For the Ease of Commenting

Since starting my Life With Tish blog, it's been so fun to get your texts, Facebook Messages, Facebook Comments, and emails sharing with me how much you've enjoyed reading it!  The blog has been more fun for me to do than I ever thought possible!  And, the interaction that I've had with many of you because of it has been a real treasure.  So, when I heard from many of you that it was difficult to Comment on the posts, I began looking into a new location that would make it more "follower friendly".  And, I'm happy to say that for the ease of Commenting on the blog, there is a new location for the blog.  You'll be able to Comment MUCH easier at this new location.  You'll also be able to Share the blog much easier, follow me on Twitter, etc  It's gonna be great!

I do want to thank those of you who are Followers of the current location of my blog.  I would LOVE for you to update the location of my blog to continue following.

So, to see the latest blog post, White Eye Lashes, please visit the new location at : http://pamperedtish.wordpress.com/

I'm excited for you to get to share your comments with me and the others who are reading the blog!  So, see ya over at the new location.  http://pamperedtish.wordpress.com/

The Scar

Do you have a scar you got when you were a kid?  I bet you can point right to it and possibly even remember exactly what you did to earn it!  Though I never broke a bone as a child, I did get one scar that shows itself to the world every day.

One bright and cheery morning during my 4^th year of life, my mom called all four of us Tapp kids together to show us the item that would become my mission for the day.  Mom had just gotten a new pair of sewing scissors that I remember being warned not to touch because they could cut through corduroy, wood, and your face!  These things were CRAZY sharp and mom told us that she was putting them away so we couldn’t find them or get hurt.  These things made the coolest sound when they cut…like a sword being pulled out of a sheath!  They were awesome!  SO, my previously uneventful day now was booked!  I had to find those scissors! 

That night, I remember sitting with my dad watching a Dateline or 20/20 kind of show.  Though only 4 years old, I remember being fascinated with this show!  They were talking about how children who had imaginary friends were found to be highly intellectual!  So, I put that on the agenda for the next day – must get some imaginary friends!

As true to a four-year-old memory, I don’t know where or when I found the sewing scissors, but, buddy, I found ‘em!  That next morning, I sat on my bed with those forbidden scissors in my microscopic, yet highly pudgy hands and gazed into my wall.  Let the imaginary debacle begin!  I thought to myself, “I know, I’ll be a school teacher like mom, and all the kids can sit out there”…in the wall.  And there came the classroom, the desks, the books, the American flag in the corner, the alphabet on the wall above the windows, and the scene was set.  Now, I just needed some students in those desks.  The only student I remember was Brett.  He sat in the front desk on the far right.  Brett was a pill.

The lesson for the day that I was teaching to my newly imagined class was “How To Use Scissors,” of course!  Lord have MERCY!  I began by showing the class how the scissors opened and closed with the scissors pointing away from me.  I encouraged them to get their scissors out of their pencil boxes and try to open and close theirs that way, too.  They were all getting along beautifully, continuously opening and closing their scissors, and I thought, “Oh man, I’m gonna have to figure out what to teach them NEXT!”  All of the sudden, I heard Brett say, “I don’t understand!  I don’t think that’s how you’re supposed to use ‘em.  Can you turn ‘em around?”  Well, I was the TEACHER after all!  Of course, I could turn them around!  I mean, I was old enough to locate hidden scissors that could cut through WOOD, so you better believe I could turn these puppies around!  So, I did.

“See Brett, you just open and close them the same way you would if you held them the other way.  No biggie,” I said as I continued opening and closing those beautifully crafted sewing scissors.  “Ummmm…could you hold them up higher?  I can’t see ‘em so good!” he petitioned.  Well, any good teacher knows that your students need a visual aid.  So, I held them up higher, but Brett the Pill wasn’t satisfied.  “Nope!  Still can’t see ‘em and neither can the kids in the back.  Can you hold ‘em up higher so we can see how to do it?!”  He was driving me crazy!  Wanting to be the best four-year-old teacher EVER, I held them up at eye level – my eye level – opening and closing them.  His final request was a doozy.  “I bet you can’t hold them closer to your face!” he taunted.  After all I had gone through to teach this ingrate how to use scissors, I wasn’t going to let the class suffer simply because I wasn’t being a good enough visual aid.  I remember wanting to excel at being a good teacher.  So, I moved the scissors closer to my face.  (May I just share with you that a year later, when I was in K5, we realized that I needed glasses because I had a severe astigmatism.  So, this 4 year old also couldn’t see all too well.)

