The past two days have been spent treasuring time with my husband and children.
We haven’t left the house. No yoga. No shopping. No returns. (Okay, I did get my nails done… but there has to be some kind of minor exceptions for a girl! ;)
Just us. Finding our path again. Cuddling with our children. Special dinners for four. Reminding ourselves and our babies how very special family is and should always be.
Perfect. Overdue. Necessary.
~K
So grateful today for safe travels and for having a foundation worth returning to.
Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home.
-- Mother Teresa
~K
Starting to get it. To play. To hug. To giggle. To love. To romp. To wrestle. To converse. To love. To be.
When I grow up I want to be a little boy. ~Joseph Heller, Something Happened, 1974
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful boys.
~K
Experiencing his first snowflake with his grandma.
“A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement…”
- Rachel Carson
~K
Merry Christmas
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
-- Calvin Coolidge
~K
Christmas Eve.
Snowflakes falling gently from the sky and carols cheerfully serenading from each speaker. Traditions proceed, yet this year, they feel more like obligations- lacking their usual excitement and at times desperately painful as evidenced by the strained look on our faces as we go through the motions.
For this year there are too many noticeable voids among the shiny silver bells. Vacant seats and vacant eyes, replaced with only memories and wistful tears.
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What’s the positive and peace about today? The peace in today, after the fact, lies in the truth. The truth is that each person made an individual choice to show up, and sometimes showing up is the hardest part. The positive is that a group of people, – family - , found a way to come together during difficult times, and in the midst of such, were able to find comforting smiles, share special moments together and enjoy authentic smiles.
For that’s what they all would want. And that’s what these traditions have always been about.
~K
Their excitement is palpable.
Their eyes are gleaming.
Their belief is genuine.
Trying to enjoy these moments, this anticipation, their faces and voices and sweet little beings.
The only thing better than being a kid at Christmas… is being a mom.
~K
Today, I am so grateful for a special three year old in my life.
Time flies. So often I want it to slow down. Even stop for a moment. But this is impossible.
And so for today…. I will enjoy and appreciate every. single. special. moment. of my perfectly perfect, amazing and curious, beautiful birthday boy.
Happy Birthday, Baby Boy! Mommy loves you too much.
~K
Tomorrow morning, I will share coffee with my grandmother.
It may be some of my best holiday moments.
We’ve lost too many family members this year. Too many people who were too important to us who are no longer here.
She is here. She means the world to me and always has. We’re having coffee tomorrow. And probably cheese and donuts. We’ll laugh holding hands. She’ll warn me of any latest health scares she’s heard of. We’ll look at pictures of the kids.
I am so grateful for her. For our moments together. And for our morning to come.
~K
Grateful today for a long car ride with two children.
Grateful today for a long car ride with two children, dry roads and a safe arrival at our destination.
A very appreciated gift…
~K
We have finally arrived at our destination. We are excited and tired and ready and weary and anxious and grateful.
It’s time to rest and enjoy. Focus on peace and positivity. Create the space and surroundings for which you want your experience and the experience of your children to be.
We are finally here. Let there be peace and rest and joy. Let the season begin.
~K
I parked my car today and as I got out, I saw a bumblebee.
Instantly, I knew it was my moment for the day and felt such gratitude. I stopped and watched it for a few seconds. I took a deep breath of the fresh warm air and then moved on with my holiday hustle.
I love seeing bumblebees in December.
~K
Tonight we attended our daughter’s holiday performance.
Tonight I watched my child flourish and smile.
Tonight I watched my child blossom and make others smile.
Tonight I watched my baby assimilate with a group of children and adults as an individual among a group.
Tonight, I watched a shining star… and was so proud to call her mine.
~K
I found this quote by Oren Arnold. Isn’t it wonderful?
Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.
-- Oren Arnold
I love this. Absolutely love this.
~K
Tis’ the season… remember and enjoy it to the fullest.
Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.
-- Hamilton Wright Mabie
~K
Thoughts for the week. Most of us spend our holidays, some of the busiest times of year, with family, with friends and extended families and extended friends. It’s not uncommon to have overscheduled days and overbooked schedules. With all of these factors, it is possible to create an atmosphere where not only tensions but also excitements are running high.
Virginia Satir was a noted American Author and therapist. I found this quote by her and thought it held great power and importance every day of the year, but especially during the busiest and most special of times when what we all really want is to truly be able to recognize and to appreciate the hustle and the hurry, the busy and the bustle.
Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible — the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family. - Virginia Satir
~K
Cold weather. Gray day.
We closed up the house, made a pot of chili, watched movies by the fire, popped popcorn, taught chess, built things, caught up… on housework and each other.
All of a sudden the cold, gray day was just what we needed. The perfect day to slow down and connect with each other.
~K
Today a very special little boy had a celebration. It’s almost his birthday and the day was all about him. I am so appreciative of the many friends and family who were so kind to take a minute out of the busyness of their schedules and the season to join to celebrate our sweetheart.
