Here we are, well into the first month of this new year and changes are on the horizon in my land. 

I am officially the mama of a five-year-old (you already know how I feel about that), which means...Bum bum buuuum! Kindergarten this fall. For me, kindergarten means more than not dissolving into one ginormous, soggy pile at that first kindergarten drop-off...Or, you know, the first week of drop-offs. No, it also marks the time in which I have to make some decisions about my future as a grown up person and not just a mom. 

No way would I trade these last five years at home with my girl, but now I'm not terribly inclined to return to the work-life I was sure I couldn't give up when I was pregnant with her. Pssh. (Again, can I just say, why does kindergarten have to be a full day?!) But I digress. At the moment it would seem that the perfect solution is almost too perfectly about to be dropped into my lap. A part-time job that would make some of the other hats that I wear flow a little more smoothly, plus still allow me to follow this writing dream. I'm oddly inclined to throw a "Boom Baby!" out there at that. I know, don't say it, I'm special. 

So it's not writing full-time, but it's a step - hopefully - in the right-ish direction. 

With that new adventure in the works, I've also got certain writing projects going and processing that I'm excited about further developing. Including with Simply Family Magazine, who last year further developed their website to make it more of a destination place for parents to go to get info on things, as such, Simply Baby, Simply Teen, and Simply Thrifty were born on the site. And I'm a part of that, though I haven't written as much - yet. It's coming, I promise. It's just all part of figuring out the balance/juggling game. So, if you're interested, wander my way, in the land of SFM, where I am known as, Simply Becca. Kinda fun, right? 

Speaking of Simply Becca if you've got some parenting things that you would love to see covered, please shoot me an email for consideration. 

Keep an eye out for a tab to develop here for easy access to those works once I really get the ball rolling there. 

Thanks for taking this ride with me! 

Have you ever noticed how, for many families it seems either you are a solid 'real Christmas tree' family or you're 'artificial tree' all the way? In my little family, we've waffled back and forth over the years (real shocker if you knew us at all...Insert dripping sarcasm here) before settling on our official stance. Following is a comical look at how we got there. 
The year is 2002 and we're preparing for our first Christmas as a married couple. Let me just say, married life in general...BIG transition to say the least, but that's another story for another day. I, of course, am adamant that we get ourselves a real tree, so off we go to the various tree lots in search of the most perfect tree ever. The details on this part are a little fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure we ended up going to a few different lots before we found the tree. P.S. Two novices should not be allowed to go tree shopping together. I had gone with my dad every year while I was growing up to pick out the family tree, but he's the one who paid attention to the details - not me.

Now before I dive any further into this story, let me clue you in to a conversation we had while at the tree lot. Me: "We're gonna need to get a tree stand." Husband: "Eh, gramma has like 20 at home, we don't need to spend money on that." Me: "Okaaay...If you're sure..." (Thinking to self: If she has 'like 20 at home,' what's wrong with them???)

Okay, so fast forward to getting the tree home. The tree proceeds to go in and out of our house at least three times. Yep, you read that right THREE times. With each passage in and out the door as we (by we, I of course mean he) work on the most crooked tree trunk in the universe, the frustration levels are mounting. Finally, we get enough trunk cut off so that it can stand in our free tree stand. Guess what...There's a reason it was in the garage and not being used for a repeat performance. Oh yeah, it fell down. *sigh*

A new tree stand is purchased. 

I can vividly recall as we're wrestling with this tree saying, "I wish my dad was here," and promptly going to the bathroom to cry it out. Now, the total irony of that statement is that things didn't necessarily go all that smoothly with my dad over the years. I remember many a time he was cursing over the stupid, er, beautiful  tree. Apparently, though, I had blocked all of that out. So there I am, crying my eyes out in the bathroom, poor Husband is probably thinking this isnot what he signed up for - and seriously..."Why is she crying??" Enter my sister. My beautiful, thoughtful sister comes over with a box of ornaments for our first Christmas. I make my exit from the bathroom trying not to look like this entire experience has been complete misery. Good times.

The evening ended well, with feelings mended, and a ginormous pizza delivered from Pizza Hut, but it's an experience I will never forget, and that we uproariously laugh over now.

We did give the real tree a try again a couple of years later, but that darn thing fell over too, and we decided, enough is enough and have embraced our artificial tree in all it's easy-peasy glory ever since. Our greatest source of debate now is an annual argument over getting the lights on the tree. I am so challenged. However, nine years into this marriage, gone are the tears - they've been replaced by laughter up front instead of later.

I'd love to hear your stories! Leave a comment below!

With only five minutes left on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, my mind continues racing around the thoughts that have been on a steady stream in the days leading up to today. 

Like those from generations past, the events of 9/11 are forever etched into our memories like those who lived through the Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. assassinations, Pearl Harbor...It's a day we will forever remember. 

As Alan Jackson sang, "Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?" 

At the time when the first plane struck tower one, I was in my bathroom getting ready to head to class at MSU-Billings, listening to the radio. When the deejay first announced that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center, my heart seized, but I still had no real idea what was happening, so I ran into my mom's room and she had the Today Show on in her room as she was getting ready. As I went running into her room, yelling for her and asking what this meant, we fell to our knees in front of the television as the second plane hit. We watched in horror as the towers imploded, another plane found its mark at the Pentagon, and the terror of the people fighting for their lives. And then there was one more, but this one slammed into a field in Pennsylvania. Why was this happening? How will these people and their families ever recover from this?  

