I'm trying to keep up with blogging about gratitude on Fridays. I haven't had time until now to sit and write, so I'll make it brief.
1) Mary: I'm thankful that in the midst of all her feisty stubbornness, she still makes me laugh on a regular basis. This week she looked at me and said, "Mama, Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The thing is, Mary can't say the "th" sound, so it actually sounded like this, "Mama, Are you finkin' what I'm finkin'?" It took me a minute to figure out what she was saying, but when I did, I laughed! Who knows where she gets this stuff??
2) Gary: This is going to be an expression of gratitude that comes in through the back door, so just bear with me. Gary was gone Thursday night until pretty late. I got the kids from school, quickly made dinner and got them out the door for soccer practice. Came home from practice, got them all showered and pj'ed and tucked in bed. I was exhausted! That's when I thought about how very thankful I am for Gary!! There are many reasons, but this week I was reminded of how great it is that he comes home almost every night, eats with us, plays with the kids, and then gets them all to bed. Sometimes it takes having to do all that myself to remind me how blessed I am to have Gary helping me along on this journey called parenthood!
3) Caren: My dear friend, Caren, and I went to the movies this week. It was such a nice, unusual thing to be out at night with her, going to the movies!! Words cannot express all the ways in which I am thankful for Caren!! I also probably can't express (in words that would make sense to you) how much I love the movies!! Thanks, Caren! (And thanks, Water for Elephants!)
4) The Cupid Shuffle: One of my favorite moments this week (maybe this month) was watching Gregory and Ruthie teach Mary the Cupid Shuffle. They learned it at school. After they taught Mary, the three of them sang and danced together until I made them go to bed. I loved every precious minute of it! "To the right, to the right..... to the left, to the left.... now kick, now kick..... now walk it by yourself, now walk it by yourself...."
What are you thankful for this week???
Friday, May 13, 2011
Friday, May 06, 2011
Thankful for Gregory
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| 3 months |
Gregory is the child who made me a mother! Although there are days when I don't exactly embrace that title, there is nothing else I would rather be called! Gregory and I are so much alike! Everything from our slightly irrational (at times) anxiety to our love of all things chocolate.
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| 2 years |
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| 6 months |
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| 8 years |
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| 10 years |
Friday, April 29, 2011
Expressing Gratitude
Lately I've been struggling some -- for a variety reasons, about a variety of things. I'm working on finding peace, and living there. I know I am blessed, and I hesitate to complain about anything. Still, though, sometimes I feel dispirited. In response to this, I've decided to put more focus on the things for which I am thankful. So... I hereby declare Fridays as the days when I express my gratitude. I would love to hear from you, too, if you'd like to share your own gratitude list!
1. Sunday was Easter, so above all else this week, I have to say that I'm truly thankful that God sent his Son to earth to live among us and die for us! That sacrifice is one for which I will never be deserving, but will always be grateful!
2. Also regarding Easter, I'm very thankful for a day spent with family and dear friends. My brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Ann, are amazingly generous hosts, and continually show love to my family and me! Spending time with the Schmidts and the Valentins is a blessing all its own!
3. Monday, Gary took me to lunch! Mary was at the sitter, so we enjoyed some time to talk in the middle of the day. I sure like him a lot!! :)
3. This week I was so thankful to see the sun on Thursday, after so many days in a row of rain. Thursday evening we saw a rainbow, and Gregory said, "That rainbow is a promise from God."
5. Mary and I had a tea party this morning and watched the Royal Wedding! The significance was lost on her, but she enjoyed the scones I made and the water she drank from her Cinderella tea set. I dressed her in a dress for the occasion, and when I put it on her, she said, "I think I'm a princess." She's so smart! :)
And, of course, I'll always be grateful for these cutie-patooties (but please don't tell Gregory I called him that!!):
1. Sunday was Easter, so above all else this week, I have to say that I'm truly thankful that God sent his Son to earth to live among us and die for us! That sacrifice is one for which I will never be deserving, but will always be grateful!