Happy almost Birthday, my precious boy. I am so grateful for you in my life.
~K
We took the children to the ballet this evening. We’re not typically ballet people, and weren’t sure how they’d hold up, but the Nutcracker was showing and a sweet dear friend had generously offered us tickets.
Here’s to a thoughtful dear friend, awesome local art, unbelievable talent, beautiful storylines, amazing music and a fantastic night together, - going out on a limb, trying something new and enjoying our time together.
~K
Tis’ the season …. for my head to spin with to do lists that litter each counter of my home.
Tis’ the season …. for me to miss my daughter’s end of the semester performance over a blown out of proportion argument about, of all things, a turtleneck.
Tis’ the season … to buy gifts with thought for everyone in my life and to then sacrifice on my spouse, the most important person in my life because it’s too much.
Tis’ the season … to be consistently a week late on my day to day blog.
Tis’ the season … to spend two weekends in a row on a calls to India, pulling my hair out in frustration with computer virus specialists.
Tis’ the season … to organize neighborhood events, volunteer in classrooms, promise delivery on school supplies, entertain guests, host play dates, assure attendance for meetings, secure healthy dinners and deliver dozens of cookies.
Tis’ the season … to be scattered and short with those dearest, to not understand or even desire to find the time or attention for relaxation and fellowship.
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Tis’ the season, yes. Sure, some of this insanity is part of the season and the hustle and the bustle that makes it all so special, but I want to take this season and try to incorporate some changes.
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What I intend to focus on changing this particular season is my outlook, my actions and my reactions during the hustle and bustle. I am trying to feel positivity and calmness more than hectic and flustered; I am trying to be forgiving more than demanding. I am trying to do better and to be more present in the moment- and enjoying all of the special moments of the season.
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And so… with that in mind…..
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Tis’ the season for Peace, Love, Forgiveness, Understanding and Joy. Today I am grateful for these thoughts to enter my mind and for the hope that they stay there a while longer each day and linger.
~K
"I do not know what the most important lesson is that I will ever teach my children, Kate, Emma Claire and Jack. I do know that when they're older and telling their own children about their grandmother, they will be able to say that she stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her away -- and it surely has not -- she adjusted her sails."
- Elizabeth Edwards
Rest in Peace, Elizabeth. Thank you for modeling your amazing grace to not only your children but to the women and children of this world.
~K
It was the middle of the night. I had been tossing and turning and had just fallen into a not so sound sleep. I rolled over and saw her face. A surprise, as she doesn’t come into our room too often anymore.
‘I’m having trouble sleeping, mommy.’
‘Well, me too,’ I mumbled. ‘Get on in.’
It was a cold night. She hopped in and snuggled up, sharing a pillow and fell soundly asleep. I was almost back to sleep myself when he woke up and his bare feet padded into the room. He needed a fresh drink, a change of diaper and wanted to sleep with us. My husband got him settled and moved him into the middle, next to his sister, between the two of us. He quickly fell asleep. I rolled over, wrapped my arm around the little one closest to me and then heard a tap, tap, tap on my floors. And then felt a “thuump!” at my feet. The dog. Joining our late night party.
And there we all lay. I tried to go back to sleep, but instead, I found myself spending most of the night enjoying this rare moment. Everyone cuddled together. Peaceful and resting. Finding the safety and comfort of Five in the Bed.
~K
Thinking of Elizabeth Edwards today and learning from her positivity. Below is her statement released today after being given only weeks left to live.
"You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces – my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human.
"But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know."
And yet… still finding gratitude.
May we all learn from this beautiful, strong woman and the way she has carried herself with positivity and dignity and grace.
I am grateful for her.
~K
My girl went on a date today. Without me. Or her dad.
She went with four of her friends. (And their parents) She got all dressed up. She waited at the door for them to come. She was ready 15 minutes early.
She spread out and did well. She was ready and excited and had so much fun. I’m so grateful and proud.
We have a great relationship with her friend’s parents. They do things as we would also do. There is a strong trust. They were the perfect people to help my girl experience additional independence. For them, I am also so grateful.
Our boy got some special time with just his mommy and daddy while she was gone. Some time he, too, deserves and enjoyed.
Playdates with friends. Growing independence. Special times at home.
A wonderful winter day.
~K
I went to yoga today for the first time in a bit.
I’ve been significantly under the weather.
I didn’t have time for the whole class, but showed up early and stayed through 20 minutes in.
It was worth every one of those twenty minutes.
I’m back in the saddle. And very grateful.
~K
It’s the simple things.
Ending the week with a family dinner date with good friends.
Kids catching up with crayolas, knock knock jokes and giggles.
Adults catching up with wine, tales of the week and giggles.
Dinner Date with Friends on a Friday. Perfect ending to the week and a beautiful start to the weekend.
~K
I am so grateful for the smiles that one particular naked biker gives me each day.
