Apparently, My Life is an Open Book and It's Not a Bad Read!

I was in Chicago for a week for a conference and I learned a lot. Mostly about myself. I made a lot of connections, both professionally and personally, and I was happy for the experience. 

I heard a colleague, someone I truly respect, tell me I was a memoir blogger. At first, I took a step back and almost got offended. Memoirs? Not me. I'm funny. I shoot it straight. I tell you about my life. I tell you about things I love. I tell you what I hate. I talk about things as I see them in life. I talk about my life, my marriage, and my family. I'm a lifestyle blogger. I don't write memoirs. 

Then I thought about it with a clear head and realized that I do just that. I chronicle my life with emotion, good or bad. I tell you about my life. I put myself out there. And then I Googled it:

mem·oir

  [mem-wahr, -wawr] 

noun

1.

a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation.

2.

Usually, memoirs.

a.

an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography.

b.

the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.

3.

a biography or biographical sketch.

And so, the dictionary agrees. I'm a memoir blogger. I didn't set out to be the person that wears my heart on my sleeve, but apparently I am. It is what it is and there's no denying it now that it's been called out. 

This post was going to be about the flowers I received tonight for no particular reason other than my husband was not very understanding or kind during my recent trip. This post should have highlighted the fact that he realized that he was wrong and bought me flowers. This post should have shown the beauty in our relationship, but instead, it revealed that I can't write without sharing details of my life. I can't just tell you a story without telling you the back end of that story.

The flowers are beautiful, they look wild and free against the sign that tells the story of my life. But they aren't as innocent as they look. 

This past week, I went to a convention, 4 days out of 365 (that I spend taking care of my family for the other 361...24/7), and my husband made me feel guilty while I was there. He didn't mean to. He was lonely and wanted me home. But he did, and it worked. I felt horrible by day 4. And on day 6, he bought me flowers, because he was admittedly wrong. He's sorry, and he does support me, and I'll forgive him, but that moment, while he was lonely, sucked the fun out of my whole trip which was only meant to connect and grow my brand. It should have been fun. It was only 4 days. I'm a little sad. It will all be OK because where there is love, there is forgiveness. 

It's my life and it's an open book. Sorry for the memoir. I guess I am what I am and I just can't change! My colleague, and my friend, was right. I guess I should keep writing from my heart. If you want to play along, keep stopping by because I appreciate you. If you want to dip on me and my memoirs, I completely understand.

The Haves and The Have Nots: Sears Makes It Possible for Both to Have Back To School Fun

For the record, I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Sears. As always, all opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own.

My Bug is a "Have". My older girls were "Have Nots". I've seen both sides, I've been on both sides, and it still stings to think about it. With back to school right around the corner (seriously...where did the summer go?), I'm reminded of the Have Nots as I feel the pain of not being able to buy my older girls the abundance of school clothes and supplies back then that I do for Bug now. I try to ensure that she knows how lucky she is to have so much. I hope she knows. But sometimes I like to remind her by involving her in missions to help others who do not have what she has. Sears helped me accomplish that this year with their affordable fashion. 

My life is good now and we are able to afford the things we need, including school clothes and supplies, but that doesn't mean I enjoy spending a ton of money. I'm not frugal by any means, but I'm not stupid either. When shopping for school uniforms, a denim jacket and new jeans for casual days, plus a backpack, the first place I thought to shop was Sears. I know they offer affordable, quality fashion, at a price that will please my checkbook. And I get additional discounts for being a Shop Your Way Reward Member. Obviously I took advantage of that since they were having a Secret Members Only Sale that day. 

I was able to snag 4 uniforms for my Bug at amazing prices (seriously the skorts were only $13 each!) and I found her size! She's super thin and it's hard to find uniforms in a size 6. If you need them, GO TO SEARS NOW, they've got them. Last year we had a horrible time trying to find her uniforms and I washed constantly. If I'd only known then that Sears carried uniforms, I wouldn't have stressed so much.

But for the real fun, we got to go all out. Bug has "freestyle" days at school for field trips and special events. Those are the days she shines. She loves to have a special outfit for those special days and she found exactly what she wanted at Sears at prices that pleased me. This light blue denim jacket is adorable and she can wear it year round here. Uniforms are a must to even out the Have/Have Not thing and I'm glad for that, but I'm also glad my Bug can let her colors shine. Sears has over 2000 denim styles in store for men, women, and children. You'll certainly find something to suit your personal style like Bug.