And that’s when it happened.

I didn’t know why my nose tickled so badly.  But, OH, I just couldn’t stop rubbing it or squinting my eyes shut because it tickled SO MUCH.  I wasn’t sure if I needed to sneeze or what was happening because I hadn’t experience this type of tickle before.  But, it seemed weird that my little hand was sliding around on my face.  So, to investigate the situation, I pulled my hand back to see what the deal was.  And that’s when I saw that all the way down to my elbow was covered in blood.  THAT seemed weird because I didn’t think those scissors were anywhere near my face!  I was not only enduring an insane tickling sensation in my nose, but I was also dripping all over the place.  So, I knew I best go show my mom.

I think I remember her dropping the phone on the floor when she saw me.  I was rushed to the hospital while laying down in the backseat of our station wagon with my mom trying to understand this EPIC tale of how this had all happened.  When we got to the doctor’s office, I spotted an ENORMOUS basket of lollipops sitting at the receptionist’s window.  I forgot about the lollipops while the doctor surveyed my face.  I knew it was bad when my dad left the room.  Mom came over and said, “Ok, we need to make a deal.”  I didn’t care what was about to come, I just said, “I want the lollipops in the window.”  The doctor said, “SURE, she can have a lollipop!”  And, though that would have been nice, I said, “Mom, I want THE BASKET of lollipops.”  She looked at the doctor, and he nodded.  And that’s when I knew this was REALLY gonna hurt.  Mom proceeded to teach me how to do labor breathing.  I saw behind her the doctor prepping the longest needle known to man.  That’s when I knew it was a good thing I was getting THE BASKET of lollipops.

I remember crossing my eyes watching the needle go directly into my nose.  Seven stiches later, I realized it was possible for me to feel like I look like a dinosaur.  The real tragedy to me at the time was that I wasn’t able to swim on the swim team.  I would have been the youngest kid on our swim team.  I was crushed.  I didn’t care that I would have a scar on my nose.  I didn’t care that my crazy siblings would tell me that I was a Child Of V (the 80s TV show about aliens) because I had a V on my face that marked me as one of their own!

My parents shared with me that as they watched me fall asleep that night, they saw how close I had come to slitting my eye.  I had scabs on my eye lids!  I didn’t realize how close I had come to CUTTING THROUGH MY EYES with those sewing scissors.  Next time you see me, feel free to see if you can see my v-shaped scare on my nose.  It’s THERE!

Fruitarians

The palette of a child is a delicate thing to behold.  And, the introduction of food is a slow, methodical process.  But, what does one do when the food doesn’t make it past the textural policing of said child’s HAND!  It is a bit difficult to introduce new foods to the mouth that can’t make it past the hand.  

At finger food age, no meat of any sort made it past Jackson’s adorably fluffy hands.  No vegetables made it past his hand either.  The texture made it an undesirable.  Yet, all fruit and all dairy was allowed the glorious privilege of not only making it past security, but was also eaten in MASS QUANTITIES!  To this day, Jackson is not a real vegetable or meat eater.  He will eat them on occasion, but if you put some fruit or dairy in front of him….it’s a goner and you best have more!  The first time Jackson actually found a meat that he liked was at a Chinese buffet……chicken on a stick!  Go figure!  

Now, Young Mister Tucker has a real sense of adventure with his young palette.  He may be the youngest human to love Smoked Gouda Cheese!  He loves it in grits, of course, but also on a cracker or just on its own!  He likes meat too.  But, he also has little need for vegetables; and fruit and diary he gives two thumbs up.  

The two boys do compliment each other greatly though.  If given a hot dog, Tucker only wants the hot dog meat, and Jackson only wants the bun.  If given chicken strips and French fries, Tucker only wants the chicken, and Jackson only wants the French fries.  So thankfully, nothing goes to waste!

Everyday, these two boys eat primarily grapes, peaches, bananas, pears, oranges, blueberries, pineapple, raisins, craisins, and any other fruit that isn’t nailed down.  They also regularly eat mass quantities of yogurt, cheese, milk, and grains.  So, this is why I call them Fruitarians.  ;o)   When they come visit you, know that you can win them over with FRUIT!