He circles my house in his blue Harley, sans pants… and sometimes with a snake in hand.
He and his bike are loud and often destructive.
Today, I am grateful for my Naked Biker and the endless joy with which he provides me.
~K
It’s 6:15am.
The house is dark and quiet.
For just a moment anyway.
Within seconds there is screaming that awakens us both.
“HEY GUYS! HAPPY FIRST DAY OF DECEMBER!”
Our children are awake. They are squealing in delight. For no other reason other than it is 12/1. The beginning of a month. And this is the enthusiasm in which they wake up.
I am so grateful for the joy they bring to our lives. Even when it’s at 6:15am.
~K
My little girl heard a recording of another little girl singing yesterday. She had a beautiful voice. My six year old said she was ‘jealous’ of the girl with the angelic voice. Jealous, she said, because she couldn’t sing like that, but would love to.
It was time for a talk and so we sat down and discussed a few details. Details about ability, motivation, determination and attitude. Spoken well below with the words of Lou Holtz.
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."
Lou Holtz
I hope she learns and remembers what we all need to remember: that motivation and determination are huge components in achieving our goals and the attitude of which you handle any task certainly changes the outcome.
~K
Fun… fall memories….
Frolicking in the fallen leaves….
My neighbor came home to me taking pictures and commented that these were the most photographed children in town…
Fine with me. :)
~K
I spent Thanksgiving with my great big mixed up happy family.
Kind of like a Brady Bunch of two individually intact families. Maybe it doesn’t make sense.
But no family really makes sense, now does it?
Allow me to borrow the words of Erma Bombeck below.
The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.
This quote describes us well. It makes me smile each time I read it. This Thanksgiving, this year, we did as we only know.
What began with ten of us: three boys, three girls, four adults and -- no idea where this would take us, 20 years later, and now over 25 of us, we now know. We congregate… coming from far and wide… bringing spouses, offspring, who are now friends and who call themselves cousins. New generations of one big mixed up happy family.
And I am so grateful for each of them in my life. And for these beautiful Thanksgiving memories being shared among several generations. Each person has so much positive to offer, different mixes of people freely mingling and catching up while catching rays in our special spot of the world.
It is something so rare, so beautiful and for which I am so grateful.
One of these days, I will get everyone together for a wild and crazy, mixed up picture of love and thanks. And for that I will be extremely grateful. But, as I said… we are a strange little band of characters….. and in time…. we’ll figure it out. Don’t hold your breath.
~K
Today was ‘Decorating Day’ at our home. No, that’s not a spelling error. It is intentionally capitalized. An event. Our tradition. About 5 years strong now.
It starts with cinnamon sticks simmering on the stove. Warm breakfast rolls and carols playing on the house speakers. Boxes from the attic unveiling lights, stockings, the tree and decorations. No bad attitudes allowed.
The day goes on until evening when the entire house looks and smells of Christmas. We build a fire and enjoy.
I’ve always loved this day, but the greatest part is now my kids have started to dub this their ‘favorite day of the year’ and wake up with equal excitement and anticipation.
I love that we are starting our own traditions. Making memories, enjoying special times,…. creating lasting effects.
~K
My parents have been married 39 years. Thirty nine years is a lifetime together.
Through the ups and downs, I’m grateful that they have created something of which so many of us all live and build a family beneath.
“A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year."
~Paul Sweeney quotes
Happy Anniversary.
~K
Simple and Special. I have so very much to be grateful for.
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Happy Thanksgiving.
~K
It was February 26, 2004. I called my dear friend to share the news. We’d met the day before and as she left, we hugged and I promised I’d call her as soon as I knew. She was at the top of my list, people to call as soon as we knew the sex of my baby.
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No answer. Again and again. No answer.
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Over the next few hours I called until finally a strange voice answered her phone. Answered and told me she was gone. She’d passed away that night. 30 years old. Healthy. My sweet friend. Shocking. Incomprehensible.
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She still sits in a moment in time, smiling in my wallet. My Joy. I close my eyes and hear her laugh and smile.
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Almost 6 years ago since that day. I kept in touch with her family for some time. Her mom and I wrote letters back and forth, holiday cards and notes. I think it may have helped us both.
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I often wonder how her parents move forward each day. Her mom and I no longer exchange regular letters, but we keep in touch via facebook. I opened my computer to see she’d updated her ‘status’ on Thanksgiving.
This woman, who lost her baby girl on the same day I knew I was having a baby girl somehow shares with her world…
"Life isn't about how you survived the storm, it's about how you danced in the rain."
Amazing. Keep dancing….she would be so proud. You are an inspiration.
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Thoughts for today… because most of our days are really easy to dance through.
~K
Talking to a dear friend, she commented on my blog. We talked about how my 365 days were almost over and what changes I’ve seen doing this project and how I felt about continuing or otherwise.
She then said to me, “I’ve read every day, you know.”
