Mom website-aholics 12 Step Program

1. We need to admit that we are powerless over our mom website, that our household messes have become unmanageable- but we don't feel like it.

2. We should come to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore our sanity- but we don't want to, plus we enjoy our insanity.

3. We're supposed to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him- but God is too busy to plan play dates and Mom's Night Outs for us.

4. We may have to make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. But that would take time away from starting discussions and posting.

5. We will admit to our DH's, DD's, DS's, LO's, SO's, BF's*, ourselves, and to other human acronyms the exact nature of our wrongs- wait, it's wrong to be a mom website addict?

6. We are entirely ready to have God remove all the defects of character- screw that, we're happy with our defective addiction.

7. We could humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings but the keyboard doesn't have any more room for "F" buttons.

8. When we find the time, we'll make a list of all the persons we've harmed blown off and become willing to make amends to them all- as long as they agree to join our mom website.

9. When we're finished going through all our open tabs with discussions we must comment on we will make amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others- or if there's a chat and win contest going on.

10. We will continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it- then immediately start a new discussion to vent about it.

11. We'll seek through prayer discussions to improve our conscious contact with God our mom website as we understand it, praying commenting on our knowledge of His will for us our growing ability to navigate the site with ease and the power to become an expert poster.

12. If we ever decide to pull ourselves away from our mom website we'll have a spiritual awakening as a result of completing these steps- and a cleaner house. We'll try to carry this message to new members, to practice these principles in all affairs, and to drag whoever we can deep into the depths of the mom website addiction.

Adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc by Kaytii Angel

* DH- dear husband, DD- dear daughter, DS- dear son, LO- little one, SO- significant other, BF- boyfriend

History of the Hula Hoop

Wham-O can't claim to be the inventor of the Hula Hoop. That right belongs to the Egyptians who shaped grape vines into circles. Children rolled them, tossed them, and swung them around their hips. The Greeks used them to lose weight. The British blamed back problems and heart attacks on hula hooping in the 1400's. The Japanese banned them comparing them to the improper Elvis's hip shaking. And Russia thought they were "the emptiness of American culture."


But what defined the popularity of the phenomenon? The 50's. Australian businessman Alex Tolmer started selling plastic hoops at his department store, Toltoys, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica. Wham-O bought the rights, trademarked the name and sold 20 million hoops in six months- for $1.98 in 1958. Thanks to cheap plastic and Wal Mart, you can still buy them for that price. Or you can spend a couple of dollars extra for a higher quality, sturdier hoop.


The Hula Hoop is making a comeback since it's extreme popularity in the 50's. It's become a fun cardio exercise as well as a way to tone muscles. Hooping groups are forming everywhere across the United States. I hate to exercise so I try to find things that intrest me. I love my dance DVD's and my stability ball. Now I love my Hula Hoop.

Buying one has not only helped me, it's helping my 12 and 15 year old daughter's as well. After telling Kelly, the older one, that I'd hooped for 10 minutes without dropping she issued a challenge. She wanted to see which of us could hoop longer. She beat me by two and a half minutes but only because I had to put my younger two to bed- after one hour of hooping. Yeah, that's right- one hour. After doing this research I discovered 600 calories can be burned in an hour. WOW! I'm sure it requires much more physical exerction than I did but it's very promising!


I'm looking forward to another fabulous adventure of toning and weight loss- but tons of fun. Care to go hooping with me?


Hula Hoop

The History of the Hula Hoop

A new fitness craze- Hula Hooping?

Open your hearts to a stranger

I was recently made aware of a post on a site called MomsLikeMe.com. An excited mom, Shauna, posted a discussion on the Tampa Bay site announcing her engagement. She soon received many congratulations from several moms. It wasn't until Shauna posted that she wanted her friend, Angela, to be her maid of honor "if we can get her out here" that the moms realized Shauna lived in Texas. Originally, Shauna wanted to get married on 10/10/10 but since her fiance, Derrick's, best friend was being deployed overseas, they moved the date to 10/24/09. The date worked for the best man but not for the maid of honor. The final date was set for 11/1/09. With the date set, Shauna posted the following discussion on the Tampa Bay site:

I am moving up the wedding by a year due to Derricks Best Friend being sent to Afganastan. I REALLY want Angela out here for this day. Is there anyone who might have frequent Flyer Miles they could maybe spare so i can get her out here. I know its ALOT to ask but we are very strapped for money with moving this up. My Family really isnt helping out so we are doing everything. If anyone has ideas or can help in anyway that would be GREAT! Thanks again for everyones help!

Immediately ideas started pouring in for inexpensive flights. No one had any frequent flyer miles but one mom suggested setting up a paypal account for anyone who wanted to donate money. Moms quickly started sending donations each expressing how much they wished they could give more. Others started suggesting locations and ways to have a frugal wedding. Some had met Angela at various MomsLikeMe activities but none had ever met Shauna since she lives in Texas. These moms were opening their hearts to a stranger. One mom decided to take things into her own hands. Faith marched over to the Dallas MomsLikeMe.com site and posted this:

HI There,

My name is Faith and I am part of the Tampa Bay site and love it. I have had such a fun summer and have met some amazing moms and kids from our site. Recently, I read a post from one of your members, Shauna, who was so excited to be newly engaged and was planning a wedding for November 1st, 2009. Some of the amazing Tampa moms were willing to donate some money to try and get enough funds together to have Shauna's best friend from Tampa flown out for the wedding........

