Awards and Cupcakes and Vibrating Light Sabers

Thanks, Mami De Paz! I have been given the Sisterhood Award by my friend, Janet. OK - so she gave out a whole bunch of 'em. But I'll take mine happily! Here is what she had to say about me:

"my parenting/homeschooling mentor, carol, deserves the first award. thank you for being you & loving your children so transparently. i look up to you & hope to have you as a resource in homeschooling."


I'm not sure that I am all that much of a resource in homeschooling - and I often love my children rather murkily :) but I will take whatever crumbs of compliments I can gather. So thank you!


Janet is an inspiration to me and I look up to her, as well. She is always on an active search of self/spirituality/meaning of life and she likes to explore these issues through both the day to day and moment to moment activities of her life, but also through much conversation and discussion. She is always asking questions that make you go..."hmmmm....". They are often humdingers :). If you're interested in natural family living and minimalist philosophy...she is your girl. She is also currently enrolled in seminary classes if that melts your butter.


When I think about who to give this award to I am amazed at the mix of people I know, love, and respect. I don't mind revealing that I am Awnalwinsdtssta (Agnostic With New Age Leanings When I'm Not Sliding Down The Slippery Slope Toward Atheism). I simply don't believe in a god the way that most people with religious convictions do. Yet, when I look at my friends, I realize that many of my friends are religious - all have something to teach me - and none of them have attempted to assume it is religion. People who make this assumption do not stay in the friend category for long.


Although I'll never buy into religion again (never really bought it to begin with - just tried to join a club I had no business joining) - I can see that the Universe does indeed seem to know what she is doing. People come across my path with messages - almost always exactly when they're needed. Occasionally they are spiritual in nature, often they are simply practical. So it seems that there is some order to things. It seems that there is purpose. And to that much I will admit.

Anyway, I'm supposed to give this Sisterhood Award to other bloggers. And so I will. And they are all women who have brought me messages, who have something to teach me, and who have earned my friendship.


In no particular order, here we go:


Grilled Cheese Chick over at Shaggy Boys is a true inspiration to me. She is everything I want to be and fail to be. Whatever lip service I pay to causes and ideals, she lives out fully. She has some great boys....she's also a seminary student....and is a great eclectic homeschooler who has seen it through to the end with one boy off at UT (and two still at home). I am blessed to say we are friends.


Nine (+) Texans is a pal of mine who warrants your attention because she has 8 KIDS! So yeah, it is fun to check in on her now and then and monitor her sanity level - which fluctuates daily. She is also my BCF (Best Conservative Friend). She has a Sarah Palin sticker and EVERYTHING. Crazy, I know. But we are die-hard friends.


Michismusings is a dear friend who always knows just the right words to express the vulnerabilities and simultaneous joys I experience in motherhood. She has also provided my daughters with beautiful best friends...how great is that?


Pamela over at the Dayton Time deserves an award because she just popped out a baby. And she is funny. She has guest bloggers this month at her popular site while she recuperates and is waited on hand and foot and stuff. Anyway, Pamela just makes me laugh. I like laughing. So I like Pamela.


Visit my friend, Amy, on The Journey. She is a fellow writer who has much to teach me, I'm sure. I am just beginning my venture into fiction. She's also a mommy and homeschooler.


I was supposed to give the award out to ten people but am getting bored with the whole thing. So five it is. Ladies, if you receive an award you're supposed to pass it along (duh) and link back to me :).


Now for some fun! Yesterday was Jasper's birthday.

Here is a picture diary of the event, which began rather early with the proclamation "I AM FIVE!" Nobody, but nobody, can miss the opening of the birthday presents - so all sibs were called to the family bed to bear witness to the ripping of paper...Did I mention it was early?

Have you ever seen a happier face? OH MY GOD IT IS THE LIGHT-UP PULSATING VIBRATING OBI WAN KENOBI LIGHT SABER WITH SOUND EFFECTS!!!!!!!!!!
Later on some local members of the Witness Protection Program stopped by.



Upon receiving his official birthday cupcake, Jasper agreed to not touch it until I could locate and provide the obligatory birthday candle. But SOMEBODY (and I'm not saying who) apparently didn't hear this agreement because when I returned with the candle this was all that was left of the cupcake. No worries. It held the candle just fine.

No more birthdays for almost two weeks!
Sardine Mama