I thanked her and she went on to say, “I promised myself from the beginning that if you were going to take the time to write each day for 365 days then I was going to take the time to be sure I read each day for 365 days.”
I was blown away. And so appreciative. For this boost she gave to me, for this project, for having the love of writing and for having friends like this that have such faith in me and a genuine interest in what craziness comes out of my mixed up mind each day.
~K
I saw an advertisement for this beach area where this picture was taken. The quotation describing the area was,
“Fifty Shades of Blue!”
While I may be biased… I think this picture of my beautiful beach babies basking in the blue waters… could fit their advertisement just perfectly.
Bliss.
~K
My beautiful beach boy! Look at that smile! He is perfect and sweet, kind and curious, gorgeous and smart, thoughtful and genuine.
I look at this child and am always so grateful. With each of his beautiful smiles and sparkling chocolate eyes, I am forever in love.
~K
She is full of pure joy…and provides me with just as much.
May she always carry herself so happily and always retain this joy in her heart and in her spirit.
How fortunate I am to have this bundle of joy in my life. I am in awe of her light and am forever in amazement and astonishment that she is ours.
~K
Complainers. Some people just complain. They complain if the weather is too hot, they complain if the weather is too cold. They complain about friends, work, life, sports….everything. These people simply exude negativity and this becomes in essence their personality.
I’m not even sure that it’s a conscious choice but rather, perhaps, the way they have unknowingly trained themselves to operate.
I am not exempt from this but want to consciously try to untrain myself of any of this. To remember that for the most part, our lives are so positive and filled with so much to be grateful for. To know that my happiness each day is a choice and generally one that I have a great deal of control over. I want to surround myself with others who share this view, to practice ways of living which encourage these beliefs and to monitor my personal outlook so that it doesn’t in turn affect my character.
~K
"Dwell not on the past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onwards you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed.
"Eile...en Caddy
1917-2006, Spiritual Teacher and Author
Someone I know posted the above quote on facebook. The interesting thing is that this person, specifically, who is using this quote to guide her life today has been recently permanently disabled in an completely random and unexpected accident which left her permanently and suddenly blind. She has a four year old daughter whom she can no longer see.
With this in mind, I focus on this quote today not only because of it’s ability to uplift and to be positive, which it certainly does, but rather, to focus on perspective… we’re all dealt hands we didn’t expect. The perspective we take , this goes to show, is what moves us forward or keeps us stagnant.
Thoughts for today.
~K
An interesting thought. Driving today, my daughter, who is six, expressed interest in the art museum. We agreed from the front seat that this was a great idea and was something we should experience ‘one of these days’.
“You guys say that always, ‘one of these days’. But why not today? Today is a day and we have time now…why not now?”
Well, there were a few reasons why, which were legitimate and we also try not to have our children determine our days or schedules completely, so don’t misunderstand. Her point, however, was interesting to me. How many things do we say we’ll do ‘one of these days’? Every now and then maybe we should consider today and now, to be the absolute perfect time.
~K
Today was gorgeous. I could not soak enough of it up. We stayed outside forever. Picnics. Bike rides. Walks along rivers.
I was intent on fully soaking up the beautiful smells the warm fall day, the fresh air blowing through the pines and filtering into the open windows of my home. I spent the day determined to fully absorb the remaining wonderful hours of a weekend that was passing way too fast.
~K
Fantastic. Football. Friends. Firewood. Food. Fall. Fun.
~K
I forgot my camera. Words will have to do.
We took what we thought was a weird chance tonight with the kids and some good friends.
We took a bizarre chance and drove into the country and went to a little backwoods bbq of sorts. We were certainly hesitant. There was minimal advertisement. Go out of town, look close for a field on the left. You’ll know you’re there when you see the handwritten cardboard sign indicating the impending festivities. It may take a few times going back and forth. It’s a small piece of cardboard.
We weren’t sure and certainly had a “Plan B”… dinner at our favorite Asian restaurant. Candlelit tables and yummy fresh veggies sautéed just right. Sushi rolls and curry pot stickers waiting for us on the other side of town.
I started to wonder as we drove into the cold night searching for our cardboard sign, tired and weary kids in the back, what we were thinking and then my mind wandered to if the wait at our restaurant would be long by the time we turned around and made it back downtown.
And then we got there. And it wasn’t too cold after all. We ate- there were 8 of us and our total was $20.00! Delicious, homemade, country food, different choices at each spot in the lot. We sampled food in the grass while the kids ran around laughing. There was a band playing country music and classic rock under a tent. Our kids took up the entire dance floor, which was grass of course… and the band took notice and switched it up to The Monkees, “I’m a Believer”… not because of the Monkees but because of our kids dancing in the grass in front. “I’m a Believer” is also the Shrek theme song and the kids went wild! Song after song, they’d hand us their bbq and then they breakdanced their little baby booties off under the moonlight while we smiled and watched and sometimes joined in.
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I forgot my camera. I wasn’t anticipating such fun. I was probably too busy thinking about my pot stickers and Plan B.
