Parenting. It's not as easy as it looks. Yep, it all looks easy until you do it. Then you find out the truth. This is a task that nothing will prepare you for. If you're a parent, I know you can identify.

There are times that being a parent makes you want to pull your hair out. Some days it's frustrating, other days your kids make you mad, sometimes you aren't sure where to turn. But…then there are the little moments that come along that make parenting so worth it.

It's the little moments, like when you get the big hugs and kisses at the end of the day that make you feel everything is worth while.

It's the laughter of the kids you hear through the house that makes you smile and know you must be doing something right.

It's the angelic look on their faces as they sleep at night that remind you what huge gifts from God kids really are.

It's the note from a child or a colored picture they give you that brings tears to your eyes.

It's the "I love you's" they say that make your heart sing.

It's those precious dinner time conversations that make you laugh hysterically because no one else would have a clue what your family was talking about.

It's those comedic moments you miss on camera that stick in your mind forever and have you laughing for days.

These are the little moments that keep a parent going. It's easy to forget about your child killing the cell phone or blowing up the microwave in these little moments. The fact that they once again forgot to take out the recyclables slips your mind in these moments.

These are the moments I live for. They make my heart sing. They are fertilizer to a growing parent. They are the perfect memories that live forever in my heart.

Thanks for visiting Parents R Us once again. I hope you take a bit of time out today to think about some of your own little memories with your children that make parenting a joy.

Since becoming a parent, I've learned quite a bit. Some of you know that I'm a step parent of 2 teens, and I've only been mom now for about a year and a half. Since then, I've learned a whole lot. I thought that I'd share with you today a few of the things I've learned in my parenting crash course.

1. Parents Speak in Different Languages - Yep, that's right…parents speak in a different language. Each family has their own dialect. Parents have things they say that would make no sense to someone else. Sometimes I reflect back on something I say and laugh. No one else but our family would understand it. I've acquired the "parent speak."

2. I Now See Money Differently - Or should I say I spend it differently. We have a budget. We plan out what we spend. Now I've always been fairly careful about what I buy and have always been one to look for bargains. Since becoming a parent I'm always looking for the best food deal, coupons that will help me save, and trying to figure out where the money is going to go. After all, you know you're a parent when you do your "happy dance" in the meat aisle because ground beef is on sale.

3. Me-time is Actually Planned - Having kids means you are always on call. Even if they're in school, you're still on call. I can't count the times we get phone calls from school. When the kids are home, you're especially on call…even in the middle of the night. Finding me-time is a whole different story. You actually have to plan it. My husband and I plan dates together. If we didn't, we wouldn't get them.

4. Time has a Different Meaning - Speaking of time. Time has a whole different meaning when you're a parent. I used to always be 15 minutes early for everything. It rarely works that way when you have kids. You have to get them ready, get them motivated, and out the door. I've always liked things to happen on time. Well it doesn't happen that way with kids. I've learned to live with it. Lol

5. Love and Like are Two Different Things - I love the kids all the time. I don't always like the things that they do. I've learned that love is still there even when you are not at ALL happy with something they pull. In the past few months of being a parent, I've learned more about unconditional love than ever before.

6. Laughter is a Parents Best Friend - Sometimes you just have to laugh. You may want to cry, you may want to be upset, but you go ahead and laugh. Times with the kids are precious. I've learned to spend as much of that time possible laughing.

7. Parents Aren't Perfect - Shhhhh. Don't tell the kids out there, but I've discovered there is no way for parents to be perfect. Every single child wonders at some of the mistakes their parents make. It's only when you become a parent that you understand how tough it is and how easy it is to make mistakes. I make mistakes all the time. After all, there is no manual out there and kids don't come with directions.

The list could go on an on about the things I've learned since becoming a parent. Of course I figured you all wanted a blog post, not a small book. Lol. Parenting is all about a learning experience. It's a crash course that you pray every day you'll pass. I'm sure some of you can identify with some of the things I've learned. I hope you will share things you've learned as well…feel free to leave comments. I'd love to hear them!

When you were a kid, your parents probably said things to you that you vowed you would never say when you became a parent. Well, you were wrong. You became a parent and you were genetically changed. Soon you found yourself saying things you thought you'd never say. Here are the top 10 things that many parents vowed never to say…and yes, now they say them. I'm pretty sure you'll identify with them...I know I do!

#1 - Because I said so.

#2 - No one ever said life was fair.

#3 - If you don't like it you can live somewhere else.

#4 - What part of no don't you understand?

#5 - If your friends jumped off a bridge would you do it too?

#6 - Don't give me that look!

#7 - Don't make me ask you again!

#8 - You'll understand when you're a parent.

#9 - Look at me when I'm talking to you.

#10 - You're in so much trouble when your father gets home.

Ever caught yourself saying one of these things? Funny how we end up saying things we always swore we never would say to our kids. Apparently parenting brings on some form of insanity and we lose control.

Have any additions to the list? Feel free to share them.

Welcome! I'm hoping that many of my other readers will take the time to check out this new blog - Parents R Us. As a parent myself, I'm always looking for great advice, tips, conversation, and helpful hints. Well, that's exactly what you're going to find right here.

This week we'll be getting started with this new blog for parents. If you have great parenting topics you'd like to hear about, let me know. I'm excited about this blog and can't wait to get going. So, stay tuned...we're about to begin.