Shout out to Kevin

This year I sent Kevin a tiny valentine for V day!  I don't know if it topped the year that Kim and I went in halfsies and sent a Barber Shop Quartet over to serenade our husband's at their jobs. (Men singing acapello & giving a rose to other men could give the wrong impression at the shop by the way)  When I say tiny I mean it, it came with it's own magnifying glass to read it. 

I am sure you were able to read it from the picture, not!
So as my Shout Out to Kevin, this is what it said:

Kevin,

I love you more than the cool side of a pillow.
More than an ice cold Dr. Pepper.
More than a day off or a holiday.  I love you when you are helping our kids with their homework.  When you are holding our dog on your lap.  I love you when you cook me dinner and when you bring me a glass of ice water to bed.  When you take my best friend to the movies on her birthday because I am sick and can't go.  I love you more than I love my purses! 

It seems like I find new things to love about you all the time and I can't imagine loving any one else.

I Love You,    

                                        Lainie

It may have been tiny, but it said a lot!  

Peyton, on the other hand, I am going the opposite way with.  Each year at her school, they invite the parents to come and make a Valentine to be delivered to them in class.  I have made one every year since she was in Kindergarten and they have gradually grown bigger and bigger each year.  Next year will be her last year at Reagan and I am thinking billboard size.  

An Explanation of my Exclamations!

So I have been writing my blog for a little over 6 months now, and in looking back at my titles, I noticed I have alot of exclamations!  In honor of my love of the exclamation, this entire blog will be written using only the exclamation as punctuation! (Say that 5 times fast!)  There are also alot of exclamations in my writing!  Let me explain!  By the way, I am not yelling at you, I am just really excited!  (IF I WERE YELLING AT YOU, IT WOULD BE ALL CAPS!)

This is my explanation for using the exclamation so much!
If you know me, you know I use my hands alot when I talk!  I get pretty animated sometimes when I am telling a story!  The exclamation lets me express that!  For those of you who enjoy a toned down blog, that's not me!

In review, I now have 12 followers (13 if I count myself)!
That's pretty awesome in my opinion!  I have been able to write at least one blog a week!  So far, blogging has been instant gratification for me!  You get to come up with something creative, that represents you, and it only takes about 20 minutes!  I hope you enjoy them and I appreciate each & every one of you reading them, even the silly ones like this!

Live life with exclamation!

Fearless

This last Sunday there where a plethora of Kidd's listed in
the program for church service.  Kidd's took over the joint.  Kevin made the announcement that our youth are selling Jackalopes tickets for $10 each. (Interested?)  My sister-in-law, Margie, lead the sermon.  (She was very good by the way)  Last, but not least, Peyton sang a solo for every one.  She sang a song by Jars of Clay called "Show Your Love."

This particular blog is about this little lady.  She is my fearless child, never afraid of standing on a stage or addressing a large group.  She has been this way since she was a toddler, she knows no strangers and will talk to every one.  I use to have to tell her when she was 4 not to talk to every one at the grocery store  because she would come out telling me, "I just love that guy."  She would be talking about the guy sacking our groceries, you don't know that guy. (stranger danger)  She is my over achiever who wants to be a part of everything--currently doing hip hop, tap, ballet, cheer, JSN club and church choir.  She still has the nerve to ask to participate in other activities!  We currently have a "you must drop one to get a new one" policy.

For a 10 yr old she has such a great understanding of her own spirituality.  We can discuss something from church or a bible verse and she can come up with the most profound analogy and pure understanding of it.  I would have loved to been able to have got it like she does at her age.  She has written things for different sermons as well as skits showing the Love of Christ wiping your sins away.  I am amazed by her brain.  She is my child that comes home from our vacation and researchers all the places she visited on the trip.  She is fearless in her thirst for knowledge. 

I hope she always keeps this fearlessness.  I hope she always asks questions and voices her opinion.  I hope she always wants to try new things.  I hope she always takes the stage and shines!

Scars

This month at church, several of our congregation have lead sermons on courage.  Some have talked about the courage to step out of their comfort zone and speak in public, some have discussed the courage to turn the page and move forward in your life and others have discussed the courage it takes to take a stand as a Christian.  They have had some very inspirational discussions that have lead me to think about them throughout the week.

When I think of courage, I think of scars.  Scars are badges of courage.  It might be a scar you have on your knee from learning how to ride a bike when you were young and fell and hit the pavement.  You called on your courage to get back up and try again.  Maybe a scar from a surgery where you called on your courage to overcome the pain and fought to come back through rehabilitation.  Perhaps a scar from having a child by Cesarean, just having children in this crazy world calls for courage.  The courage to give them stability in an unstable world.  Each scar on your body represents a memory or a reality in your world that gave you a physical validation of what made you who you are. 

Scars can be on the inside as well.  Perhaps you have been treated badly by a trusted person in your life and it took your courage to over come it.  Maybe you have had physical abuse or verbal abuse by a relative that have scarred you internally.  Your courage is what brought you through to the other side and made you stronger.  Sometimes it takes courage just to get up and go to work or school and face a person who torments you and bullies you.   You have earned each scar as a badge of courage, use them to inspire you to be a better, kinder, empathetic human being. 

Be  BRAVE!

What?! No Way!