It’s Lunchbox Time

Tis the season for mommas to gather ideas to keep the drab lunchbox with the same lunch over and over from creeping into existence!  It’s hard to keep it interesting, inexpensive, and nutritious.  I mean, that’s a pretty tall order!   Oh, and it would be helpful if they LIKED their lunch too, yes?  Well, my little men get lunch with some thought put into it.  I mean, food is food, and my preschool-age boys just want something to eat.  So, food they get, but I like to add elements to their lunch experience that may impact their life while they’re at school as well as our conversations when they get in the car after school.  May I share with ya?!

Well, let’s talk food first!  My boys like things such as: applesauce, granola bars (Cliff, Fiber One anything, Great Value, and almost any other kind), whole wheat goldfish, dry cereal (Fiber One anything, Great Value's cheerios, GVs Crunchy Raisin Bran), fruit (tangerine, grapes, banana), raisins, craisins, fruit chews, rice cakes, water, Powerade Zero, Gatorade, and, of course, pb & j.  We do not do juice basically at all in our house.  So, for their drink I will send a reusable cup for water or a reusable thermos with Gatorade or Powerade Zero – no juice.  For their meal, I give them an assortment of 3-4 items from the list above.  And, as they find other foods that they like, we add them to the assortment options.  But, I strive to keep away from anything that would require a ice pack or anything like that.  Since they like the options in our assortment, they’re always happy and rarely bring anything back home in their lunch box.  But, the lunch box has in it more than just food.

I utilize the lunch box as a tool to spark conversation.  Yep!  Instead of focusing on the food in the lunch box, I focus on the experience they’ll have each time they open that puppy up!  So, lets talk some logistics.

Jackson loves shapes, so I would draw a shape on his napkin (or his paper towel).  Some days I’d write the verse he was working on, a word he was learning how to pronounce, or a word only he and I knew because he’d made it up.  So, when I picked him up from school, I’d ask, “So, what was on your napkin today?”  He ALWAYS remembered!  And so sparked a conversation about school!  It’s always fun when it’s a word or something he doesn’t know because he asks for help and involves the teacher.  But, my goal is to connect with him even when I’m not there, and bring a bit of the love and fun from home into his classroom where he is on his own.   It makes it fun for me to know that he’s got a tiny piece of the comfort of home in his lunch box waiting for him.

The boys love COLORS.  So, each day they take a utensil, it’s a different color.  I have the “disposable” child spoons, which you KNOW that I put in the dishwasher and re-use all the time.  They come in all different colors!  So, each day a different one goes in!  Simple.  To them it’s like a new spoon every day!  And, when I have colored napkins on hand, I’d send one of those instead of a paper towel.  We are all incredibly VISUAL.  So, by switching up colors, it makes the lunch look different each time!

Now, you know that I love to make a penny bleed.  So, this is a total Tisha Thing….when the boys were tiny, I started recycling the People’s Choice plastic baby food containers.  They were such a great, tiny size and came with a LID!  I’d just put them in the dishwasher and reuse them for snacks in my diaper bag.  Turns out that those lids fit all individual applesauce containers too.  So, I save the plastic applesauce containers and recycle those for lunches.  They make a perfect portion size for the boys’ lunches as well as just snacks at home!  So, each day those are the cups their options from the assortment get sent in -- a virtual Small Man Buffet!

Chinese buffets are a great spot to help liven up a lunch box too.  I love to put a fortune cookie in their lunch box.  They love ‘em!  Fortune cookies are another conversation spark because when Jackson gets one it not only is a treat to him, but it also reminds him of our family together time.  So, I like to put in a treat that is edible that will spark their memory.  And, I have been known to put an Oreo cookie in the bottom of one of their little plastic bowls.  They love finding those!

I feel like, if they're hungry, they're gonna eat.  But, I want to use that lunch box as a tool to impact their day and our relationship.  So, I do!
 

Did THAT just happen?

Day in and day out, I do dishes, change diapers, pick up toys, do laundry, and tend to all the rest of the highly glamorous tasks of a stay-at-home mom.  I have lived through the season of life where simply getting myself a shower was an incredible accomplishment.  And, if I got to do my hair on top of that, my day was made! 

For some, being a stay-at-home mom is a very rewarding, fulfilling treasure that gives them purpose.  While for others the isolation and demand can be depressing.  For me, it can be both.  I love being able to put my boys down for their naps and experience everything they experience – love that!  However, I know ZERO about early childhood education, which would be massively helpful to have a clue about since I have two children who are early in their childhood and need to be educated!  I often feel at a total loss for what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.  And yet, after a few deep breaths, moments with the Lord, and personal time out, the parenting continues.  The parenting always continues without vacation, leave, or replacement.

