Okay, so you’re married.

Gone are the wine-and-dine dating days where you both are trying to win the other one over.

Just how do you keep the romance alive as you go about the day to day routine?  Between dishes, laundry, and paying the mortgage, how are you going to keep that spark?

My husband and I have made it 10 years now, and I want to share with you how we are keeping the romance alive.

1.  Have kids.

What husband doesn’t get turned on by hearing about the latest potty training issues, sitting on a half-eaten lollipop, or seeing a toy-littered living room?

2.  Date Night.

Who needs candle light dinners and dancing?  We’re talking dinner where you only need to worry about feeding yourself, not getting a couple wiggle-worms to eat.  And then it’s off to the grocery store — where the romance continues beneath the florescent lights as you present a coupon for that athlete’s foot spray he’s looking for.

3.  Chocolate.

Buy the good stuff, and then put it somewhere safe.

No, you’re not hiding it…  Just making sure it’s still around when you need it, say after the kids are in bed and you’re setting up to settle in with that hunk of burning love snoring under the covers.

4.  Sleepwear.

You know the kind, the kind that says, “Come and get me, big boy.”

What guy can resist a short bathrobe covered in cartoon animals?

5.  A sense of humor.  Because when the only wine you two get to share is the kids whining at the closed door when you try to catch a moment alone, a sense of humor is what’s going to see you through.

What’s one of your tips to help keep that marriage spark alive?  Leave a comment with your words of wisdom!

The post Keeping Romance Alive first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Somehow the subject of hair came up.  (Papaw is bald.)  He mentioned that he used to have blonde hair like hers.  And he told her he used to wear it in a ponytail.

“I used to be an old hippie,” he laughed.

The look on Peanut’s face as we all laughed was priceless.   Even better was when she threw her hands out to the side and said, “I don’t get it.”

Before we left there was a little issue over some toys that OneDaddy’s brother was packing up to take home with him.  When Peanut realized her daddy  wanted some of them, she said, “It’s okay, Daddy, you can play with some of my princess dolls instead.” 

What have your kids said lately to make you smile?

The post Funny Things Kids Say first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

As I helped him out of the tub the other day, I asked him where all the bruises came from.  His answer?  “I been fightin’.”

“Who have you been fighting?”

“No one.”

***

We took the kids fishing at the pond a couple week’s ago.  My son caught a little 4 inch bluegill.  After Daddy threw it back, I asked Monkey how big his fish was.

“This big!” he said, showing me with his hands.  They were about a foot apart.

Yep, I’d say he’s a real fisherman!

The post More Funny Things Kids Say first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Remember those Sarcastic Thank You’s???  Well, here are a few real thank you cards I’d like to send out….

***

Washing Machine,

I know I don’t always show you the respect you deserve…  Let’s face it, laundry is NOT my favorite chore.  But I want to take this opportunity to thank you.

Thank you for allowing me clean the spilled food from my children’s clothing with considerable less work and effort than my grandmother had to put in to using her wash and ringer.  Or, for that matter, the mothers before her who would have had to use a scrubbing board.

Thank you for saving important stuffed animals that have gotten in the line of fire of a sick child, and for allowing me to stuff you full of puked on blankets, towels, and clothes, keeping me from having to clean these items by hand.  (Because, honestly, I think quite a bit of it would make it to the trash otherwise….)

As I shove yet another load into you tomorrow, I will take a moment to think of what a blessing you truly are.  And, I might even wipe the built up gunk off of all your crevices, too.

 ***

Microwave Oven,

How did we ever live without you, beloved kitchen appliance?

Instead of having to wait for a kettle of water to boil on the stove each morning, you heat my coffee mug of water in just one minute!

Thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to get that caffeine rush in the morning that much quicker.  You truly help me to be a better mommy — one who is more awake and able to deal with the energetic little ones who greet me each morning.

***

Answering Machine,

I haven’t forgotten you!

Thank you for taking all those important messages I might have otherwise missed when out of the house.