2. Also regarding Easter, I'm very thankful for a day spent with family and dear friends. My brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Ann, are amazingly generous hosts, and continually show love to my family and me! Spending time with the Schmidts and the Valentins is a blessing all its own!
3. Monday, Gary took me to lunch! Mary was at the sitter, so we enjoyed some time to talk in the middle of the day. I sure like him a lot!! :)
3. This week I was so thankful to see the sun on Thursday, after so many days in a row of rain. Thursday evening we saw a rainbow, and Gregory said, "That rainbow is a promise from God."
5. Mary and I had a tea party this morning and watched the Royal Wedding! The significance was lost on her, but she enjoyed the scones I made and the water she drank from her Cinderella tea set. I dressed her in a dress for the occasion, and when I put it on her, she said, "I think I'm a princess." She's so smart! :)
And, of course, I'll always be grateful for these cutie-patooties (but please don't tell Gregory I called him that!!):
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| Ruthie, Mary and Gregory |
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Put down the candy!!
There's just too much Easter candy around here!
Here's the deal. Mary is really revving up the tantrums! She's throwing fits multiple times a day, and she is not very discriminatory as to the place (home, church, Whole Foods... all today!!). My plantar fasciitis is flaring up big time!! Running hurts, walking hurts, sitting here hurts! Ugh! The laundry is piling up, the house is definitely not cleaning itself, my brain is turning to mush, and guess what I'm doing? Yep! Eating Easter candy. That's what I'm saying:
There's just too much Easter candy around here!
Here's the deal. Mary is really revving up the tantrums! She's throwing fits multiple times a day, and she is not very discriminatory as to the place (home, church, Whole Foods... all today!!). My plantar fasciitis is flaring up big time!! Running hurts, walking hurts, sitting here hurts! Ugh! The laundry is piling up, the house is definitely not cleaning itself, my brain is turning to mush, and guess what I'm doing? Yep! Eating Easter candy. That's what I'm saying:There's just too much Easter candy around here!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Potty Training *UGH*
Isn't the third child supposed to potty train herself? Or can't the big kids just do it? I'm too old for this! Mary will be 3 in June. She's not even close to losing those diapers! In fact I don't think she's ever done anything remotely close to peeing or pooping in the potty. She enjoys playing with the cute little potty I gave her for Christmas, she just doesn't like to use it for its intended purpose. In fact, yesterday she wanted to watch Ruthie go, and afterwards I said, "Do you want to sit on the potty, Mary?" She responded with, "No thanks." Then after a short pause, she said, "Marys don't sit on potties." See what I'm dealing with?
About a month ago, I realized that Mary was not going to potty train herself and that no one else in the family was at all interested in the job. So, I ordered a book from Amazon called, "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" with the byline: "A Tested Method for Teaching Your Child Quickly and Happily". That sounded perfect for me. Quick and Easy. Imagine my disappointment when the book came in the mail and I realized that it was 179 pages of very small print and very few pictures. Shouldn't a book about toilet training in LESS THAN A DAY take no more than one hour to read? I guess I envisioned reading the book and then potty training Mary all in the same day!
Needless to say, I haven't read a single chapter of the book, and Mary is no closer to being a regular potty user. In fact, as of yesterday, she still thought anyone named Mary had no need to do anything except wait for a loving adult to change her diaper, because we all know (don't we?) that "Marys don't sit on potties"!
Any sage words of advice out there? I know I've potty trained two kids, but for this one, I'd just like a quick fix!
Good thing she's so cute!!
Friday, April 08, 2011
Great Ambitions v Small Success
I recently got a fortune cookie that said, "Do not let great ambitions overshadow small success." This one made me think. I thought about both halves. What are my great ambitions? What are the small successes? There are definitely days when I feel neither ambitious nor successful. I'm not sure which one makes me feel worse.
In thinking about it, though, I realize that I do have some long term goals. I want to run a marathon. I would like to have a strong marriage and a good relationship with my kids for the rest of my life. And I hope to make a significant difference in this world. These seem like good lifetime goals, that are not easy, but are attainable. Not really ambitious, though, right?
