A MOM 4 ALL OCCASSIONS

I can hardly believe it, but come this December I will have officially been on the job as mom for 19 years. I haven't counted the number of diapers I've changed or the bottles and boobs I've nourished with. Well okay, I only used the same two boobs, but you know what I mean.

Today is MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

It's the hyped up holiday brought to you by HALLMARK CARDS. I'm not complaining really, its nice to be recognized, but it'd be great to be appreciated the other 364 days out of the year when your up to your eyeballs in laundry and the countless to-do lists brought to you by the fruit of your womb. You know those 364 days when they don't feel obligated to buy that HALLMARK CARD or take you out to get your nails done. Come on, I know you're feelin' me.

Gregg is my near 19 year old man-child. The dude's been quite the 'experience' as far as sons go. I LOVE MY BUBBY. But one of the many attributes he has going for him is his ridiculous desire to shock people --- HARDCORE! He wants to challenge the mind visually and contextually. He's also stinking hilarious. On most days, at least once, I am dropped to my knees by something he has said. He challenges everything --- political views, religious hierarchy, musical tastes and trends of fashion. This young man takes nothing at face value but loves gazing at faces filled with BOTOX. He is an oxy-moron. And no, that isn't a subliminal jibe at my son. He can out-think and out-wit most people. He is well liked by his teachers and adored by most of my adult friends. The others he scares the proverbial crap out of. 19 years is a long time to stick with one job. But I think he's been worth the effort. He is a like water --- effervescent, always moving and a force that must be reckoned with. Gregg has many naysayers though. He's been written off by youth pastors because he didn't comply to their program, had some really difficult questions that couldn't be answered in the typical GOD IN A BOX way, and then, to put the cherry on top of the sundae, when time to pray and listen --- well, my boy heard crickets! Yeah, CRICKETS!

So what's this mom to do? Tremble in fear? Shake down the youth pastors for such limited narrow vision? DEMAND that the crickets talk GOD-SPEAK!!?? Nope. Not a chance. I am absolutely sure of one thing. This man-child has a purpose for being on this blue ball in the sky. He has a journey to make. I don't know how that will take shape but I have seen just a glimpse of the man he is becoming --- powerfully perceptive, hard-working, incredibly intelligent, intuitive, creative and not willing to put up with crap! He is intense. He does challenge the status quo. But he is so worth the effort.

Savvy. Well, I blogged about her a couple of days ago so I don't want to bore you with my redundancy but, she is my girl that is itching to start her own life. She has the guy and they have the dream. (See the pics above) She wants to start now. NOW! As you can see she is so very beautiful. She can make my heart swell like the ocean. She can also p*ss me off so badly that I want to forcefully borrow some of that long brown hair from atop her head. (I'm keepin this real people) Thankfully, that doesn't occur very often but when it does --- STAND BACK. LOL. Gregg says we can square off like no two others. I don't really get why it is that way with her. Maybe its because we are so much alike or maybe I just want so much for her that it scares me how fast the world could eat her alive. She's itty bitty teeny wheeny --- THE WORLD ISN'T. I marvel at how she can argue her way around the bush and back though. The girl has a mind like a steel trap. Seriously, she could probably convince the POPE to wear leather pants!!!! You want this girl on your team if it involves taking a stand for a cause you believe in. I know I want her on my team --- FOR LIFE.

Jaelyn is my baby. She is, as they say, DOPE. A fearless performer who suffers occasional panic attacks. Go figure. She has no patience for boys and their head games. Can I get an AMEN! She isn't long suffering at all when it comes to play acting stupid. The girl will shoot the truth straight through your heart! She works with the special needs kids at school and that makes me so very proud of her. She also adores her daddy immeasurably. Yeah, she's got her dreams of entertaining millions, but at the end of the day, she'd probably be happy being a dentist --- just as long as she doesn't have to live but a short distance from home. :-) We've told her that she is the character played by Joan Cusack in Raising Helen --- a natural born mother who is strong yet nurturing. We think we'll keep her around. She was our surprise baby. And there has never been a day where she hasn't surprised us. Like today for instance. She came home and was suddenly taller than her mother. YIKES! No kidding.