But while I was thinking and prepping so much for plan B, Plan A turned out to be the best weird chance we’d taken in a while.
I am so grateful for our friends, who love to take these odd chances with us and for family who is willing to just check things out and make fun in bizarre moments. Who’d have thought breakdancing in the moonlight at a bbq festival would have been such fun on a Friday n ight? We all left with full tummies, happy hearts and beautiful memories.
~K
I waited on today’s post, trying to figure out the right words to say. I thought and thought, went back and forth and at the end of the day am going to suffice with a very simple and heartfelt appreciation for all veterans, but with special love to my two grandfathers who are my two special veterans.
Thank you for your commitment, your sacrifice, your bravery and your love. I so very much appreciate you.
~K
I saw this the other day and laughed out loud. I knew it had a spot here. She should be writing this blog! Enjoy “Jessica’s Daily Affirmation.” If it doesn’t become one of the high points of your day I’d be surprised.
~K
Little hands making turkey feathers…. all make for a happy mama today.
~K
My son is sick. He is just little. But he’s going
to be just fine.
That’s the bottom line here today and what I am the most genuinely grateful for. It is all that matters at the end of a day.
He’s had a cold for a couple of weeks. It seemed to be lingering. We have insurance and it’s a minimal co-pay and so on Friday I took him to the doctor, just to be on the safe side. Probably overreacting, I thought.
‘I think it’s just a cold’…. the pediatrician told me. She then proceeded to hand me a paper prescription, ‘just in case it looks like it’s turning into a sinus infection over the weekend. But I really think he’s going to be just fine.’
I left, with a peace of mind, feeling just a tad bit silly at overreacting. I hastily folded the paper script, threw it into the bottom of my purse and went on with my weekend.
The weekend came and went. It seemed she was right and his cold was getting better. His nose wasn’t runny at all anymore! No fever, chills, vomiting…. all very good signs by anyone’s checklist. Lots of coughing though. Lots and lots of coughing. I dug out the paper prescription, filled it and started it just in case. Something still didn’t feel right. I call the on call nurse, available to me 24 hours a day through my pediatrician’s office.
“Coughing is good,” she sweetly tells me over the phone. “Please remember to wash your children’s hands and use lysol around the home. He’ll be fine… it’s just the end of the cold, I believe.”
The nagging in my gut persisted. Today I took him back in, and for a minimal co-pay it was worth me again, surely overreacting, but thankfully, getting one more go to look with the doc.
We waited patiently. She listened to my baby’s chest. I could see a look of, while not panic, certainly concern come over her face.
“Walking pneumonia.” she said matter of factly. “There’s a serious infection in his lungs. He’s going to be just fine and you’ve seen the worst of it. It’s a really good thing you started him on the antibiotic 2 days ago. This is really what has made the difference.”
A good mom, right? I knew something was wrong and now my baby will be safe. Ta-da!
I went to bed comfortable in this thought and the most grateful for the bottom line- my baby could have been far more seriously ill at this point and rather, he will be just fine now.
It’s hardly a ‘good mom’ though. Lots of people would be okay thinking this and taking the credit. But this is where I believe they are so genuinely wrong. The truth of it is that I am a good mom with an exceptional support system.
I wondered as I tossed and turned in the bed… those two ‘overreacting’ doctor visits, which cost me a grand total of $30.00 in co-pays,…. I wonder if I would have had to pay out of pocket what these would have cost, if I would have been as proactive or if I’d have either chosen or forced to choose to take a ‘wait and see’ approach.
A wait and see approach would have my boy in a hospital bed tonight and rather, he’s tucked in sweetly sleeping… healing… dreaming… in his footed car pajamas.
I wonder what ‘choice’ I would have made. My heart knows the answer and it terrifies me.
While I am so beyond grateful tonight that my baby is safe, my heart breaks for the other ‘good moms’ who can’t afford to overreact when their gut instinct tells them that perhaps they should.
We need to think about health care. It shouldn’t be about this. We should all have the ability to take care of all of our babies…. not just the ones in car pajamas whose ‘good moms’ have good insurance.
Food for thought- for today….
~K
“All of our dreams can come true….if we have the courage to pursue them.”
~Walt Disney
Sweet child, may you always dream big. May you always feel confident, brave, self assured and strong, my little one. And may I always have the knowledge, strength and ability to do my job to help you get there.
~K
I took my little girl a
Thirty little piggies.
Three smiling faces.
Three little girls feeling so very special on a Saturday morning.
Flowers on their toes. Pinks and purple polishes.
Perfect Little Piggies.
~K
And so my crabbiness continued as the gray outside wore on. I wasn’t feeling much positivity and without the help of some warm air and the sunshine, everything seemed to be going in the wrong direction and I needed to shake it.
Then there were three people… in no particular order and none of which I know well, certainly nowhere near well enough for any of them to know my gray day funk. Each of them at separate moments in the day said the kindest words… each about something different, but each to me.