So, it is fun for me to step out of Mommy Mode, and utilize my skills, intellect, and personality through my work.  Last September, it was so much fun to step out of Mommy Mode and go on a business trip to Chicago.  I went to the New Director’s Academy at the Pampered Chef Home Office.  Upon arrival at Midway, I was basking in the freedom to be on my own, utilize both my hands at the same time, and dictate my own schedule based on MY mood.  Then when I realized that I had a private car waiting to chauffer ME to the Home Office, I told the driver that there MUST have been a mistake.  I’m usually the one who is the chauffer!  What a treat to get to be chauffeured around Chicago!

On a recent trip to Chicago for the Pampered Chef National Conference, I had a major shock to my system.  Consultants from all over the country and International Consultants come to this Conference.  It’s a great time to network, learn, see the new line, and just talk some serious shop!  I love it!  And, I was thrilled to get to see many of my fellow Consultants from Pittsburgh.  Again, I was out of Mommy Mode and enjoying my business.  You can see all the pictures from my trip on my Facebook page.  But, there was one moment at conference that I’d like to share with you. 

The opening general session of Conference was getting underway!  I was so excited to have the invitation to sit in the reserved section of my National Executive Director, Randy Weiss, which meant getting to sit in the very front row! There were video guys all around filming as they walked around. And, as the music was thumping, the countdown to the opening began!  I had a bit of confusion with where to sit because I had an invitation to sit in a reserved section for Excellence Award Achievers (on the 15^th row), and an invitation to sit with Randy (on the first row).  Logistically, I didn’t know where I was “supposed” to sit.  Thankfully, Beth, a Home Office Staffer was able to help me.  I told her my dilemma, and when she looked at my name tag, she said, “You’re going to sit in the front row, and you’re going to sit RIGHT THERE.”  I thought, “Whew! Out of this incredibly packed place!  How convenient to find someone who knew where little ole me should sit!” I thought nothing more of it and got to my seat!

This was like the most fun pep rally EVER!  Sitting among a couple thousand of my fellow Pampered Chefs was just FUN!  Everyone had a glow stick and the place was aglow with the colors waiving all around.  Randy popped up in front of me, handed me a light up scepter, and said, “Hey!  Did you know that tomorrow you’re leading our team in the National Team Parade?!”  I had no idea there even WAS a National Team Parade!  She said to have fun with the scepter during the opening session and make sure to hold on to it because I’d need it for the parade.  So, now I had the HUGEST “glow stick” of sorts in the whole place!   

Then, it began!  The Founder of The Pampered Chef, Doris Christopher, came out to welcome the crowd.  She was a mother of 2 school age girls and just wanted to bring in some extra income when she started the company in her basement 31 years ago.  To get to see her from the front row was super neat!  Then out came the CEO of the company, Marla Gottschalk.  She welcomed everyone to the conference and started sharing about a Consultant who over breakfast in Maui had inspired her.  I had actually gotten to eat breakfast with Marla while we were in Maui!  My friend, Sharon Mellor, who helped me start my business 7 years ago, nudged me and said, “Is she talking about YOU?”  I laughed and just shook my head as we kept listening to Marla describe how this Consultant described herself as “less than a hobbyist when she first started her business.”  Sharon nudged me again, and said, “Tish!  Don’t you describe yourself that way?”  “Sharon, do you know how many other Consultants start out as just a hobbyist!  She’s not talking about me.” I laughed it off.  And we continued listening as Marla shared about how this Consultant paid off the loan on her husband’s new car 18 months early.  Sharon was now gripping my arm because I paid off our Scion XB way early by doing 1 or 2 shows a month.  And when Marla shared that this Consultant had a house on the market in Alabama for over two years while living in Louisiana, I can tell you that I didn’t black out.  But, I don’t remember anything else she said from the stage.

I looked in front of me and realized that the camera guy kneeling three feet in front of me with a video camera on his shoulder had been kneeling there since the session began.  I had noticed him when he knelt down there, but thought to myself, “How self absorbed would THAT be to think that his shot is on me!  He’s probably got a wide lens and can see half this place!”  But, he and his grip WERE planted in front of ME.  While Marla continued talking about I DON’T KNOW WHAT, I looked at the camera guy and pointed to him and silently said, “Are you here for me?!”  When the grip slowly nodded, I realized I wasn’t in Mommy Mode anymore. 