Today on this HALLMARK holiday, I've walked down memory lane. I've been thinking back to some of the funnier moments that have occurred with my kids. Moments like when I scared Gregg half out of his wits when he was just about 10 years old. Or the time when he decided to scare Savannah with a fake spider on a string while she was showering. And then Savvy, attempting to deliver pay-back, nearly breaking her head and the tub faucet lying in wait for Gregg to exit that same shower.

I've been reminded of the harder moments as well --- Gregg begging God to heal him as he lay in agony with his first migraine that required a hospital visit. Or Savvy fighting 3 strains of Salmonella at once. Jaelyn battling OCD with Anxiety after my best friend, Kim, passed away of Melanoma. You know the much harder less talked about times of motherhood.

I've thought about my dad today --- how he called Savvy his little princess and Jaelyn his poogie puss. I've remembered my mom and her incessant worrying over each and every single grandchild she has been blessed with. Yep, there are so many memories we mom's can conjure up on a day like today. I won't keep you any longer with mine. I'm sure if your a mom, you have plenty of your own to muddle through.

"MOM!!!?????" Yep, right on cue........

So in honor of Mothers Day I celebrate the best gifts I have ever received --- my three kids. I can always count on the unexpected, lots of laughs and the occasional hug that doesn't come with an alterior motive. LOL.

How does it work in your house?

SHE ROCKS MY WORLD

My last blog was all about my youngest baby girl, Jaelyn. Today I am inspired to write about my older baby girl, Savvy, aka Prada, nee nee, sissy boo sissy or her given name, Savannah Michelle. I am over the moon proud of this young woman in the making. We were informed yesterday that she was awarded a PELL GRANT in addition to her HOPE SCHOLARSHIP. How cool is that!!! She has been rewarded for all her hard work and diligence. Its an awesome wonderful thing when a woman in our society has the potential and the ability to educate herself and excel toward her plans and goals. Go nee nee!

It was about a 100 years ago in this country when young women were still denied the right to vote. Can you imagine that? How about the century where women weren't permitted to own land? Or even better how about the time IN THIS NATION when a husband was permitted to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb??? I'd be hiding me a black ironed skillet for that dear boy, LOL.

I am a huge fan of the Women's' Suffrage Movement and those incredible beings who had the where with all to go after and change the the laws of this nation. I'm referring to women like Lydia Chapin Taft, Abigail Adams, Elizabeth Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and a more obscure female abolitionist, Lucretia Mott. But even today there are still so many injustices occurring against our sisters in other parts of the world. Some African tribes still practice female genital circumcision. %$#!!!! And no ladies and gentlemen, that isn't performed in a clean and sterile hospital environment. There are countries where women have no choice as to who they marry. There are cultures today where women are still DENIED an education. I look back with a grateful heart to the above aforementioned women. In 1920 our country ratified our 19th amendment granting me, my daughters and all women in this nation the right to vote our conscience. In 1948 the UN declared it international law in the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.

One of my favorite books is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I adore reading about this time period but am so grateful that my daughters greatest achievements in life do NOT have to center around WHOM they are given in marriage to. I am thrilled that they have the opportunities to move forward in society as people first. I want them to be able to stand up on their own two feet and seek God for their direction. I sometimes wonder if the women in our nation realize how truly blessed they are --- or if my own daughters ever pause to reflect on this. Our choices are no longer just marriage, governess or prostitute. Savannah was born in a time where the law clearly states she has the right to an education and the privilege to work and the ability to own property IN HER NAME. She has so many choices afforded to her now because of the courageous women that fought for her rights without even knowing her name. She will begin the next step in her life's journey this fall at MTSU. I am so very proud of my daughter. SHE ROCKS MY WORLD! I cannot wait to see what she chooses to go forth in.

And so today as I look forward to her future, I humbly look back at the women who have gone before her and say --- THANK YOU!

Thank you so very, very much.

TAKING A BITE OUT OF THE BIG APPLE

It was a very exciting week for this mom and her baby girl. We were flown to NYC for a meeting with an A&R rep of a recording label to talk about a possible development deal for Jaelyn. This wasn't a plan executed by me, it was one of THOSE stories you sometimes hear about. You know, the ones where the incredibly famous actress states she was drinking a milkshake in a famous 5&10 store with a burger grill located in the back, when lo and behold, a talent agent walks up drops his card and states,"stick with me sweetheart and I'll make you a household name?' LOL Yeah, it was kind of like that, except NOT. Gregg and Jaelyn began her YOUTUBE video channel about 7 months ago and she has been recording video 'covers' at her leisure. The thing is this former singer KNOWS she is gifted. No auto-tune or verb --- N_O_T_H_I_N_G processing her voice into sounding THAT good. This is a case where the HYPE lives up to the REAL DEAL.