And although Bubby won't start school until next year, he needed clothes too. I couldn't refuse the prices on the boy's 2-piece outfits so he got a couple. He's a good boy, he deserves to look good too!

You might be asking yourself what these crazy kids are doing. Are they practicing their favorite dance moves?

Nope. They're practicing their synchronized falling skills. My kids are rough and tumble. That's why I shop at Sears often. The babies are rough on their clothes and the quality items that Sears carries at fabulous prices stand up to my babies' rough sides. 

And since I was able to save so much on my purchases (far more than I had anticipated but hey, those monokinis for $15 each for me were adorable and B needed clothes too), I decided to teach my Bug one of those lessons I mentioned above. The Hello Kitty Backpack Bug picked out was regularly $30, on sale for $15, and it had a detachable lunch bag. I planned on $30, we spend that every year on a new backpack. So I bought 2 for the price of one plus a Hello Kitty screened t-shirt that she picked out with the money I saved on the other items. No child should be without the necessities in life. No child should go to school feeling less fabulous than another. No little girl should ever wish that she sparkled but not have the means to sparkle on the outside the way she does on the inside. When my big girls were younger, we were fortunate to have "angels" that helped us through the tough times and I'm happy to pay that back. 

When I go to buy Bug's school supplies this week, I'll be putting half of the supplies I buy in this other backpack with the screened t-shirt (and the tiara...Bug threw that in). Then I'll be heading back to the Resource and Crisis Center of Galveston County to donate our backpack full of BTS fun to a child that has lived through an abusive relationship and a mother that was brave enough to escape. This non-profit does amazing things in my community and helping a child feel better about themselves as they heal, while relieving the burden from their mother as she heals, feels really good. I've been there. As a mom, there's nothing worse than the feeling that comes with not being able to provide for your children.

My Bug has everything she needs and then some and she's always excited and appreciative when we take the time to give to those who have not. I encourage you to do the same this year. There's still time. Sears can help. You'll save enough to get what your child needs, plus help another, without breaking your initial budget. All children deserve to have a fun Back to School experience. Your one donation could be the difference between an A+ and a D kind of year. Your choice! We're shooting for A+'s across the board again this year!

Follow along with Sears on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on all of the back to school fashion and deals. And if you save enough (which you will), be sure to stop back by and let me know how you decided to brighten a little life this year for back to school with your savings.

You can get inspiration for your own summer style by flipping through the Live SoFab Summer Digital Magazine below. Sears is featured of course!

Don't Blink! Happy 10th Anniversary B. It's Been a Crazy Ride.

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of my marriage to the love of my life. That's crazy. It hardly seems like 10 years but then again it seems like 100. It's been a roller coaster. 

All couples have ups and downs. Nothing is ever perfect. Our marriage has been amazing, and it's been difficult. But as long as the good outweighs the bad, it's always worth it. Through it all, I've loved him more than the world is big and that overrides the bad stuff. That makes the ride worth it. Overall, it's been a good ride. I wouldn't want to stand in this roller coaster line with anyone else. 

B - You are my world and I'll love you as long as I live no matter what. We've been through good times, and bad, but through it all, there is love. 

Happy Anniversary baby. Time flies in the blink of an eye. I'm looking forward to our next 10 years together and all that they have in store for us. Don't blink!

Life Lessons, Cancer, Inspiration, and a Cure with MasterCard! #DoGood #MC

In an attempt to help MasterCard Dig In & Do Good to benefit Stand Up to Cancer, I have partnered with them through Collective Bias. I'm honored to share this program with you. And although I have been compensated for this post, I would do it anyway and all opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own or used with express permission. 

My Pappy, my mom's dad, was my favorite man who ever lived. When he spoke, I listened. He taught me many life lessons in our 10 years together. He taught me to be kind and caring, to have fun and love everyone, no matter what, and he taught me about favorites. You see, as my Pappy explained, it was OK to have favorites. It doesn't mean you love anyone else less, it means you realize that you click with some people better than others. You chose one spouse because they're your favorite, you have best friends because they're your favorite, you like one food better than others because it's your favorite. Favorites aren't always a bad thing. I was his favorite and I adored him. He was to walk me down the aisle. He was to be there for the birth of my first child. He was not. 