And wouldn’t you know? It makes the largest difference.
I will try this today- it’s amazing the power of a positive word. And to think it costs nothing and requires such minimal effort.
Thank you to these three people, who without knowing it, brightened someone else’s day with their goodness.
~K
It’s a cold and rainy day today. Winter is approaching and quicker than I’d like. I’m a hot weather kind of girl. This cold gray yuck does nothing for my mood and really gets to me… not in a good way.
Today though I found a fix. My little guy and I braved the elements and went to the store for all the ingredients we needed to make vegetable beef stew. Homemade.
We came home and he pulled up a stool. We talked while I chopped and he ate fresh vegetables. We browned the meat and deglazed the pan. We added and poured, tasted and stirred and then we sat back and waited, simply enjoying the comforting aroma that began to sear pleasantly through our home.
The rainbow of vegetables simmering on the stove, a reminder of dinner waiting for us, of the promise of an evening where the four of us could reunite at our kitchen table to laugh and to talk about our days over this deliciousness- certainly proved to be a wonderful high point of an otherwise gray day.
~K
A few weeks ago, my daughter, who is six, for the first time noticed that two women friends of ours were a couple. We’ve been friends with these ladies for some time, but I guess she saw things differently now because she found it odd. She told them so. To their face. With me standing there. While this was certainly an uncomfortable moment, my friend and I laughed it off with no hard feelings, yet I found myself sad as she walked away.
What saddened me is this was the point I knew was coming. I knew that eventually society would spill over… the ‘norms’, the stereotypes, the ‘oddities’.
Well, no time like the present, right? We sat down, my little girl and I and we had a talk. It’s a talk I hope she and her brother both engrain into her soul and what I will share today. It will become your character, this lesson, I told her.
Judge people based only upon WHO they are, for what KIND of person they are, for what kind of FRIEND they are, NEIGHBOR they are and based only upon their CHARACTER.
Easy enough, really and the rest simply doesn’t matter.
If my children learn nothing else after living in this home with us, I do hope this is a lesson that they carry with them forever.
It would make me proud.
~K
I love days off school.
Cuddles in bed until we are ready to stop. Running in the yard with no worries about bedtime or packed lunches. No one to answer to. Nowhere to be.
Just my babies and me.
Nothing makes me more relaxed or content. I absolutely love it.
~K
For Fall. Halloween. Pumpkins. Tricks. Treats. For all of the goodness and giggles that went along with this wonderful weekend.
Too easy…. and isn’t that wonderful?
~K
So many things to be thankful and grateful for today. I could easily go with the obvious. My husband was on a flight from Dubai to DC on Friday evening and is now home safely. My little boy is now smiling again, understanding that his dad did not, in fact, disappear forever. My spirited and smiling little girl never fails to make me proud. My mother in law arrived home safely, yet I’m sure exhausted after coming to help this week. How can I choose? So much goodness in abundance- so much I am so grateful for.
And yet… while all of these are givens, none of this was my chosen ‘moment’ for the day. Yesterday was a long day. We’d greeted Daddy home, trick or treated, bathed face painted babies, cleaned up the house… it was evening and I’d put both kids and their very jet lagged Daddy to bed. After turning off the lights, I slowly headed up the stairs for bed. One hand on the rail, another carrying the last load of things to be put away into little bedrooms and it was then I realized something.
My hand was sticking to the hand rail. The wooded hand rail going upstairs to the bedrooms was as sticky as a jar of jam. ‘You must be kidding me’, I thought, followed by ‘What in the hell is this??’ in my mind.
Then I remembered. I let the kids eat caramel apples on the floor of our room this afternoon. Their daddy was resting. They wanted to be near. They were kind and appreciative and as careful, apparently, as a 2 and 6 year old could be. And they left the remains of these happy moments stuck to my handrail.
Rather than being irritated, I smiled. I smiled at the babies living in my house, now sound asleep. I am grateful for the moments that led to the handrail’s current condition and I am so appreciative of the tired little sticky happy family that lives under this roof with me.
And that is the goodness I am most appreciative of today. Sticky handrails headed to bed. The point is that it’s so much more than that. And I absolutely love it.
~K
So excited today about the glitch resolved in my computer. No, I wasn’t being simply lazy being a week behind. I’d write a post, click publish, and nothing would happen. I’d try again. The same. Over and over. For days. Today, it is resolved. And I'm back in business. Apologies to those of who being flooded with my ‘five backlogged days of positivity’. But here’s one more…. today, I am overjoyed with the fix!
…. oh, and here’s to positive thoughts for returning travel which goes safely and smoothly. I am simply giddy at the thought of seeing my husband soon and even moreso at seeing the lit up face of my eight days sad two year old, who simply did not have the capacity to understand time, work trips or locations, upon soon being able to reunite with his Daddy Boo. That will be priceless.