I've been thinking about the small successes too. While I don't always feel successful in my roles of wife and mother, I realize that if I'm paying attention, I can see the successes. The things that I do each day for my husband and kids are immeasurable in their impact. When I see and hear about the way my kids interact with each other and with the world around them, I know my work is not in vain. There are days that feel like just getting to the end of them, without any major problems, is a minor success all its own. When I think about the relationship that I have with Gary, and I know all the work that we've put into it, I can see the fruits of my labor (and his!).
So, do all the small successes add up to the realization of my great ambitions? Can I settle into the daily grind, celebrating the small things, and knowing that through them, I'm making a significant difference? Is it ok to just have attainable ambitions without being particularly ambitious? Will the recognition of the daily success stories make me feel more successful in general?
When it is all said and done, I hope that what I do each day, will bring me closer to my long term goals -- especially as I strive not to let the worry over my great ambitions overshadow all the small success in my life!
In thinking about it, though, I realize that I do have some long term goals. I want to run a marathon. I would like to have a strong marriage and a good relationship with my kids for the rest of my life. And I hope to make a significant difference in this world. These seem like good lifetime goals, that are not easy, but are attainable. Not really ambitious, though, right?
I've been thinking about the small successes too. While I don't always feel successful in my roles of wife and mother, I realize that if I'm paying attention, I can see the successes. The things that I do each day for my husband and kids are immeasurable in their impact. When I see and hear about the way my kids interact with each other and with the world around them, I know my work is not in vain. There are days that feel like just getting to the end of them, without any major problems, is a minor success all its own. When I think about the relationship that I have with Gary, and I know all the work that we've put into it, I can see the fruits of my labor (and his!).
So, do all the small successes add up to the realization of my great ambitions? Can I settle into the daily grind, celebrating the small things, and knowing that through them, I'm making a significant difference? Is it ok to just have attainable ambitions without being particularly ambitious? Will the recognition of the daily success stories make me feel more successful in general?
When it is all said and done, I hope that what I do each day, will bring me closer to my long term goals -- especially as I strive not to let the worry over my great ambitions overshadow all the small success in my life!
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Post-Oscar Post
Here are my thoughts on the Oscar results. (If you haven't read my other Oscar posts and want to, you can here and here). There were no surprises this year (in the major categories). While it can be exciting for someone unexpected to win, I always find myself feeling really badly for the person who is considered the shoe-in, and then doesn't win. The Nominated always talk about how they try not to listen to the press, or how they know that anyone could win at any given awards show, but I suspect that it's a different kind of disappointment when you're the "favorite" but not the winner.
The best picture win for The King's Speech made me really happy. I really loved that movie. (Right? You know that!). It's certainly Oscar bait, as they say, but I thought it was an amazing movie - definitely deserving of an Oscar. Colin Firth won best actor (yay!), but I do kind of wish Geoffrey Rush had won for best supporting (an "upset" that would've been ok with me, contrary to my previous paragraph!) While we're on the subject, I think I would've preferred an upset in the supporting actress category also. I picked Hailee Steinfeld, but I also loved the performance of Amy Adams. (Melissa Leo won. Maybe I need to change my stance on no surprises at the Oscars!) Natalie Portman was beyond amazing in the best actress category, and I'm really glad she won.
Ok, a few words on the Oscar telecast. There's been a lot of talk about the evening's hosts: Anne Hathaway and James Franco, and most of it is negative. I'm not really one to criticize, and this is no exception. Anne Hathaway's energy level was definitely about double James Franco's, but that seemed in keeping with their personalities. (This is off-topic, but I really enjoyed the fact that James Franco wore a huge cardigan sweater over his tux at the Independent Spirit Awards that were televised the night before the Oscars!! Did you see that?) I loved the movie montage that Anne and James did in the beginning, inserting themselves in to scenes from the best picture nominees (especially the True Grit part)! If you didn't see it, you can watch it on youtube. I will say, though, the Back to the Future part at the end was a little lame.
