Welcome!  Thanx for stopping by! As I mentioned before, I am not longer blogging here. If you are interested in reading more about the times & happenings in our life, check out my Blogspot blog....

http://homegrown-love.blogspot.com/

Last updated: October 31, 2008
Post Titles:
"Wordless: My Karaboo..."


Also Recently:
"Dare to Go Against the Flow..."
"Give & it Shall be Given Unto You!"
"Simple Woman's Daybook"
"Tea Time!"
"I'm going to be an Uncle!"

You can also visit me on Facebook!

Thank you for your interest in our family & our lives!  Have an awesome week!

~Tiph

As hard as it is to believe, in just 5 short weeks my baby girl with be one. (word. how did that happen?!) and so, as much as I *don't* want to think about it... I have had to start making plans for her first birthday party! We have this really neat park with a little fountain "water park" next to it, and I have been thinking of having her birthday there. Not knowing how she'd react to "shooting" water, I wanted to make sure she liked it before we set any plans in stone (it would have stunk if she was terrified of her own b-day location!). We took her there a couple of Sundays ago (while my sister, Ashlee was here)... and despite the kinda rough ground, she crawled in and out of the various fountains, and had a total blast! :) After we were there for about an hour, a storm blew in and they had to turn off the water. Well apparently my little drama queen was *not* ready to be done... and started crying & reaching for the water.  She loved it! So I am happy to say, we have definately found our location! Now I just have to decide if I want to pay $75 to rent it for 2hrs. (so it would be closed to just us).... or just claim the near-by tables and endure whoever may be there at the time (which has the potential of being crazy busy, or absolutely fine)... At this point, with our financial situation being as it is, I will probably just use the "grin & bear it" route...  (as I'll be lucky if we can even afford to get the decorations I wanted for it. - arg. I hate money!! ) Anyway, enough of my rambling. Here's a few pictures of KB at the water park (didn't get any of the playground)....


(ignore the strange face I am making!!)







and she's off...










Our little family...


she loved stepping on the water!




Not ready to go....


The rest of the pictures here

I originally read this little story in a homeschool magazine my mom received many years ago... and have never been able to forget the precious story, not to mention the superb title, that so humorously (yet boldly) reminds us just how special it is to be a mother!! 

---

A woman named Emily renewing her driver’s license at the Transport office was asked by the clerk to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

“What I mean is,” explained the clerk, “do you have a job, or are you just a…?

“Of course I have a job,” snapped Emily. “I’m a Mum.”

“We don’t list ‘Mum’ as an occupation… ‘Housewife’ covers it,” said the clerk emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our local police station. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, “Official Interrogator” or “Town Registrar”.

“What is your occupation?” she probed. What made me say it, I do not know…

The words simply popped out.
“I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”

The clerk paused, pen frozen in midair, and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire!

“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “just what you do in your field?”

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing programme of research, (what mother doesn’t), in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out).

I’m working for my Masters, (the whole bloody family), and already have four credits, (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”

There was an increasing note of respect in the girl’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

When I got home, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants — ages 10, 7, and 3. Upstairs, I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby), in the child-development programme, testing out a new vocal pattern. I felt I had triumphed over bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than “just another Mum.”

Motherhood… What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.

Does this make grandmothers “Senior Research Associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations”, and great grandmothers “Executive Senior Research Associates”??? I think so!!!

I also think it makes Aunts “Associate Research Assistants”.