The last lesson my Pappy taught me, at the age of 10, was loss and cancer. It wasn't his fault. The beast did that. He had just retired, bought a boat, and he was diagnosed with cancer. A brain tumor. I was too young to understand, but as I sat in his hospital room after his surgery, he tried to explain. I didn't really get it, but the beast took my Pappy. I knew I hated the beast. 

My life moved on, because it had to, and I learned more about this beast over the years. I've lost friends. I've lost family members. I've seen this beast rear its ugly head WAY too often. It has to be stopped. Luckily there are brilliant people who can help through foundations that we should all support. Luckily there is MasterCard Dig In & Do Good. They're making it easy for us to help foundations like Stand Up to Cancer which is where the end of cancer begins. SU2C is a groundbreaking initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research to get therapies to patients and save lives now. You can help by simply buying your family dinner, spending over $10, and MasterCard does the rest. They make the donation because you ate dinner to help fund cancer CURE research. 

Who do you stand up for? What's your personal story? Who inspires you to do good?

You see, I have this friend, and she's my inspiration. We met in middle school and reconnected years back on Facebook. She's had cancer since 1998, and she laughs at it (literally) and she stands up for others while she battles the beast herself. Her name is Jody. I absolutely love her. She inspires me to help and be a better person.

Jody mentors young cancer patients, even while she's being treated herself. She's amazing. She lost her young friend, Heather, who was only 16 (for only 9 days in fact) when the beast took her life. And Jody helped throw a fundraiser for the family to pay the bills while they mourned the loss of their daughter. I hate that beast. 

But Jody, just like MasterCard and the Do Good Foundation, knows that there is a cure on the horizon. She knows that if we all support these missions (and there are many of them), there will be no more Heather stories in this world. Heather should have gone to her prom. Heather should have graduated high school. Heather should still be smiling today. She's not, because of the beast. 

Here's Jody's story: She's been through hell and back, yet sparkled through the beast's attacks. In 1998, 3 weeks after her wedding, while running in a Relay for Life, her legs gave out. After several tests, the doctors diagnosed her with a form of Guillian Barre. Over the next few years, she went through different treatments and ended up having a port put in for IV treatments, 3 weeks on, 1 week off, for 2 years. Her legs giving out went from on/off to progressive constant. Her Neurologist OK'ed her to get into a clinical trial of stem cell transplant in 2007. The night before she went in for an all day nerve conduction, they found "the lump", so they added an extra scan, and she got the cancer diagnosis 10 days after her 40th birthday. Breast cancer, stage II. 

They kicked her out of the clinical trial. When her long-term doctor cried, she responded with "But Doc! This means that I not only DON'T have to go to Chicago and live for 3 months in 'the bubble' away from my family, but I get the SAME drug here AND I get a boob upgrade out of the deal! It's a win win". That's Jody! Double mastectomy 9/6/07. She hemorrhaged that night. Four weeks later she had 4 big rounds of Cytoxan and Taxotere. In the meantime, Neuro stuff reversed, she walked and felt better. Her nerves started to regenerate.

If she started wabbling again, they had to look for tumors. Guess what? She started wabbling again 8 months later. Stupid beast! The next scan showed a spot on her liver which resulted in 5 more rounds of heavy Cytoxan. That made her walk better and the spot was gone. Six months later, they found spots on her lungs. This meant 6 more rounds, same thing, all better. On maintenance every 3 months for 3-4 cycles.

Then brain surgery for a pituitary mass in October 2010. More chemo in February 2011. 

She was scheduled for "rounds" in June 2011 but she wanted to do a triathlon! She felt good so they allowed it. And she did it! That postponement, while she helped others and ran that triathlon, lasted 2 years. The "palsy", as she calls it, came back in April of 2013. More chemo that May. Her counts were low but her scans looked good, and was walking fine. All is on hold. The lifetime dose of Cytoxan is limited so they're holding off until absolutely necessary again, which is hopefully never. She actually thinks she's lucky because her body sends off Neuro cascades when the tumors are small and they are detected early. 