The CEO of The Pampered Chef was sharing my story with the company as the opener to National Conference!  Internally I was completely overwhelmed and could only think to myself, “Is this really happening?! Is this actually HAPPENING!?”  And when I say I was overwhelmed, I mean that the real slow tears that come with disbelief were beginning to come.  Then I heard Marla say, “So, do you all wanna meet her?!  She’s right here on the front row!  Meet Tisha Smith!”  Sharon had to tell me to stand up!  Marla came off the stage, all the stage cameras came with her, and she gave me a hug, held my face in her hands and said, “Tisha, we are so proud of you  We see you.  And we are so proud of what we see!”  The slow tears kinda started to speed up a wee bit.  I mean, what do ya do when you go from just super excited to get to sit on the front row and watch the session to being PART OF THE OPENING SESSION!  The only thing that I could muster up to say to Marla was, “Thank you SO MUCH!  Ummmm….is this HAPPENING?!?!”  As I sat down, Sharon and I were just in shock with tears welling up.  WHAT just happened!  I realized that my Nat’l, Randy, had to be in on this since she had invited me to sit in her section, which was the front row! (I later found out that the scepter had been how they marked me so the production staff knew who I was.  Good thing I asked Beth where I should SIT!)  So, I went over to Randy as the session continued, and I asked her, “What just happened?  Did that just happen?!” And, she paid me the greatest compliment I have been given in regard to my business.  She said, “Tisha, they see your sincerity.  They see the sincerity in how you run your business and your life.”  

Doing laundry, changing diapers, and being a businesswoman all the while – this IS happening!

Me & Marla...

Thank Goodness

As a kid, I remember praying for my future spouse.  Some chapel speaker at school said it would be a good idea to start praying for the person who we’d spend the rest of our life with since they very well may be the one person on earth who has the greatest impact on our life.  So, yeah, I figured he might have a valid point there.  And I ever so eloquently started dutifully praying things like, ”Hey God, if I have to get married, can you please make him like a really nice guy who is ridiculously cute?  I don’t want to marry a jerk and be miserable the rest of my life.  If he could just be nice and cute, that would be awesome. And can he also be a Christian because that would be helpful too.”  I obviously knew EXACTLY what I wanted (and had incredibly high standards)!

I am thrilled to report that God heard my schoolgirl prayers, but thankfully He primarily heard the private, hidden cries of my heart.  You know those deep seeded concerns, fears, and feelings that we don’t often share.  Turns out that He already knows those pretty well. He certainly knew significantly better than I precisely what I needed, wanted, and would like.  I often thank Him for giving me a way better husband than I ever prayed for.

There are so many times during the day when I think, “Hey God?  DUDE, thank You so much for thinking of THAT because I didn’t realize that would have been good to ask for!”  I mean, I NEVER touch the thermostat in the house because Caleb always takes care of it.  I rarely get babysitters for when I’m doing a Cooking Show because Caleb either has Boys Only Night or sets up a sitter. I NEVER take out the trash because Caleb always takes care of it.  He was actually just out of town for a week, and while he was gone I kept walking into the kitchen wondering WHAT in the WORLD that stank was!  Taking out the trash just isn’t even on my radar.  It never even draws my attention because it is always taken care of. So, YES, I had to take the putrid trash out. 


Caleb just puts his emotions into actions.  I’ll never forget when Jackson was a month or two old, and he woke up crying.  I was exhausted and couldn’t really move or roust myself out of bed.  I felt Caleb stirring, and thought to myself, “Get up! Caleb needs to sleep because he’s gotta go to work tomorrow.”  So, as I was getting out of bed, I realized Caleb was already out of bed and I felt bad.  So, I said, “I’m sorry!  I’m sorry!  I’m getting up.  I’m going.”  And, the lights flipped on!  I thought I was gonna be blinded for LIFE!  Caleb had his hands on his hips and was squared off looking at me; I was “in trouble”.  So, I kept saying, “I’m sorry!  I’m going”.  He slowly shook his head at me and said, “Why are you apologizing?!  And, why are you getting out of bed?!”  Completely confused, three-quarters asleep, and probably slurring my words, I stuttered, “Well, I hear him.  And, I’m sorry that I…”  And that’s when he cut me off and informed me, “Ya know, you can’t hog him.  He’s mine too!  I want to take care of him when I’m home.  You get him ALL DAY.   You can’t keep him all to yourself.  So, I get the night shift and the morning shift.  You sleep!” And off he went to care for Jackson.  As I snuggled back under the covers, I was so confused.  I knew that I wasn’t completely awake, but I also was fairly sure that I just got “in trouble” for not sharing.  I remember going back to sleep thinking, “God, mega props to You because I definitely didn’t pray for that!”