~K
Halloween Party of Four. My babies and I. Plus a grandma. Making lemonade, so to speak, in the form of pumpkin seeds, caramel apples, carving kits, spider webs and a warm fall evening.
Why not?
Why not celebrate?
Why not enjoy?
Why not make beautiful memories together?
~K
Written on my driveway today….
Pretty much sums things up. Noticing the good. Appreciating happiness and positivity.
Hold on to this spirit, my girl… sometime between now and adulthood we tend to lose it. Hold on tight and always remember to notice and appreciate happy days.
~K
While today certainly isn’t the best day I’ve had this month, by far, I am very aware of a long list of many things I am beyond grateful for today.
I am grateful for rested pilots, working machinery, cooperating weather, kind travelers and a safe arrival for my husband, across the world, where he will be… for a short time, but for a much longer time than I am comfortable with.
I am appreciative of a house that is a home in which to nurture my children and to help them know that all is okay and safe from now until their life can resume to normalcy.
I am thankful for friends and neighbors, who are a phone call away and who understand without explanation.
I am so glad I have my yoga, and amazed at how it somehow is able to bring me back to where I need to be and fill my soul with goodness, thought and strength.
I am absolutely indebted to a grandmother…. who will fly, exhausted, to spend time with not her son, but her daughter-in-law and her grandchildren…. to help make the days, the schedule and the void so much easier.
Yes, much to be crabby about today, but far more to be appreciative of.
~K
Sometimes there’s no words required. When was the last time you rolled down a hill? Such fun.
~K
“Tough times never last, but tough people do”-
Robert H. Schuller
I wish I could say I found this myself, being as appropriate and as valuable a statement as it is. I didn’t. Stole it from a girl on facebook. I loved it so much I thought I’d share here.
~K
I take yoga. Sometimes daily. As often as I can. I have found my favorite yoga instructor and there I sit, like a sponge, soaking up all she has to say, to demonstrate, to teach.
Below is a quote she ends each class with and one I try to remember more and more each day. I think it holds a lot of truth and is important to at least hear once.
Enjoy- allowing me to share a moment of my yogaliciousness today.
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
~K
I see the Moon… the moon sees me….
I was unwinding from the day, relaxing in a hot bathtub. From where I was I could see out of my window… this new window, this newly remodeled bathroom, the reward of many months of renovations… a material possession, if you will, this bathroom, and certainly something I could live without-- but also a luxury that I appreciate daily. Looking out from this special spot of mine was when I found another wonderful surprise.
Through the cracks of the wooden blinds I looked out and saw a dark night sky and a bright white full moon. It was breathtakingly beautiful, perfectly exposed through the small slit and was a moment of the day I instantly knew I wanted to remember for as long as I could.
A daily sight, I suppose… the moon. But for me, on this night, it was a moment to recognize, to remember and to appreciate.
~K
“I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.” - Walt Disney
Interesting and so true.
~K
“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart.. I’ll always be with you.”
-- Winnie the Pooh
With love…. ~K
“The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else which makes you unique.” ~Walt Disney
~K
Making memories to not soon forget…. Nonny and her grandchildren….
“Too many people grow up. They forget. They don’t remember what it’s like to be 12 years old.” - Walt Disney
~K
“All of your dreams can come true if you only have the courage to pursue them.”
– Walt Disney
Up until this moment, Cinderella’s castle was only something in books and at the beginning of movies….
~K
“All of our dreams can come true… if we have the courage to pursue them.” - Walt Disney
A trip to Disney and so it seemed fitting for a few days full of beautiful photos and delightful quotes from Mr. Disney himself.
~K
Here’s to a day with safe travels. New tires. Movies. Seatbelts. Snacks. More laughs than meltdowns. Excitement and enthusiasm. Anticipation and glee.
Grateful for these moments. Grateful for the ability to take these moments and to make these moments.
~K
“When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.”
~Joyce Brothers
A day spent with family. Sushi. Beautiful weather. A long weekend. A lazy Sunday.
My favorite kind of days.
~K
“Football is an incredible game. Sometimes it’s so incredible, it’s unbelievable.” ~Tom Landry
Today was an incredible day.
~K
We went to dinner with friends tonight. I was feeling crummy. The kids were waiting for me. I was feeling uptight. My husband was getting home from work and getting into the car. I was cranky.
And then I reminded myself that this was a choice. A choice within me and that I had the power to direct this evening with my behavior.
……………………………….
We had a beautiful night.
So often we have choices. The choices we make do make a difference.
~K
“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.”
- Anonymous
The happiness of an engagement today… moments like these remind me of all the pure goodness left in the world and that which remains within each of us.
~K
I was at the gym yesterday. I drug myself there, lazily forcing myself to get on the treadmill and run. And then on the elliptical. After the cardio, I took it further and went over to the area to stretch and work on some yoga.
There I was, pouring in sweat, so proud of myself like I’d split the atom or something… like I’d accomplished some great feat, making it to the gym another day.