Y'all she thinks she's LUCKY! That's why she's helped others over the years. Because they weren't LUCKY enough to have the signs that would help them suffer through these treatments and surgeries for the past 15 years and still be here to tell about them and help others. 

If Jody can help others, run triathlons, serve at children's hospitals to mentor and inspire young children, and do Relays for Life to fund Cancer treatment, do you think you could take your family out to dinner and spend $10+ to support the Stand Up to Cancer Foundation? All you have to do is eat dinner and use your MasterCard between now and September 28th. 

And so we did our tiny part. The kids had fun. 

There was good food. 

And I paid with my PayPal MasterCard. So by doing nothing out of the ordinary, I'm helping others find a cure. I hope we'll see a cure soon. No one else should suffer. There are so many intelligent people working on the cure. A simple family meal, a night of fun, might be the dollar donation that finds the cure. 

And there are more ways you can help through this program. Heck, you don't even have to leave your house! To find out more, be sure to look through my Google+ Album to find out all of the ways you can help. 

Please don't just sit there thinking you can't help. Just don't sit there and think it's OK that Heather was stripped of her life. Don't just sit there and think that the doctors can't cure Jody. Don't just sit there and think of all of your friends, or family, that are battling this beast. Don't think you can't help! Go create a table, go to dinner and pay with your MasterCard, share it on Facebook and Twitter, or just donate. Join the movement and do your part. Kill the beast. DON'T JUST SIT THERE AND DO NOTHING!

Let's Talk About Monsters University, DVD Pre-order, and Cupcakes...Shall We?

For the record, I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and its client. As always, all opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own! #MUPreOrder #shop

Odd combination right? Not so much for me because they go hand in hand. Let me explain. A few weeks ago, I told you how excited we were that Monsters University was being released in theaters nationwide. We haven't had the chance to see it yet. My schedule is BUSY and my Bubby doesn't sit through movies well. We'll go, we'll probably have to leave, and we'll catch it on DVD later when I remember to pick up a copy. 

When I heard that I could pre-order the movie on DVD at Walmart, I was on it like frosting on cake! I really want to take Bubby back to the movies and try this again so I attempted to get him excited with cupcakes. Because you know, I bake all of the time (or never).

Anyway...I was on a mission. Bubby and I went shopping and we bought the pre-sale copy of Monsters University AND cupcake ingredients. This would be fun! We used a boxed cake mix in Key Lime so no food coloring was even involved. Brilliant, I know. 

I didn't even burn the cupcakes. I'm shocked too. While they were cooking, I read about the pre-sell details of my movie order. Pretty impressive. I paid just under $28 for this DVD and Blu-ray combo that will be delivered to my door step this fall. And for my pre-purchase, I received an abundance of sneak peeks and other previews through Vudu. The babies and I laughed ourselves silly watching those. This movie is going to be even better than the first. Hard to imagine I know, but buy the pre-sale version and watch the previews. You'll agree!

The pre-order pack is awesome. You assure that you score a copy of the movie when it is available on DVD and Blu-ray this fall. Plus you get a coupon for $1.50 off Juicy Juice. AND you get an $8.00 movie voucher for ANY Disney movie of your choice in theaters. Monsters U and the Lone Ranger are already out, and Planes will be coming to theaters on August 9th! PLUS you get all of these highlights and previews on Vudu. Where else can you get this kind of entertainment for under $30? Don't answer. You can't!

So back to these cupcakes, and our personal party. It was fun. Did they fit the Mike Wazowski look I was going for all of the way? Of course not. I'm not a baker or even very crafty. But they were fun and the babies loved them! That's really all that matters in my house.

My kids are serious about their cupcakes and apparently these were good!

And I mean seriously good!

We're looking forward to seeing the movie in theaters. If Bubby backs out on me like he usually does, I know that I'll see it in the fall because it will be delivered to my house. Secure your copy today just in case your little monster isn't much of a movie goer either. I'm glad I did. And the previews are hilarious. I'd share them with you, but I want to encourage you to pre-order and watch them for yourself!