Well the last two months have been pretty crazy in the Kidd house.  We have seen Peyton and Hayden in an awesome play at church with a little write up in the newspaper.  I have been in a wreck, had my car totaled, bought a new car and turned 40. (Kev turned 41, the only thing worst than turning 40)  We had a great birthday party for Hayden with a video game truck.  To top it all off, I got a call Monday on Martin Luther King day asking me to appear in a commercial for the local car dealership I bought my vehicle from.  What?! No Way!

Here is the scoop on how the whole thing went down.  My initial answer was no, visions of being immortalized on a car commercial and over analyzing everything about myself every time it came on did not sound so good.  "Does my eyebrows look even?"  "Why did I wear that?"  "Do I really sound like that big of a hick?"  I got off the phone & told my kids and they were so excited, I called Kevin, "You should do it."   Every one thought I should do it.  What the heck, you only live once, might as well try something new.

Today was the commercial shoot.  I went to the lot at 1:15.  First had to sign a release so they could use my image.  I was to be second after another lady who had recently bought a car.  I was instructed to listen to her and see how it is done.  She told them "No close ups, I do not want every one to see my wrinkles."  They had the camera set at a distance on a stand.  At this point I am already broke out in a big red blotchy spots on my neck.  Is it getting warm in here?  What is she saying? I can't hear her very well.  The more she talked, the dryer my mouth became. 

My turn.  They got me to set on a high chair in front of a
yellow corvette.  I was instructed they would interview me and I would need to answer questions with full name of dealership as well as full name of vehicle because I would be the only one with a mic and it would not make sense.  Got a mic put on, the box is set in chair on my back.  That's uncomfortable.  Will that make me look like I am setting weird?  Interview begins.  What did I say?  Did I use full names?  O my goodness, the camera guy is taking camera off stand and coming really close!  How big are my pores going to look that close?  Now they would like me to do the tag line with the companies name in it.
Man my mouth is dry.  Do it again, this time we will shoot from right side.  Do I have a good side? Is my right side my good side?  Please do it again and look at camera.  Lips are now sticking to teeth every time I smile, I am sure of it.  One more time and look at me.  Hold the smile.........pretty sure my lip is quivering.  Is it hot in here to you?  I am done!!!

Headed out to my car, look at the clock, 15 minutes!  Now I truly know what it means  to be on the hot seat.  It seemed like an eternity.  So if I don't end up on the cutting room floor, you and I will find out what I said when it is shown on tv because I only remember bits and pieces.  I think I am going to add "Make a Commercial" to my bucket list and check it off.  I have not convinced Kevin to put a star on my door yet.  If this is how 2011 has begun, I can only imagine what adventures are to come.

In Search of Perfection

Finding perfection in this world is an exception not the norm.  It is our little quirks that make us who we are.  However, there are a few things that I will forever be searching for perfection.  Here's the list:

1.  The perfect shoe - A shoe can be perfect for a number
                                    of reasons--it could be perfect for
                                    an outfit or maybe it is so

                                    comfortable that it feels perfect.

2.  The perfect purse - Pockets are important here as is

                                      pocket placement.  You gotta

                                      have a phone pocket, a zipper

                                      pocket.  You have to be able to

                                      see what's in it easily.  How it

                                      rides on the shoulder, how it

                                      stands up on it's own.  Slouchy

                                      purses are sometimes hard.

3.  The perfect coat -  Pocket placement is important

                                     with this as well.  It can't feel

                                     bulky or heavy.  You have to be

                                     able to lift your arms.  Also, like in

                                     Christmas story, you have to be

                                     able to lower your arms too.

5.  The perfect pet name - They say a good test for a
                                            child's name is if you can
                                            stand on your back porch and
                                            call out to them and it sounds
                                            good.  The same is true of a
                                            pet's name.  My dog's name is 
                                            is Pauly Walnuts, it fits him
                                            because he is a little nuts.  It
                                            came from The Soprano's.
6.  The perfect underwear - Pockets placement is not 
                                              important here!  Comfort is
                                              important. How they ride is
                                              important!

Some people search for perfection in their food, some in their hair, some in their jeans.  I would love for you to share with me what your quest for perfection is for?

The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.  ~Stanley J. Randall

Unrealized Potential

I am not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, I think you are setting your self up for failure.  My New Year's resolution last year was, "Whatever I attempt to do I will do my best and put 100% into it."  That is attainable.  You hear resolutions to lose weight, to exercise more, to stop smoking, to pay off credit card debt, etc... I know the holidays can be depressing for some people, maybe they didn't accomplish their resolution or feel strained by money and family.  With my birthday being in between Christmas and New Year, even I get a little melancholy in the fact that another year has come and gone and what did I accomplish and do with it. 

What it all boils down to is unrealized potential.  The things that we list as resolutions are all attainable with commitment, that's right, we all have the POTENTIAL to accomplish ALL of our resolutions.  For whatever reason, we do not reach our full potential for that particular goal we have set forth for that year.  Did I volunteer enough last year?  Did I work as hard as I possibly could?  Did I commit enough time to my children and their activities?  Did I make a change in a positive way to affect my life?  Did I make a change in a positive way to affect someone else's life?  Maybe our resolutions should not focus so much on the specific task, but instead focus on our lack of commitment to follow through and see something reach it's full potential. 

 The ability and potential are there, but is the commitment?