpired on the golf course the past couple weeks. On Mother's Day, I did NOT skip unto the golf course with my pink golf bag and matching pink accessories with high hopes for some good golf and quality family time.

I did NOT proceed to play as if I've never touched a golf club before, instead of playing like someone who has attended the Women's Golf Clinic three years in a row and who golfs weekly...in a couples league. No way...that was NOT me.

I did NOT continue to play horrendously and want to shout and say words I don't normally say! I did NOT proceed to get increasingly irritable as my ball would sadly roll just a few feet in front of me with each wholehearted swing attempt. When I totalled the score card at the end of the round, it was not determined to be quite arguably the worst game in the history of my extensive (read: pathetic) golf career. Furthermore, my eight year old son did NOT legitimately and quite heartily beat me...on Mother's Day...dashing my high hopes for a good day of golf. The Tims did NOT thoroughly enjoy the display!

And...this weekend, I did NOT have a repeat performance of the aforementioned worst golf day ever...during couples league...at our home course...where other human beings could witness my demise. Of course...that's impossible. There is no way to golf this hopelessly bad two weeks in a row. I did NOT golf worse than when I began the game. It was NOT like playing crochet or ping pong (if you count the balls ricocheting off the trees when they did make it in the air...and coming right back at me!) I did NOT state rather definitively more than once that I hate golf and will never play again. I did NOT almost break the cardinal rule of golf..."There's no crying on the golf course" more than once. Tim did NOT proclaim that I almost really was playing crochet when the ball almost went through two sign posts on a tiny sign. The ball did not instead ricochet off the sign and fly to the right on the side of a hill. I did NOT laugh hysterically at Tim's proclamation...so hard I could barely swing the club. The scenery was NOT so beautiful that it took my breath away...and I did NOT thoroughly enjoy the time with my Tim, despite the stench of my golf game.

I did NOT seriously consider naming this post, "Why I Hate Golf". (Remember the post when I pledged my undying love to this wretched sport?) And I most certainly did NOT beg my husband to call and get me a lesson with Tony at the Golf Shop before I set foot on the course again. No way...I would never.

You will NOT find me in the yard trying desperately to correct the problem when I should be doing the laundry. I will NOT be the one with the bandaid on my ring finger covering the spot where the skin ripped off yesterday from swinging the club too many times. After all, it's only a game. I wouldn't let something so minor get to me! No way...NOT ME!

Have a great NOT ME! MONDAY, all...thanks for stopping by!

A Not Me Monday Post I've Been Saving Up For Awhile!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

O.K...I've never actually done a real Not Me! Monday post...but I've been saving this one up for a long time. And, in celebration of Stellan's wonderful recent reunion with his sweet MckFamily, I thought I'd join the party. WARNING: After reading this, your opinion of me may be forever changed. But, humility is always a good thing...and laughter is a close second! So, here goes...

This winter, I was NOT with my teenage son running errands, while driving my husband's truck. I am NOT uncomfortable driving his truck. I feel completely confident and at ease. Especially when it begins to snow large snowflakes, and the traffic increases. I really LOVE that...I do NOT get incredibly stressed in that situation.

We did NOT go through the drive-through at McDonald's. And, we did NOT notice when we arrived at the Wal-Mart parking lot that my son's french fries were missing from his order. I did NOT tell him to "Just deal without the fries because I didn't want to drive through the snow and ridiculous traffic." No...I love to drive my husband's truck, through the snow, and the heavy traffic. Love it.

I did NOT give in because he thought he was starving and couldn't live without his fries. I also did NOT grumble with him about it. He did NOT begin arguing with me in the process...and I certainly wasn't sucked into arguing with my teenage son. That never happens.

I did NOT pull into the drive-thru lane in a huff and pull up to the window asking politely (I really was polite...no need for rudeness!) for our missing fries. The person at the window did NOT look a little perplexed and frightened.

He did NOT ask, "When did you come through the drive-thru, ma'am?" (Perhaps it should of occurred to me that this wasn't the person who originally took my order. It really did not! No...really.)

He did NOT continue to look confused as he asked me to pull ahead. I did NOT continue the argument with my son as we waited. When the gentleman came to my window with our fries, he looked in my car and did NOT say, "Ma'am, you have a McDonald's bag in your car."

"Yes", I did NOT reply.

He did NOT hold up the bag containing our fries, and say...

"Ma'am, this is Wendy's."

I did NOT apologize profusely and then begin to laugh so hard I cried. My son did NOT shake his head and roll his eyes. And the Wendy's worker did NOT fail to see the humor in the situation. He did NOT just give me a curt nod and walk away. We did NOT proceed to McDonald's to retrieve our missing fries, while still laughing hysterically, and wondering at my level of competence. I did NOT wonder for days afterward if I should even leave my house...because of my ridiculous tendency to be easily distracted! Not me...no way!