I was actually upside down, working on yoga when ‘it’ happened. Red faced and inverted, sweat dripping up my face, I saw a man headed to the elevator lifting an arm weight. And then, because of my ‘angle’, I only saw his bottom half as he was getting onto the elevator. As the doors of the elevator closed in front of him, it was his two prosthetic legs, donned in running shoes that I saw.
And all of this put my cardio and my headstand and my big deal of attending the gym another day…. into full perspective.
All I have to do was show up and move each day. How silly I was to even think there was anything more to it.
~K
“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”
~Confucius
My little man and I went to music class today. We laughed and danced. We shook eggs, he played the drums. He sat in my lap and we sang songs together. We had 45 minutes of just the two of us.
45 of my favorite minutes of the day.
“When I approach a child she inspires me in two sentiments; tenderness for what she is and respect for what she may become.”
~Louis Pasteur
This little girl holds my heart. I am forever grateful for being here, being present, while she and her brother completely amaze and inspire me daily. ~K
Well, here I am, some 200 and some days into my “Peace of Mind 365” and I find myself slacking. I get behind a day or two here and there. I beat myself up over this. Well, I used to.
Now, I get to it, keep an idea each day of what it is I’m so grateful for – and really, it’s so much more than just one thing each day.
And then…. I realize and remember the point of this place. I prioritize my time and if that means I’m doing a post for October 2nd on October 4th because I shamelessly spent a wonderful weekend soaking in all that my family and I could soak, then I will do just that. I forgive myself for the tardiness and remind myself of what this little ‘place’ is supposed to be teaching me. I’m not sure I would have so easily done so 9 months ago. However, the lesson is now learned- prioritize, forgive yourself and know that there’s nothing wrong with being shamelessly selfish when it comes to time with your family. When this is right, the rest all seems to fall into place.
Ta-Da!
~K
This is what I see each morning. Quickly in passing. Stopping to sneak a morning kiss or to wipe a mouth or nose. Reminding one of table manners while sneaking a piece of fruit from the other’s plate.
I photographed it this morning, the two of them side by side. Big boy in his Sesame Street pants, Big Girl dressed all herself… bed head times two, morning chatter and giggles. I photographed it this morning in hopes that this picture helps me always remember and appreciate these everyday mornings, especially when they’re long gone. And I have a feeling that before I know it, I’ll walk down the stairs one day and wonder where they went and how they could have gone so fast.
~K
When it rains, it pours.
My day started with a visit from my electrician. $55.00 later and a more detailed estimate of needed work to come, my small lighting problem is only temporarily solved. Upon closer look under the house, there seems to be a leak. Make that two.
Two calls to plumbers, one afternoon visit and a $95.00 check later, the leaks under the house are fixed…. as is the loose ductwork that I didn’t know existed… and then my contractor shows up.
We just finished a home renovation and it now appears time to ‘tally up’. And as the day goes, the cost is, let’s just say, a good bit more than what we’d intended. As is life, I try to brush it off, keep focused and put my kids in the car to head to get my needed oil change.
Would you like your tires rotated, the round, tattooed, grease under his nails gentleman asks? It appears you declined before, he chides with a smile. It will just take fifteen minutes… and it’s only $24.99! And so I agree,- he seems friendly and knowledgeable and this has now left me feeling mighty responsible and proactive in my car care duties.
Forty minutes and $70.00 later I find there is a large problem with not only my brakes, but also my tires… and my alignment.
I pack the kids, head to the store where the tires were recently purchased because surely they’re still under warranty, right? Only to find out that they’re not under warranty, though the tire rotation I just paid $24.99 for would have been had I come to this place first. Nice to know.
I’ll pick my car up tomorrow. It’s going to cost more than the tire rotation. More than the plumber. More than the electrician. Probably more than my contractors ‘tallies’ even.
None of this storm was planned for today.
When it rains, it pours.
…………………………………………
And yet, I must let it rain. The reality is that, all of this will pass. I sat at dinner tonight with a husband with whom I have an amazing relationship and two of the most beautiful, considerate, kind, smart, healthy children in the world. These people are my family. And this is what has no cost, cannot be replaced and what is truly, the most important.
Rain away.
~K
Last night’s dinner. Veggies. Salad. Colorful. Without food coloring. Delicious.
I’m not perfect about the food I feed my family. But I do try. And when it works~ when we eat a rainbow of natural colors, it makes me smile, tastes fantastic and I sleep easier knowing what is in those teeny little bodies (and this not so teeny one) is safe and chemical free. On that note….
A little ‘food for thought’ quote here. Pun intended. :)
Chemicals, n: Noxious substances from which modern foods are made. ~Author Unknown
~K
It’s been raining on and off for a couple of days here.
The kids want to go outside and although it isn’t raining now, it is overcast and the roads are wet and full of puddles.
Which of course, calls for the necessity of rain boots.
Little moments… just because… laughing and playing …. making beautiful memories… splish, splash!!
~K