If you've seen the movie, what did you think? If not, are you sitting on pins and needles until it comes out on DVD and Blu-ray? Have you pre-ordered yet? What are you waiting for? Oh, and be sure to make Key Lime (boxed) cupcakes with Mike eyes in the meantime. You'll be a hero in your house without a lot of work. But let's keep that our monsterous little secret, shall we?

Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with all things fun and exciting at Monsters U! And be sure to check out my shopping experience so you can figure out where to pick up your own copy of Monsters University today!

Some Days are Never Supposed to Happen...Today was One of Those Days!

Today was one of those days. I made a mistake. I almost committed social suicide...on accident...in private...in public!

I live my life by integrity. I tell you when things are good...or bad...around my home. I tell you when things are good...or bad...with work. I tell you because if you follow along, you should know. 

Do I vent in private to my friends? Of course I do! We all do. But today, I let a script error and my busy schedule make me look like a less than stellar person. Today I failed. 

I was talking to a friend. I was frustrated. I wondered if I, if we all, compromised our integrity because we were doing as we were told. I started to vent. In private. And then the SCRIPT hit and shot me into a private but somewhat public forum. And I posted. The comment I made did not sound nice. Taken out of context, it was not nice. It was not me at all. 

I even dropped the F bomb. 

I do that often just so you know...in private. 

It sounded like I was dissing someone that I consider a friend. For the record, I was not. But it is what it is and I can't lie about it. It looked bad. I looked bad. 

I'm not a bad person. What you see is what you get. But I do see things in life, in work, that I don't agree with, and I talk to friends about those things. But I don't dis people. It's not my thing. I wonder if I'm too harsh in my head, so I ask. But today, I asked in public. On accident. The comment was harsh. It included the F bomb. It was one sentence, taken out of context, in a string of sentences. 

But I was wrong. I'm sorry. 

I've made my peace on the back end. The people that know me know that the comment was "off" for me and that there had to be more behind it. The people that wanted to create drama did. I could have lost my job but the people I work for know me and they wanted to listen and understand. For that I am thankful. 

I'm most thankful for the understanding and friendship of the one person this could have hurt the most. I explained, then apologized, and she "got" it. Why? Because she knows me. She loves me. And I love her. These are the things that truly matter!

If you got mad at me today, I don't blame you. If you don't understand what happened today, or don't care to understand, maybe you don't know me at all. My character, and my integrity, are in tact to those that truly love and know me. That's what matters. 

I effed up today. I cried today. I made amends today. We're all human. Mistakes are inevitable. Look past what you *think* you see and confront the people that make these errors...to their face...before you cause drama. You never know, you could eff up tomorrow. 

Embrace your human side and forgive yourself...and others. Don't judge until you know the "whole" truth! I love my friends and coworkers. Thanks so much for your support and love. You'll never know how much you mean to me. 

Goldfish Puffs Snack Mix for Our On-The-Go Lifestyle

For the record, I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. As always, all opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own.

During the summer, we're always on the go. Trips to the pool, the beach, the park, or long bike rides on the Seawall are regular weekend events. And the kids are always hungry, and so is B in fact. We need healthier snacks for our on-the-go excursions so we don't have to constantly run home or stop to buy an unhealthy bag of chips. When I heard about the new Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs now available at Target, I had a brilliant idea. What? I have brilliant ideas sometimes. 

I wanted to "spice" up the Goldfish Puffs a bit. Snack mixes are great for on the go because they offer a variety of textures and flavors and they just seem more satisfying. I grabbed a recipe from one of my favorite foodie friends and headed to Target to pick up the ingredients to make this for our next day at the pool.

I deviated from the recipe quite a bit, but the concept was the same. I lowered the sodium content a lot by using ingredients and spices with little to no sodium. 

The Goldfish Puffs were the star of the show. These new baked snack crackers are much larger than the typical Goldfish we've all grown to love over the years. The bold flavor of the Buffalo Wing Puffs gave another layer of flavor to this tasty snack mix and their larger size made the snack more appealing to adults and older children as well.

Honestly, this had to be one of the simplest things I've ever cooked and I can't believe I waited this long to try it out. 