What could you do, but sob over the hopelessness and helplessness that was overwhelming us as a country? 

Deciding to go to class, though I was incredibly late, I walked into my classroom, numb, and realized...They didn't know. After that class I realized I would not be able to focus, left campus, and went to my sister's house where we spent the rest of the day glued to the television. If I was away from a television, the radio was on - never before had I felt so desperate for a connection, for information. 

My husband, who was my fiancee at the time, had just pulled back into port on September 10, 2001 after having been overseas for months. I had no way to get in immediate touch with him, but I remember sending frantic emails to him. I was so sure they were going send them right back out. At my sister's house I waited and watched and waited. 

My sister had a one and a half year old and was eight months pregnant at the time of the attacks. I remember the heartbreak in her voice as she wondered how you bring a child into this kind of world. 

It was a day that, as a country, we will never forget. Even children who were not born or were too young to remember are learning of the horror and indeed the hope that came from that day. Things changed forever that September day that started out so blue, so clear, so beautiful. 

Where were you on 9/11?

This is most definitely one of those posts that falls under the Loving Abigail heading, I hope you'll indulge me in a moment of mommy mistiness.  

Tonight as I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready, my 4-year-old daughter came racing into the kitchen, and as I bent down to her she wrapped her little arms around my neck and we both turned into a smooch. And then she did what she does so often these days, she turned my head so she could smother my cheek in kisses. As she dangled from my neck and loudly exclaimed, "I love you SO much mommy," in my ear, I got a little misty and a little pre-nostalgic. 

It was one of those moments that I knew I wanted to tuck away into my memory bank to treasure for the rest of my life because before I know it, she will be a teenager and the hugs, kisses, and loves will be few and far between. The ease in which we relate to each other now will seem like a fairy tale. 

There are so many of these little moments that I wish I could lock in my memory forever, like earlier when we were playing outside and she was "flying" (belly swinging). Watching her dressed in her nightgown, a sweatsuit, pink stretchy gloves (no, it's not that cold), a hat, and sparkly purple shoes as she ran her little feet to send herself soaring...And the giggles that were quick to follow, magical. 

The little moments...The last kiss before I go to bed, the giggles that are so infectious we get lost in minute after minute of laughter before I realize it's bedtime and we should be winding down, not giggling up. It's walking hand and hand up the stairs or holding her snug in my arms. The moments that seem unforgettable, but I will struggle to remember the bitty details, like just how she looks when she crinkles her nose just so...

Treasure the little things. Write them down so one day your little one will know just how very treasured her very being is. 

Already we are into week two of the new Friday series hitting my TV Moms column: Name That TV Mom! As promised, the lovely pages of my blog are a stopping ground for some bonus hints. 

To try your hand at solving the puzzle using the first 5 hints, go to: 

Name That TV Mom: Are you brave enough to take the challenge?

What do you think? Time for another hint? Okay here we go...

Bonus hint #1: This TV mom has made an appearance in two of my TV mom articles. She was the main feature of the first and both her show and character were mentioned in the next. 

Bonus hint #2: This TV mom once starred in a movie with Freddie Prinze Jr. and she couldn't stay on her feet around him because she was...

Bonus hint #3: Any portion of the article (*cough* headline *cough*) is fair game for clues to be lurking.

*The first hint might prove to be more helpful than it might first seem...Certain words hold more value than you might think. 

If you're still stumped, let me know and we'll toss another bonus hint into the mix in a bit. Good luck, have fun!

Over in TV Moms land (you know, my TV Moms column) we're spicing things up a little bit for some Friday fun. 

This past week we played a little game of Name That TV Mom on my TV moms Facebook page - TV Moms: The good. The bad. The crazy. and turned it into a battle between the page and the TVMoms101 Twitter followers.  Well, I had so much fun with that, that I decided to turn it into a weekly series for the column. 

Today, Friday, August 12, 2011 gave us our first puzzle: 

Name That TV Mom - Can you solve the puzzle? 

As the weeks go on and I find my groove in this you can expect things to get a little more challenging and for this blog to play an accompanying role in this party. Meaning you'll be able to come here for bonus hints and clues. 

So, I invite you to head on over to the wonderful and lovely land of TV moms and hop on board solving the puzzle of this week's very first mystery mama. 

Thanks for playing! Stay tuned...

On August 6, 2011, what would have been Lucille Ball's 100th birthday there are celebrations and remembrances occurring across the web and television.

For my part, I've  dedicated a few of my recent articles in my TV Moms column to the incredible lady of a million laughs. 

You can take a trip down memory lane, remembering the episode Lucy Hires an English Tutor or get information on the Hallmark Channel 48-hour I Love Lucy marathon as well as TCM's Lucille Ball movie marathon. 

• Memory Lane: Preparing for baby on 'I Love Lucy'
• Hallmark Channel celebrates Lucille Ball's 100th birthday with I Love Lucy marathon
• TCM remembers Lucille Ball on what would have been her 100th birthday

Also check in at my Facebook page: TV Moms: The good. The bad. The crazy. as we celebrate Lucille Ball's birthday with our favorite I Love Lucy quotes and moments. 

I Love Lucy might have been well before my time, but there's something incredibly special about this lady that has transcended across time. 

Thanks for stopping in, stay tuned...