Thank goodness, God gave me a way better husband than I prayed for.  Whew!

Common Misconception

I am often asked if I cook “all the time”.  And it may shock you to know that, YES, I cook three full meals a day from my 90-day set menu.  We rotate a vegan menu, stout menu, and lard menu.  I grow my own fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  And in my spare time, I raise my own cow, pig, and chicken for an organic meat selection.  I mean, don’t you?!

No, I DO NOT cook “all the time”.  I typically decompress from the stress of the day by using cooking as a creative outlet.  We eat out fairly often, you may be shocked to know!  We eat cereal for breakfast most mornings with a piece of toast thrown in there once in a while for some variety!  Caleb also likes to cook once in a while too. But, many times, I’ll use cooking as an activity time for the boys and me.

No, I do not grow my own ANYTHING. I do not have a green thumb or have any interest in developing one.  And, yes, I do 99% of my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart because it’s CHEAP.  I don’t mind the produce at Wal-Mart in the least.  They always have pretty much everything I need, and it’s CHEAP.  I love to make a penny bleed!

Yes, I love to try out new recipes.  I am very heavy on the PAMPERED and I am incredibly light on the CHEF.  You are probably a MUCH better cook than I am.  Give yourself some credit!  Cooking for me is productive, relaxing, stimulating, challenging, fun, and yummy!  And it’s instant gratification.  How could I not want to do that OVER and OVER and OVER again!  

Yes, I love to feed people.  THAT is one of the most awesomest, coolest, greatest, bestest, supery, dooperie things about cooking that I love.   I love having my home full of people I can feed!  I’m like the 110-year-old Italian grandmother you never had!  If you come up in my house, I’m gonna try to feed you!  That’s just the way it is!  So, when you comin’ over?!

Backseat Yoda

Have you ever been in a huff?  You know, when you just need to rewind yourself, hit delete, and then click resume and pray that you have a better attitude?  We all have those mornings (or days) when our grouchiness affects our face, friends, and family.  I was having one of those days. Well, I was having two or three of those days, actually.  And, the reasons, which seem much more like excuses, are a bit pitiful.  But, thankfully, I was let loose of the grumbly, unfriendliness by Young Mister Jackson.

It was around 5 o’clock in the evening, and we were out and about tending to some errands.  He and Tucker were riding along in the car, sitting in their car seats, and just singing some Wiggles songs.  It was so cute hearing them full throttle sing their favorite songs. And in the quietness of my mind I remember thinking, “Oh, they’re so awesome!  Ok, now, what is my plan for when we get home?  We need to do dinner, get in pajamas, read, brush teeth, and all the rest.”  And Jackson asking if I could turn the music down interrupted my thought.  “Hey mom, can you turn it down.  I need to talk to ya about something.  We really, really need to have a talk.”  I said, “Absolutely, brother.  What’s up?!”  I was not emotionally, spiritually, or physically prepared for what I was about to encounter as this four-year-old Yoda shared his heart with me as we drove along.

“Mom, I need you to look in my eye balls because we gotta talk about something that’s really, supery, dooperie important”, he said.  So, as when anything in the car is supery, dooperie important, the rear view mirror is immediately adjusted so I can see his face.  Once that was set, he was able to continue. “Ok, yeah, that’s better.  Mom, I really, really need to tell ya something.  It makes me sad when you’re mad all the time.  It makes me really, really, REALLY sad”, as he did the sign for ‘sad’ over and over again. (Yes, Jackson and Tucker know a bit of sign language. And, no, they are not deaf.)  “And, Mom, it makes Tucker really sad too.  We don’t want you to be mad all the time A-N-Y-M-O-R-E.  Not any. Not never.  Not AT ALL.  It’s just not like Jesus, ya know!?  It’s not like we talk about all the time with treat others the way we want treated, you know?!  SO!  Don’t be mad anymore.  Just be happy, and kind, and nice, and fun, and play with us all the time.  That’s all.  Just be happy like Jesus, OK?!”  