What you'll need:

     -3 cups Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs (any flavor would be awesome)
     -3 cups Chex cereal

     -2 cups unsalted peanuts

     -2 cups Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Pretzels

     -4 tbsp unsalted butter

     -4 tbsp low sodium Worcestershire sauce

     -2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning

Simply mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl while you melt the butter on the stove with the Worcestershire and seasonings. Pour the seasoning mixture over the snacks in the bowl and stir (or if you're lazy like me, use a bowl that has a lid so you can just shake it all together). When you've mixed it completely, toss it in a glass baking pan, put it in the oven on 400 degrees for 10 minutes, stir it again, 5 more minutes in the oven and you'll have a toasty, tasty, awesome snack mix your family will love.

This was a healthier alternative for snacking our day away at the pool. I love that the Goldfish are baked and don't have all of those nasty fats, sugars, and *shudder* grease of most typical on the go snacks. 

My snack mix appealed to "kids" of all ages and was gone in no time. I had to go back to the house to get more. I'll know better next time. 

And the Cheddar Bacon Goldfish Puffs get the Bubby seal of approval, and that's not easy to do. This kid is PICKY and he loved these things! Although they are larger and probably more appealing than the smaller Goldfish to older children and adults, he loved them because they were easier to grab and he didn't shove 10 in his mouth like he usually does (score one for mom). 

What's your favorite on the go snack? Have you tried the new Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Puffs yet? If so, what did you think? If not, what are you waiting for? Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Twitter to get even more snack ideas and recipes!

Even a Workaholic Needs a Break Every Once In A While!

Hi. I'm Christy. And I'm a workaholic. I always have been and it's a blessing...and a curse. 

I put work first...a LOT. My parents instilled a strong work ethic in me and for that I'm proud. But sometimes, even a workaholic needs to let loose, take a break, and just enjoy the finer things in life. This weekend, I've been unplugging, getting behind (stressing a little about that), and enjoying. Galveston is an awesome place to live when you want to unwind, and my family rocks as a support system.

The recent purchase of the tandem and carrier helps. I mean, who wouldn't want to ride this on the Seawall? After a few hours at the pool (almost completely unplugged I might add...YAY ME), we took off on a limo bike ride to get something to eat. 

For the record, the back seat is the easy ride. Yes I pedal, but I'm pretty sure B does most of the work while I enjoy the scenery. What? He's stronger than I am. It only makes sense.

I just love the view as we drive down the Seawall and pedaling is not my first priority. But my feet keep moving so that counts. It really does. I mean it. 

A nice 3 mile drive (shush B...it's a FULL 3 miles there and 3 miles back) to McAllister's Deli for a nice healthy vegetarian lunch, and then back home we go!

To enjoy the view one more time. Yes, the rocks are a little too sea-weedy, but the ocean has cleaned up for the year and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on the planet. 

I'm glad I stopped and smelled the ocean air a bit this weekend. There's always Monday. I'll catch back up and the memories I'm making in the meantime are priceless. Just like my family. 

Letting Go and Coping with Adult Children

“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.” ~ Anne Frank

As parents, we make tough decisions as our children grow. It's hard for me. I still have little ones at home. I want to cling. But I have children that are grown as well, and I'm learning to let go. 

I've taught them lessons. I haven't always been a stellar example. But I've taught them right from wrong. They know. And now they're grown. 

It's time I let go. But that's not always easy, so I do what I often do, and look to the sky for answers. The sky is a beautiful thing, just like my children. I trust in its beauty and I should trust in theirs. 

One is making all of the wrong decisions...always. One is about to embark on the ultimate test of adulthood. Are they ready? Neither probably is. None of us are when we hit that point I suppose. But I have to trust that I've instilled the right values in them. That I've taught them all I know. That it's time to cut the cord. 

They can do this. The one that continues to mess up? I guess she'll eventually get it now that she can't rely on me to bail her out of every bad situation. I'm thinking if I stop, so will she. She knows better. 

The one that is embarking on the ultimate test of adulthood? She has a good head on her shoulders. She's not ready for this. But she'll tackle it like a soldier and I'm proud of her. Ready or not...here she comes. 

So, in my ramblings, what am I trying to get at? There comes a point where we need to step back, look to the sky, and hope for the best. They all grow up. We did. I struggled but I got through it. So can they. 

It's hard for parents to let go. It's necessary for parents to let go. Trust that you taught them well. Trust that they listened. Trust that they will succeed. Nothing else matters.