Happy 3rd Anniversary Live Ever After!

We are having a late start. It was nice to sleep in for a change due to the expected hurricane. We have until midnight so let's get the festivities started with Maroon 5.

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Stay Tuned to Upcoming Anniversary Celebration

It's LEA's Third Anniversary this month. Please join us for a Monday Celebration on October 29, 2012. Festivities start right here at 11am until Midnight. We will have music, fun posts, and gifts. Just as prior years, it will be jam packed with entertainment, so be sure to tell a friend. 

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Motherhood Cures Ingratitude.

I love interacting with other married couples and parents. It is the cure for ingratitude and sharpens marriages. My husband and I were at a children's birthday party and I was so happy that another woman's husband was talking about his day and how he was taking his wife out for dinner. I said nothing and just enjoyed the moment as my husband and I have not been on a date in some time. Indirect pressure from another person is a much better remedy.

I also found myself complaining about all the work I have to do for the boys and if they will ever become independent in picking up their clothes and plates from the table; even with prompts and rewards. Then I was speaking to a mother who was praising another mother within our circle of PTA members. I found out her son has a twin sister but there's more; she has another set of twins all under the age of 7years old.

Another parent from church just lost her job. Her husband is working overseas in the Middle East. He will be there for one year and he just left in August. She has been so courageous this whole time. My husband went away for two weeks to work in Washington State and then again for two weeks in San Diego. I could not imagine a year but it helped me to be grateful for him and go beyond my usual expression of love and admiration.

As far as her not working, it was not organized and professionally executed the way they laid off over 200 people and shipped the main office to the midwest. In one day everything was gone. I was moved to help her find work. Every time I am on the computer I look for a link to email to her. She is so sweet and has expressed her thankfulness.

*I learned many lessons from these women. Who can you learn from if you payed close attention? What lessons are you being given that you may not be aware of? Do you see the people around you as examples of good qualities to adopt or even deciding who not to imitate? And most importantly, what are people learning from you.

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Meet our new addition.

The boys have been asking for a dog for years. I kept saying when you're 8 years old. When he was 8 he stated, "Okay I'm 8 can we have a dog now". I said, "Did I say when you are 8? That's a mistake. I meant when you are 10". Now that he is going to be 10, I couldn't prolong what seemed to be the inevitable. So as a family, we went to a pet shelter and the boys fell in love with a kitten, with hopes of getting a dog at a later date.

Here he is. We are still figuring out his name. Should we use his original name Ty, or the undecided names from the boys, Butterscotch or Kit Kat. For now, I keep calling him a "she" and the simple name "kitty". Either way she opps, he seems as happy as rain in early spring.

Kitty checking things out.

Hiding from the paparazzi.

Asleep on my lap.

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My husband sent this to me this morning. It has been in discussion for a few years now. What are your thoughts?

Praise and intelligence:

(Why telling kids they are smart makes them act dumb)

Click here to read article.

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Ahh, to be young.

Ahh, to be young and birthday party hop.

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Dulles SportsPlex Review

Well, I had my first assignment as a mommy blogger for Washington Family Magazine online. I chose to write about The Dulles SportsPlex (DSP) in Sterling Virginia. Interesting how people who live and work in the area say, "Wow I did not know you were located here". It's an ironic statement, as the sportsplex is enormous measuring 79,000 square feet. You really could not miss it.

There are so many activities and events being held at the space. They have the usual after school programs, summer camp and birthday parties. Their specialty is soccer, basketball, volleyball and flag football. What is nice is they have sporting events such as the new favorite, dodge ball, karate and inline hockey; played on roller blades. Now the programs are not just for children. DSP has leagues for adults as well.

I was pleasantly surprised to find there was a free Dog Show for all the k9 lovers, which will be announced on their website and coming soon is a Consignment Sale (Thrift Shop) which has been hosting events within the facility, successfully for two years. 

It's interesting that the first sporting complex was opened as a result of seeeing the need for an all inclusive sporting facility and out of a competitive spirit for building beyond the minimal standards of the local, existing, neighborhood sporting center. This gave birth to the sportsplex facility in Rockville, which opened in the year 2000. Jamie, who manages the Dulles site, opened in December 2003, started as a journalist, to using the services, while working in the Rockville sportsplex. The owners wanted to expand and they knew just the person to hire at Dulles. I liked the fact that the staff are just as friendly as Jamie the manager, even in the mist of being pretty busy.

To learn more about DSP you may go to their website at Dulles SportsPlex

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