In this moment, there was any number of responses that I suppose I could have had.  I mean, you know how YOU feel after reading THAT!  How would you have responded?

I simply found myself humbly nodding.  “You’re absolutely right, Jackson”, I affirmed his assessment.  “I have been so grouchy and short with you and Tucker, and I absolutely need to be more happy and kind”, I said.  There was nothing else really to be said because Jackson was spot on.  I needed to do an about face and change my behavior….much the same way I expect Jackson and Tucker to change their behavior.  So, after apologizing, I said, “Hey brother, I’m so glad you shared your heart with me and knew that we needed talk.  So, thanks for having this talk with me.  I really need it.”  “That’s alright, Mom.  Sometimes we just need to talk it out so we can do things better”, he reminded me.  

I’m so grateful to have a four year old who can teach ME in love and grace.  I only hope I can do the same!  We spent the rest of that evening out in the kiddie sprinklers playing basketball with the plastic baby pool as the basket. And, I decided that it certainly was much for fun to “not be mad all the time”.

The Moment of Decision

Silence can sometimes send my mom radar into "catastrophe in progress" mode.  Jackson and Tucker had been playing with blocks together building towers, knocking them down, and rebuilding.  They were having so much fun that when I didn't hear their delightful giggles anymore, I knew something was in progress.  The mom radar was in high gear and accurate.  The giggles had been replaced with hearing Tucker eating something and Jackson saying, "MMMmmmmmmm!"

They had moved on from the blocks.  The blocks were old news since they'd found my purse.  The floor, which had once been covered with blocks was now covered with the former contents of my purse.  As they turned to see me observing them, you could see the look of, "Oh no!  She found us!" I had a desicion to make -- do I address what is on the floor first or what is on their faces first!  I took a moment to gather my thoughts, and asked Jackson if I could take his picture, which you see above.  As you can see, Jackson's mouth was lavished with my Burt's Bees Cocoa Lip Shimmer.  They had twisted the entire stick out, eaten some, worn some, and were having a big time.  It was peppermint flavored, which they both LOVE.  So, they were in deep.

 And so the conversation began, "Hey guys, tell me what we're up to."  Jackson stood frozen in time holding in his hand the dilapidated lip shimmer.  He was now faced with the decision -- to lie or not to lie.  He looked at the pitiful lip shimmer, pondered, then looked back at me.  True to Jackson's 4 and a half years of life history, he very thoughtfully pondered with three to four second blinks.  After a few deep breaths, deep blinks, and good moments soul searching he finally spoke.

"Mom, I messed up your this thing. And, I shared it with Tucker.  And, we just did it all.  I'm real sorry.  It's all my fault.  And, I'm just super duper sorry. (SIGH)", he came clean.  "Do I need to go to time out? What do I need to do?  Am I in trouble?", he asked.  While he waited to hear his fate, I was internally SO PSYCHED!  He'd chosen to lean in to the uncomfortable reality instead of running away and making things worse.  When I told him that I was proud of him for choosing to do right, his brown eyeballs about exploded with pride and his precious, little face lit up!  He flipped himself around to Tucker and said, "I did what was RIGHT, Tucker!  I did it!  I really did it!  Come on, let's pick all this up and put it back!"  Their sweet munchkin hands stuffed everything (including some blocks) back in my purse, and we had some fruit and whipped cream to celebrate Jackson's good choice.  Tucker asked for some more lip shimmer to eat, but we had already "retired" that over-worked lip shimmer.

The day has come...

...for me to share my stories.  My sister, Chrissy, has always said that I was not a "storyteller" so much as an EXAGGERATOR.  I kindly think of myself as one who enjoys sharing stories that happen to get more precise over time. Call that what you must!

But, yes, I do share my fair share of stories.  I have many.  My family lend themselves to be incredibly entertaining, interesting folk...or...it may be that I see in each of them the traits that are entertaining and interesting.  I like to see the uniqueness in others, those oddities that make them fabulous.  Quirks, oddities, and our own craziness is what makes everyone, well, incredibly interesting to my brain!

So, yes, on this wee blog you will learn about the people in my world, the stories of my life, and the Tisha-isms that my God-adoring husband, Caleb, not only puts up with, but also embraces.  Buckle up!  And, tell your friends, 'cause this is gonna be.....somethin'!