Good Morning Girls! So a few more of you were willing to do a little work and figure out what the mystery topic is.  It's hard to say if that means you are motivated by curiosity, lack of patience, a challenge, or the mystery word.  Maybe a little of all of it.  Hopefully you will be able to pinpoint it more as the days go by......
I pulled a Paul last night.  We are leaving for Wisconsin Dells in about an hour.  Last night I was supposed to be packing and preparing for the trip.  I planned to have it all done at a decent time so the kids and I could get a good nights sleep.  I planned to have a mellow evening, watching the Biggest Loser as I worked out.  I planned on starting my vacation feeling refreshed and ready to go.  I planned to make Tom a good dinner before we left him on his own for a few days.  Can you tell by the amount of times I used the word "planned" that things did not go according to "plan" at all?
Here's what happened.  We were going up to the elementary school for Thomas to go to his kindergarten round up.  The kids had just put on their flip flops for the first time because I had taken them out to pack for the pool.  Thomas never wears flip flops, and for a split second I thought "he should put on his Cars shoes (which are like crocs)", but I dismissed that thought (a moment that has played over and over again in my mind) and we headed out the door.  When we got to the school Thomas was so excited he ran ahead of us.  He got up to the door and suddenly let out a wail like I have never heard before.  He was on the ground and I ran up to him and looked down.  As he was walking in, another girl was walking out.  The door opened quickly and caught hold of his big toenail and ripped the entire thing off.  It was gushing blood.  Thomas was screaming.  The mom of the girl was yelling.  I was frozen.  I picked Thomas up and brought him into the school.  They brought me to the nurses office and we tried to calm him down.  Charley, who can't stand to see others in pain (emotional or physical) starts freaking out and crying.  I am trying not to freak out and cry.  The only thing running through my head is "now we can't go to Wisconsin Dells".  I know it sounds selfish, but it wasn't that.  If I had to tell my kids and my friends that we were not going, all 4 kids would be distraught.  I pictured a week of tears and fighting.  Stupid flip flops!
We could not console Thomas.  The nail was only hanging on at the very base and I thought i was going to hurl.  The principal, the vice principal, the nurse, half of the PTO were all there trying to help.  Nothing helped.  I picked up Thomas and we went to urgent care.  Where we spent over two hours.  Where Ii watched the Dr use a little exacto like knife to push the nail in place and cover it with the skin.  He did this so the new nail would know where in was supposed to grow.  Then they took an x ray to see if it was broken since he screamed so loud every time his toe was touched or bumped.  Finally we left and I had to go to Target to pick up some waterproof band aids (seriously Girls, pray for some supernatural adhesiveness as we went through 4 rounds of band aids last night)  and by the time I got home it was 8:30.  Still hadn't eaten.  Still hadn't packed.  In fact, the clothes I was bringing were still in the washing machine, soaking wet! 
So for the next few hours I ran around packing, getting organized, and doing the last minute stuff that I had "planned" to do earlier in the evening.  As I gathered as many band aids as I could, I prayed that somehow Thomas would have fun at the Dells and not get his big toe bumped every minute by the thousands of excited kids running wild.  I tried to remain calm, but my stress level was high.  My adrenaline was still soaring.  I finally got the kids in bed at 10:30.....not a good start for them either.
That's when I pulled a Paul.  My adrenaline had suddenly left me and I felt like I had been hit by a Mack truck.  I still had a couple of things to do.  My stress level, minus the adrenaline started to rise again.  I needed to relax, but I also needed to finish a few things.  So I turned to the one thing that I knew would give me what I was looking for.  I turned to the one thing that would offer temporary relief.  I turned to the one thing that would sooth me while at the same time give me a little mental boost.  I turned to the one thing I vowed I would not turn to for 40 days.  I marched straight to Thomas' Easter basket and pulled out a Milky Way and shoved it into my mouth.  "Oh mama....this is awesome!  I want another one!".  But I am such a good mom, I could not take another one from my toenail-less son.  Then I remembered "we have leftover eggs from the egg hunt today!  Maybe there is a Milky Way in one of them!"  I had no idea where the eggs were.  My friend had unloaded the car and put them somewhere.  So here I am at 10:45, on my own egg hunt.  I am looking in all the closets......all the rooms........under the stairs....... it was not pretty.  I finally went to the garage and there they were!  I grabbed the bag and proceeded to empty out all the eggs.  No chocolate!  Are you kidding me?!  This is not good.  I ended up eating a bunch of sour jellybeans, which do not compare to chocolate.....but you Girls know that.  The sugar soothed my head.  I finished up my work and passed out cold at midnight......feeling slightly guilty of my behavior.  "There will always be 40 days in a row"  I thought to myself. 
So Girls, what does me pulling a Paul have to do with the secret word.  Well, the secret word was my motivation for my actions.  The secret word promised me something.....and delivered.  My secret word is.........

Found in Genesis 15:1 and Revelation:12 in the New Living Translation.  Read both verses and see what they have in common.  It will be worth it!

Love, peace, and chocolate bunnies with the ears bitten off to you all,
Jen

ps the reference to being a Paul is from Romans 7 where Paul is talking about doing the opposite of what he wants to do......