Well.... to cut a long story short, Shauna has decided to postpone the wedding due to lack of funds. I was thinking to myself..... surely there must be some moms/people/organizations willing to help out Shauna in her time of need. Is there anybody out there on this site in Dallas/Ft. Worth or through any connections that could help out Shauna with: Flowers, finger foods, photography in order for her still to have her wedding on November 1st, 2009 it would be amazing for her. The Tampa moms jump at the chance to help out their fellow site members and am hoping that there maybe somebody in Texas that would like to help out their fellow mom too. Thanks for taking the time to read my message. Please post if you are able to help her out... Thanks from Tampa - Faith

Hope you don't mind me jumping onto your site to post this......

The response was dismal. One mom offered to do a home party for the bachelorette party and a couple others suggested websites with tips for having an inexpensive wedding.

Then Shauna surprised everyone by posting the following:

Hi Ladies I wanted to update everyone on what is going on. We are putting off the wedding due to finances. Everyone should be getting a refund on the money you sent to send Angie out here. I thank you all for your help with this. Im sorry to have put everyone in a spot. Thanks again for everything!

Faith and the other Tampa Bay moms did not accept this new news. Another mom,Kathryn, suggested Shauna put the paypal account back up and see what could be done to get the wedding paid for plus fly Angela out. Faith started a new post on the Tampa Bay site to let them know the latest news of the account being reposted. Frustrated with the lack of help from the Dallas moms, Kathryn all but instigated a showdown between the two sites. Crickets were all that could be heard from Dallas while a noise level that would rival any rock concert was pouring from Tampa Bay. Money, dresses, flowers, guest books, cake toppers galore were being offered to make sure this wedding happened....for a stranger. Shauna and Angela were left speechless and humbled. After hearing about this amazing show of compassion, I knew I had to let the world know. There is so much evil and destruction going on in the world today. It seems negativity has taken over our newspapers, magazines, television, and the internet. It's these little stories of hope, love, and compassion that need to make the headlines. This gives people the warm fuzzy feelings that can ooze across the world if people choose to share, to care, and to give.

I implore you to join me and these selfless moms in a quest to make a dream come true. Oprah does it, Ellen does it, now we can too. Be a part of joining this couple, their family, and their best friends on a joyous day they will remember for the rest of their lives. No one is asking for anyone to go broke in donating. It's amazing how quickly $20, $10, $5, and even $1 can add up. In just 2 days, they raised $80 before deciding to cancel. The account is back up and ready for you to give if you choose.

Join me in opening our hearts to a stranger. Click- Derrick and Shauna- A lifetime of love.

Steven Curtis Chapman, Bio Dad, and Me

I recently discovered that blogspot counts "drafts" as posts. My 100th post was most likely 90-something. I'm getting close to 200 so today I decided to start going through my drafts to either finish or delete them. I'm not sure why I never posted this one as it was pretty much finished. This was a very special day for me that I will always remember:

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of spending the day with my biological dad. If this is your first time visiting my blog let me catch you up to speed (if you've followed all along bear with me for a moment). I was adopted when I was two days old. I started searching for my biological mother when I turned 18 and 17 years later, I finally found her. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever meet my biological father as most do not want to be found. A year later, we've developed a wonderful relationship and I am blessed to have him in my life.

I love, love, love Steven Curtis Chapman and was ultra excited when I found out he was coming to Glory at the Gardens at Busch Gardens. I sent bio dad an email and asked him if he wanted to come. He did! We got there early so we could walk around the park for a while. I got him on my favorite roller coaster, Montu, and it was a blast-at least for me. Then we wandered through the animals leading Kelly, my fifteen year old daughter, on a wild goose chase as she tried to catch up with us. She was there with a friend. Eventually she found us at the hippos which is my favorite animal. I could stay there all day (which you kind of have to if you want to see them doing anything exciting). The three of us wandered through the park giving bio dad a chance to get to know Kelly without my other three kids around. I don't know how to explain their relationship before then. It's not that they didn't get along they just didn't have an opportunity to really learn more about each other. On this day they talked and bio dad was able to watch the unique relationship Kelly and I have with each other.

On our way to the concert area we passed Sheikra, my second favorite roller coaster. Since I usually have the little kids with me I don't get to ride it often. Kelly convinced bio dad to ride it even though he thought he would have a heart attack and die. We only ride in the front so we can look down the 200 feet of track which is at a ninety degree angle. They dangle you like that for about 5 seconds then let you go. I scream the whole way down...every time. Bio dad liked this one, too.

Eventually we made out way to the concert area. We were a few minutes late but I now know that it was part of a plan God had. I'd mentioned in an earlier post that I'd said something that ticked bio dad off. We talked about it on the phone before he picked me up and touched on it a little while we walked around the park. Just after we walked in Steven Curtis Chapman started to sing a song called "God is God."




Here are the lyrics:

And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don't know

And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He's painting
God is God and I am man
So I'll never understand it all
For only God is God

And the sky begins to thunder
And I'm filled with awe and wonder
Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I

Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He's painting
God is God and I am man
So I'll never understand it all
For only God is God

Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through Him and from Him are all things

So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone

This touched us in a way I wish I could explain. It really puts your life into perspective. For those who think they know it all, can do whatever they want with out thinking about repercussions, who think only of themselves, who believe they are in control, you're not. God, or whatever higher power you believe in, that is who is in control.

Specific memories of that day have already begun to fade but the memory of walking into that field during this song with a man I never thought I'd meet and have come to love- that memory will be with me forever.