So we were contacted by the VP of A&R from this record label. It required some digging on their part to even attempt to figure out how to reach us and who Jaelyn's authority figures were but after a few tries --- that was indeed accomplished. The talks began, the tickets were purchased ----- the meeting was a GO.

Jaelyn and I braved the planes. I chuckled as I remembered a friend, deathly afraid of spiders being poured down his shirt, relating to my not so much love of flying fear and phobia. Yeah, THAT helped me, LOL. Anyhow, the flights were smooth but still nerve wracking. Arnie picked us up and we fell into bed that night with visions of big scary corporate monsters wanting to chew Jaelyn up and spit her out into the next version of Britney Spears --- the one with the shaved head and the lost look in her eyes. So yeah, exhausted sleep came easily but it wasn't restful sleep because this was Jaelyn and HER dream. We had to tread lightly but with a sense of purpose. We had to prepare to protect while encouraging her gift. Kind of like all the dads out there who see the potential in their little athletes. They run out the door and sign them up for sports. They suit them up in shoulder pads, shin guards, jock-straps, and then send them out to PLAY THE FIELD all the while bellowing declarative remarks like, "you can do it, drop your shoulder, hit em again harder, DON'T YOU LET ME SEE TEARS BOY, WE play to win!!!! ruh ruh ruh " Yep, we were about to enter into THE game of games for a singer. And the mama was just a wee bit nerved out. I needed a drink but then remembered I don't do that sort of thing! So I took some deep breaths, received a phone call from a friend who prayed a gloriously inspired prayer, and I was set. I was going to Madison Ave to meet this LION head on.

One of the best things to witness was Jaelyn's calm. She managed to keep giggling at all the silly stuff. She retained her appetite. She loved on her daddy and he coo'd over her. We showed her where the mama FIRST kissed the daddy. Asked her what HER GOALS were for the day --- and then listened to her reply. Encouraged her to be honest in all her answers and that REGARDLESS of the outcome we were so very proud of her. We reminded her that in the end, this may not be THE DOOR but it was A DOOR. That she would glean some important lessons from this experience. To stay alert and be present in the moment during the meeting. Then we told her how much we loved her and headed into the great metropolis of steel and mortar....

So, are you wondering what happened? What the outcome was? How she really did? Hmmm, okay I'll spill it. Jaelyn did even better than I could have imagined. She looked the LION directly in the eye while smiling, giggled a bit, articulated who she was and who SHE WASNT. When asked if she would mind singing in front of him she stated, "are you kidding, I don't mind at all." Then she opened her mouth and let it flow. A big ol' smile broke over the LION'S face and he stopped her after the chorus and said, "you can stop right there Jaelyn, it's more than obvious that you ARE the real deal and that the youtube videos were ALL YOU." We then talked about industry. What is happening behind the scenes in music business. All very corporate boring facts but facts that every artist SHOULD BE well versed in. We talked about recoupable losses, budgets and itunes etc etc. THE LION was a huge teddybear of a man, much like my husband --- but bigger. And at the end of the hour and forty five minute marathon, he looked Jaelyn square in the eye and said, "We'd very much like to extend a contract offer to you Jaelyn."

Now, everyone in this business KNOWS the devil is in the details. We are expecting a copy of the contract to arrive at the beginning of the week. Legal then gets on board and we begin the arduous process of negotiating outclauses and must haves.

Is it in the bag as they say?

Well in the words of my very talented young daughter, "don't crack your eggs before you lay them."

So, we are applying that wisdom here in our house and aren't cracking open any eggs. We are simply moving forward on the next step of a journey. It doesn't change anything for Jaelyn at this point. She can walk into next week knowing that her dream was affirmed. That it's no longer just her mama telling her she has it. Her feet are firmly planted on the ground. She's back to arguing with me, her sister, and then exploding in laughter the very next minute.

She's the YO!!

And all is just as it should be....