I’m excited to announce the launch of my new blog (as if I needed more to do): GiveDaddy. It’s a giveaway blog, and we’re striving to give away something every day (at least 5 days a week). We’ve got everything from Starbucks gift cards to books, soap, food, and pillows, so check it out every day and enter to win.

If you know a business that would like to donate items for giveaways please contact me.

Good luck!

I just finished reading A Complaint Free World by Will Bowen. Basically he came up with the idea to give people at his church bracelets and whenever they complained, they’d switch them to the other wrist to be more aware of their actions. Their goal was to go complaint free for 21 days.

It struck a nerve.

In trying to better myself, complaining is definitely something I can do without. It makes me feel dirty and negative, and I just don’t need that in my world. So I put a rubber band on my wrist and have been working toward not complaining.

It’s hard.

The first day I realized how much I do complain. I’ve had a day here or there without complaining (or else I forgot to notice that I did) but I’m a ways from my 21 days in a row.

When you do this exercise, you notice how much other people complain. I’ve just not responded when someone’s spewing negativity and they usually stop.

Max even got in the game, and when he whines, he’ll usually say, “Oh! That was a complaint!” and switch his band.

I urge you to take this challenge with me. Read the book if you’re interested, or just put on a rubber band and stop complaining.

Today Max started kindergarten. Now let me tell you, I feel like a duck out of water being surrounded by clucking mother hens who are freaking out with their kids going to school for the first time. Don’t get me wrong, kindergarten is a big stinkin’ deal. He’s in a really big school (more on that later) and he’s in “real school.”

But Max has been in day care or preschool (2 years) since 8 weeks old. Being apart from him is how I love him more. So I didn’t cry when we left him, although he did. I knew he’d make friends and learn things and that our time apart would only make us closer.

Sniff.

He did come home excited to share his day. Or more specifically, the Happy Meal toy he got from the treasure chest. My son, always the eager student.

And me. Such a diligent mother. I managed to not bring my camera to mark this historic event. Thank goodness for non-iPhone cell phone cameras that take crappy photos of your kid as he rushes in to his new school:

The school, by the way, is awesome. All the elementary schools in our district are magnets, and this is the International Baccalaureate school. They teach Spanish and have a really rigorous program. I’m really excited for him to be there (if we have to be here).