Blog Posts by Amy 24/7

I have recently dug pretty deep into my soul and have re-evaluated myself as a wife, a mother, a sibling and a friend. It happened when I least expected it. It's amazing how the choices of others can so profoundly affect a person who is not directly involved in a situation.

Since I've spent time re-evaluating myself, I've learned an important lesson; It's not right for us to judge others. Simply stated, I know, but I can fully attest to the deep emotions that are stirred when faced with judgment.

I'm starting to realize the importance of the many roles I play. This Mother's Day I will reflect on my own life and how I can be a better mom, wife, daughter, sibling and friend.

Mom, there are times that I think you might wonder why I write about the memories I have of dad, yet I don't always talk about the memories I have of you. We're still making memories, which I'm extremely thankful for. My memories of dad are fading and that scares me, so I write about them to try and hold on to them.

I don't ever want you to think that I don't appreciate you or don't have fond memories of us. Oh, I don't even want to think about not being able to pick up the phone and hear your voice or see a comment from you on my blog or have a chat with you over Skype. Life is unpredictable and out of our control, so now is as good a time as any to remind you how much I love you and how blessed I am that you are still in my life.

Remember sometimes when I was little and I would get upset out of nowhere and tell you that I didn't want you or dad to die? I don't know where those feelings came from but you always comforted me when I had those emotional breakdowns. Then, when dad did

Child Hunger Ends HereYou know when something is presented to you at the right moment, how it can really make you sit down and think? How it makes you want to absorb as much information as you possibly can and how it even makes you feel like getting more involved? Well, I have been presented with an opportunity like that.

I'm teaming up with ConAgra Foods and 18 other bloggers to help spread the word about the Child Hunger Ends Here program. I like to get involved. I like to learn as much as I can about causes that really matter and I like educating people. This one is a pretty big deal to me.

I have just learned that nearly one in four children in America live in "food insecure households", meaning, almost 25% of the kids in the U.S.:

a) barely get a meal
b) get meals that are not nutritious
c) don't get a meal at all for some reason or another.

Think about your friends, family and neighbors. Do you really know their situation? You might think they are all well off and don't have an issue with keeping

"Musing the kidzui web browserommy, may I use the computer to play my online games?"

That is a question I hear on a daily basis, from my five year old. I didn't use a computer until I was about fourteen years old and even then, I was just playing games from a 5-1/4" floppy disc. I hadn't heard of the internet and I didn't actually use it until I went to college in 1997. I started school in the spring, while my housemates had already been there for a semester. I remember going to the computer lab with them and watching as they "logged on" to the "world wide web". They had email accounts and chatted with other people online at a place called "The Park". This was all new to me at age eighteen. I was intrigued and I knew then that the internet was something very powerful.

Fast forward to the year 2011 and how far technology has advanced. Something like over 77% of the US population alone is "connected". We've virtually turned this very large world into a neighborhood. Mind boggling.

Our family is very much

I still can't believe my first child will be going to Kindergarten this Fall. It doesn't seem real. The years are going by so quickly; jam packed with family functions, doctor appointments, preschool drop-offs and pick-ups. I thought I was ready for this transition but I had a little reality check recently at parent information night.

I was fine, really, until I walked through the elementary school doors. I looked around at the classrooms, lavatories, and kid's artwork hanging on the wall in the hallway. Wow. I can't remember the last time I was actually in an elementary school. This time, I was there to get familiar with the school district and new student registration process.

As I sat there, along with the other first-time kindergarten moms and dads, I started to fidget. I remembered how I felt, as a child, about going to school. It's been so long since I've felt those feelings. I wasn't a huge fan of school. I had a difficult time concentrating and pretty much coasted through my

Joeys Song V1 CoverAs I was preparing for my interview with Ralph Covert (aka Ralph's World), I learned that he contributed an unreleased track to a brand new compilation album called "Joey's Song". Proceeds from the album's sales go to The Joseph Gomoll Foundation ("Joey"). Joey's foundation has been set up to help raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation, as Joey had a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet's Syndrome. Joey passed away last March at the sweet, innocent age of four.

Of course, Joey's story hit me pretty hard. When my daughter was six months old, she had multiple seizures. The seizures were most likely caused by an illness she had at the time but there was really never any proof of that. She is now five years old and has been seizure-free since then. I will never forget the way I felt when I saw my baby having seizures. My heart goes out to the Gomoll family and any family who has experienced this scary situation.

I feel like it's my obligation to help this family spread the word about

turkey handNovember is officially the one month where I look forward to a huge, guilt-free feast. This year, we traveled almost 600 miles to spend Thanksgiving with my family. If I had to choose one meal out of the year to enjoy with family, this would be it. Childhood memories of Thanksgiving past came flooding back as the scent of pumpkin pies and turkey in the oven wafted through the air.

As the meal preparations were being made, we introduced the little ones to our tradition of watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. They were ecstatic when Sponge Bob and Hello Kitty appeared and went floating through the streets of New York City. Our 16 month old even danced to the beat of the marching bands as they played classic holiday tunes. Their eyes grew pretty wide when Santa Claus rode by, waving at everyone from his sleigh.

We don't get to spend every Thanksgiving with my immediate family, so I very much cherish the ones that we do. This year, my little family of four spent the day with four

There has been much talk in my house lately about eating better and living a healthier lifestyle. I have never been one to spend too much time focusing on my eating and exercise habits (or lack-thereof) and in the past few years, my figure has spilled the beans on that big secret. I've always been a fair weather fan of exercising and still sneak the occasional pack of peanut butter M&M's. It's not that I make completely bad choices in the food that I eat, but I really don't have a set regimen. However, it's becoming more apparent that since there are now children involved, I possibly need one. Read on.

My husband is determined and very passionate about eating healthy and exercising, he's got an entire blog about it. The proof is in his rapid weight loss over the past 6 months. It's also obvious how badly he wants me and the kids to join him on his journey of eating and living primal/paleo. But you wouldn't know it when he brings home a tub of cookie dough for us (enabler!) However,