Better yet, thank you for taking all those unwanted messages and phone calls from 1-800 numbers when I check caller-ID and decide not to answer the phone.  (Okay, I admit it, sometimes I let you get calls from places other than 1-800 numbers that I just don’t feel like dealing with at the time….)

***

What every day item would you send a thank you card to?

Leave a comment, or if you wrote your own Thankful Thursday post, link it up!  Just be sure to let your readers know you linked up with There’s Just One Mommy this week!

Linked up with Black Tag Diaries, Kate Says Stuff, First Day of My Life, Lovely Little Whimsy

The post Thank You Letters first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

It’s a shame, because, really, I can be pretty sarcastic.

That’s why I couldn’t resist using this prompt from Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop as a jump start to this week’s Thankful Thursday post…  Who do you have to thank? Following Jimmy Fallon’s famous thank you note writing style, write or vlog a list of 10 thank you cards you’d like to write this week.

 ***

Thank you, whoever decided there should be 2 different 1812 addresses on the same road in Peoria… You made finding our hotel much more interesting as we drove back and forth 4 times before stopping and calling the hotel and finding we needed 1812 on the north side of the street and we were at 1812 on the south side.

Thank you, public library, for changing your website so now I have to click on 3 different links, each opening a new page, before I can even get to my account to renew a book.  Being able to waste that extra little bit of time in the attempt to not have late fees?  Priceless.

Thank you, ex-boss, for the comforting words, “Just because you worked here before, doesn’t mean we will hire you back…” when I spoke to you about trying to decide whether to keep working or to become a SAHM.  (By the way, just because I worked there before, doesn’t mean I’ll want to work there again.)

Thank you, McDonald’s, for giving super huge sized cups of sweet tea and pop instead of just the normal sized cups — doctors everywhere will be seeing more cases of obesity and diabetes.  Those apples in the kids’ meals?  Totally make up for it.

Thank you to my creative children for smearing lip gloss all over all the toys in the living room.  How did you know that Mommy was just looking for something else to clean?

Thank you, Fluffybutt, for the constant licking and snorting you do at night.  It’s like having my own “heavy breathing phone call” to wake me up right there in my room.  All. Night. Long.

Thank you, political parties, for calling my house at least twice a day.  The excitement I feel when the phone rings, thinking someone I know has called to chat, is almost worth the disappointment I have when I realize it is just another electronic message.

Thank you dearest members of my family who feel compelled to wear not just one outfit during the day, but who need to change clothes several times.  The extra laundry insures that I’ll be doing another round of wash much sooner than I would otherwise, and you all know how much I LOVE laundry!

***

Yes, the prompt asks for 10 and I only wrote 8… That’s because I want to hear what you’ve got!  Leave a comment with your own sarcastic twist to a thank you card.  Or link up your own in the linky!  (Be sure to link back to There’s Just One Mommy, please!)

Linked up at Black Tag Diaries, Kate Says Stuff, Lovely Little Whimsy, First Day of My Life

The post Sarcastic Thank You’s first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Yes, even a SAHM gets excited about Fridays!  Today was extra special because the husband is home today.

You’d think we’d have big plans, but our day started out like this:

Me:  Since we both fell asleep right after the kids last night we didn’t get to get that milk…. There’s no milk for breakfast.  I can’t give them Kool-Aid, can I????

Husband:  How about taking them to Bob Evan’s for all you can eat pancakes?  (Yes, he’s seen the commercials and I think he was itching for a reason to go.)

Me:  I was just thinking that!

So we started getting the kids ready to head out without eating, and much earlier than they ever leave the house (8 a.m.).

Me:  (after looking in a mirror)  If people see us out this early with 2 little ones do you think they’ll understand why my hair is unwashed and I look half asleep?

Daughter:  (looks critically at my outfit)  Mommy, I won’t laugh at you, I’ll just stare.

(Evidently my outfit wasn’t up to par.)

A few minutes later my little fashion expert reappeared in her purple dress with purple socks, white sandals and a collection of hair scrunchies around her wrists and ankles.  Maybe I should let her pick out my wardrobe selection next time; evidently it’s all about the accessories!

The post My Fashion Critic first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.