Since it's the thing to do, I'll also say a few words about the Oscar 2011 dresses!! If you would like to see People.com's picks for best dressed, click here. I had a hard time finding a worst dressed list, and maybe that should've been my cue to stick with the my claim of not being one to criticize (see above paragraph). I persevered, though, just in case you'd be disappointed in incomplete coverage of Oscar fashion! So, here's your list! Enjoy! I think it's funny that there are some dresses on both lists. My favorites were those dresses worn by Halle Berry, Hailee Steinfeld, and Nicole Kidman (Nicole's, btw, was on the worst list). I have to say that Natalie Portman (pregnant) and Penelope Cruz (just gave birth) looked fantabulous!! (I will only celebrate them and not spew mean/jealous words...). I thought it was a great year for fashion. In my opinion, there were no disasters, but my least favorite dresses were those worn by Melissa Leo and Cate Blanchett (Cate's, btw, was on People's best list).
While I'm sure the celebrities (especially those nominated) are happy that the award season is over, I'm a little sad. I'll admit to a very small bout with post-Oscar depression. It's gone now, though, and I'm thinking I'd like to go see The Adjustment Bureau. Have any of you seen it?? I read a review that said that LOST fans would like it!!
I'd love to hear your post-Oscar thoughts!
The best picture win for The King's Speech made me really happy. I really loved that movie. (Right? You know that!). It's certainly Oscar bait, as they say, but I thought it was an amazing movie - definitely deserving of an Oscar. Colin Firth won best actor (yay!), but I do kind of wish Geoffrey Rush had won for best supporting (an "upset" that would've been ok with me, contrary to my previous paragraph!) While we're on the subject, I think I would've preferred an upset in the supporting actress category also. I picked Hailee Steinfeld, but I also loved the performance of Amy Adams. (Melissa Leo won. Maybe I need to change my stance on no surprises at the Oscars!) Natalie Portman was beyond amazing in the best actress category, and I'm really glad she won.
Ok, a few words on the Oscar telecast. There's been a lot of talk about the evening's hosts: Anne Hathaway and James Franco, and most of it is negative. I'm not really one to criticize, and this is no exception. Anne Hathaway's energy level was definitely about double James Franco's, but that seemed in keeping with their personalities. (This is off-topic, but I really enjoyed the fact that James Franco wore a huge cardigan sweater over his tux at the Independent Spirit Awards that were televised the night before the Oscars!! Did you see that?) I loved the movie montage that Anne and James did in the beginning, inserting themselves in to scenes from the best picture nominees (especially the True Grit part)! If you didn't see it, you can watch it on youtube. I will say, though, the Back to the Future part at the end was a little lame.
Since it's the thing to do, I'll also say a few words about the Oscar 2011 dresses!! If you would like to see People.com's picks for best dressed, click here. I had a hard time finding a worst dressed list, and maybe that should've been my cue to stick with the my claim of not being one to criticize (see above paragraph). I persevered, though, just in case you'd be disappointed in incomplete coverage of Oscar fashion! So, here's your list! Enjoy! I think it's funny that there are some dresses on both lists. My favorites were those dresses worn by Halle Berry, Hailee Steinfeld, and Nicole Kidman (Nicole's, btw, was on the worst list). I have to say that Natalie Portman (pregnant) and Penelope Cruz (just gave birth) looked fantabulous!! (I will only celebrate them and not spew mean/jealous words...). I thought it was a great year for fashion. In my opinion, there were no disasters, but my least favorite dresses were those worn by Melissa Leo and Cate Blanchett (Cate's, btw, was on People's best list).
While I'm sure the celebrities (especially those nominated) are happy that the award season is over, I'm a little sad. I'll admit to a very small bout with post-Oscar depression. It's gone now, though, and I'm thinking I'd like to go see The Adjustment Bureau. Have any of you seen it?? I read a review that said that LOST fans would like it!!I'd love to hear your post-Oscar thoughts!
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