What's up friends? I've got this cool thing to tell you about. 

Apparently there is an internet award given by bloggers to bloggers. You know, share the love, build the community kind of thing. I dig that. I love it when people support others in the same field... the world needs more builder-uppers and less selfish buttheads. 

Sorry, I was beginning to digress there. 

The award is known as The Liebster Award. And I am so happy to accept the nomination from Breeana (Momming with Grace). 

What is good? What is evil? They are a lot like beauty - in the eye of the beholder. In the real world, it's important to look beyond the surface to find the good and bad apples. 

There are plenty of people who look shiny, perfect, blessed and happy, but when you open them up, some are the most rotten apples. These apples will tell you all sorts of wonderful and kind things to your face. But their behavior will not match their words. They will behave one way in front of some people and do a 180 when around a different group. In front of some, they will have nothing but kind words for you, honey flowing from their lips, praise and love for all to see; privately they will hardly open their door to receive you. 

Then there are the apples that fell off the tree long ago. They are bruised; they've been kicked around. They do not sparkle. These apples are rough and tough. They are harder to cut open. Because these apples won't kiss your butt or shower you with constant flattery, some people won't even bother to pick them up. These apples are quieter than the first group. They often appear rude because they sit silently and observe. 

People are quick to judge. And the first apple is often dubbed the good one. 

I have a connection to the latter group. Give me fallen apples any day. I, myself, definitely fall into that group. I do not show my core easily. You have to earn that. Shiny apples refer to us as cynical or mean. I disagree. I am not cynical, I just might not like you. I choose to be real. My life is not perfect, but I do not feel the need to project a perfect image. I know plenty of cynical shiny apples... shiny apples sometimes make their Facebook posts pessimistic as a way to have others compliment them, shower them with affection, buff them (to extend the analogy). 

So, what to do? 

Books teach us that the true character of a person reveals itself through actions. Character is what a person is like when he/she does not think anyone is watching. No one is perfect. I have yet to meet a single perfect, sinless apple. 

I tell my kids to watch and listen - pick apples who do kind things (without seeking recognition for it), pick apples who are honest, do NOT pick apples based solely on what they project to the world. And most important, it is ok to put an apple down and walk away if you feel you made a bad choice. 

This week's throwback is Rea, when she was 4. I love this smiley face. 

I took this picture on the way to school one morning. Her W.O.W. (3-yr-old program) class was having a book character day... And my (way-ahead-of-her-time) cutie dressed as Hermoine from Harry Potter. She was not phased at all that every other girl was dressed as something princessy and frilly. She has always known what she likes, and she is not afraid to be unique. That is one of the things I love the most about Rea. 

Do you ever feel like life is getting away from you? 

Like you're trying to hold on, pay attention to the small things, accomplish all you can in each day... yet, they seem to be blowing by? 

​I do. 

I'm not unhappy. Quite the opposite. Things are wonderful in the Stu household (knock on wood). It just seems like some aspects of my life are moving at a snail's pace (like the afternoons when R & R decide they can't stand each other) and other parts are whizzing by me (I feel like it was just Christmas, but we are well into March). 

Ugh. 

When was the last time I wrote a post for this site? One of my New Year's Resolutions was to write (and post) twice a week, at minimum. Broke that already. Although, did I really break it if I was busy on another site? I mean, technically I have been writing... 

I've also been teaching... you know, that whole homeschool thing. 
I've also been editing... something I love that makes Stu happy.

But, that's about it. I think those things sums up my life. 

We would be honored to have you join us... (some of you might be getting these in your mailbox).

I look at a lot of blogs and websites. It's a mild obsession. Mostly though I like to read about what other Mommies are doing, it makes me feel like less of an island. 

Anyway. Somewhere along my blog search, I found a blogger who posts a "Wordless Wednesday" post each week. It's just a post full of photos. No words. 

I thought that's kind of interesting.