For those of you that I'm friends with on facebook, you know that my life is crazy.
Most recently, I posted a picture of my 14-month old sitting in the bowl of the toilet. She climbed in sometime while I was making dinner and I didn't realize it until I heard sloshing in the other room. I know, disgusting.
Suffice it to say, I spend a lot of my time cleaning up messes, making meals, doing laundry, running kids from one place to another, and in general, trying to keep my cool with it all.
But there is one sacred cow in our home and that is the book.
From the time that all three of our children were in the womb, we have read to them...voraciously. And so, I'd always hoped that they would come into the world loving the written word as much as we do. What I didn't expect was that they would intentionally and frequently carve out time to read alone, to each other and to the baby (who seems to always have a book in her crib courtesy of her brother and sister).
From our twice a week treks to the library to our school book orders and trips to our local bookstore, we all seem to love to escape into the book.
So, in the month of Dr. Seuss' birthday, the 50th anniversary of "A Wrinkle in Time," the recent death of beloved author/illustrator Jan Berenstein, I say thank goodness for literature. For as Helen Keller so aptly states,
"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my book friends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness. "
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The Gift of a Playdate
This afternoon, squirmy baby in hand, I was bounding into the doors of preschool to pick up my four-year old daughter, Kate.
When, out of the clear blue, another mother asked if it would be okay if Kate came to their home to spend THREE whole hours with her daughters. She would feed her lunch AND drive her.
I stood in shock. "Yes, Yes, Yes! Thank you!" This concept will seem ludicrous to most of you who swap play outings with your friends' kiddos. But for us, having three children at different ages can make orchestrating a play date that will work for everyone challenging. So, we tend to stick to our own routine and call it good.
After feeding the baby and laying her down for a nap, my mind began racing, do I shower...do laundry...clean out the closet...get a head start on dinner...or do I grab the afghan, the remnants of the Sunday New York Times and quietly fall asleep? And, I'm certain you can imagine what I chose to do.
The gift of hosting someone's children so that they can have time to simply 'be' is invaluable. I feel refreshed, grateful, and ready to greet the squeals and craziness of a full house. Amen.
When, out of the clear blue, another mother asked if it would be okay if Kate came to their home to spend THREE whole hours with her daughters. She would feed her lunch AND drive her.
I stood in shock. "Yes, Yes, Yes! Thank you!" This concept will seem ludicrous to most of you who swap play outings with your friends' kiddos. But for us, having three children at different ages can make orchestrating a play date that will work for everyone challenging. So, we tend to stick to our own routine and call it good.
After feeding the baby and laying her down for a nap, my mind began racing, do I shower...do laundry...clean out the closet...get a head start on dinner...or do I grab the afghan, the remnants of the Sunday New York Times and quietly fall asleep? And, I'm certain you can imagine what I chose to do.
The gift of hosting someone's children so that they can have time to simply 'be' is invaluable. I feel refreshed, grateful, and ready to greet the squeals and craziness of a full house. Amen.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Strangers in a Magical Land
Lately, I've reconnected with friends from undergrad who are raising their families abroad.
Some are there for brief stints while others have not yet decided if they will permanently be state side again.
Either way, I'm enamored. The prospect of carving out a family in another country seems magical.
The short time that I spent in college studying in Greece and Turkey taught me that we really do live in a bubble. It's easy to think that the city we live in and even more pertinently the neighborhood we grow up in is all that there is on earth. Until you start to see that we're such a young country with very little history and very little tradition comparatively.
So, all of their stories got me enchanted and then I read an article. A family from out east decided to provide their children an education of a lifetime, by taking a one-year sabbatical and traveling the world. They saved for almost five years in order to do so and made extraordinarily special arrangements both with the husband's work and the children's schools. They rented out their house. Eliminated all of their auto, school loan, and consumer debt. And saved two years worth of income to use while they traveled throughout the world.
Because the financial sacrifice was immense, they kept a globe at the dining room table and on the desk in the children's bedrooms. Each night over dinner, they selected a new country to learn about and decided whether they wanted to traverse it or not.
When their friends were going on vacation or having elaborate birthday parties, the parents pulled out the laptop and started dreaming with their children about their adventures. In the end, the pictures, video documentary and testimonials demonstrates that there's no question they gave their children the most invaluable experiences of a lifetime.
So, I put a "For Sale" sign in the yard, posted all of our possessions on Craig's List, and called my husband's boss knowing that he would understand. I think we're gonna go for it.
Maybe not this year...but sounds amazing, doesn't it.
Some are there for brief stints while others have not yet decided if they will permanently be state side again.
Either way, I'm enamored. The prospect of carving out a family in another country seems magical.
The short time that I spent in college studying in Greece and Turkey taught me that we really do live in a bubble. It's easy to think that the city we live in and even more pertinently the neighborhood we grow up in is all that there is on earth. Until you start to see that we're such a young country with very little history and very little tradition comparatively.
So, all of their stories got me enchanted and then I read an article. A family from out east decided to provide their children an education of a lifetime, by taking a one-year sabbatical and traveling the world. They saved for almost five years in order to do so and made extraordinarily special arrangements both with the husband's work and the children's schools. They rented out their house. Eliminated all of their auto, school loan, and consumer debt. And saved two years worth of income to use while they traveled throughout the world.
Because the financial sacrifice was immense, they kept a globe at the dining room table and on the desk in the children's bedrooms. Each night over dinner, they selected a new country to learn about and decided whether they wanted to traverse it or not.
When their friends were going on vacation or having elaborate birthday parties, the parents pulled out the laptop and started dreaming with their children about their adventures. In the end, the pictures, video documentary and testimonials demonstrates that there's no question they gave their children the most invaluable experiences of a lifetime.
So, I put a "For Sale" sign in the yard, posted all of our possessions on Craig's List, and called my husband's boss knowing that he would understand. I think we're gonna go for it.
Maybe not this year...but sounds amazing, doesn't it.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Assumptions
This morning in the gym locker room, I overheard two ladies talking about a co-worker who was clearly having a shot gun wedding and how the relationship didn't have a chance in hell of survival.
This shit drives me crazy and is one thing that I do not miss about the office.
We are such assumptive creatures. It's in our DNA to compare ourselves to others and typically, in an effort to feel better about our own set of circumstances, we determine that the other guy's got it worse than we do. And, that he probably deserves it.
But you know the old adage, assumptions only make an ass out of you and me.
So, how well do we really know each other?
Allow me to "out" myself on a few issues. I didn't shower the entire weekend. Yep, I stunk so much that my kids said, "Wow, you need a bath."
One of my children's friends dropped over and exclaimed after seeing our basement/playroom..."This is a mess." I prefer to call it organized chaos. But, you'd call it a mess.
Here's another one, if you call me and I'm in the middle of something, I won't answer my phone. It's just not worth it. I figure that you'll leave me a message if you want me to call you back.
And yet another, I jack up idioms all the time and then am dumbfounded when someone laughs their ass off while I'm taking myself seriously. For example, you might find me somberly saying, "A bird in the bush is worth two in the hand."
And finally a doozy for you...I have faked an ____...you know what. And, it's not been with my husband which means that I've also had _____....you know what. Which means that I must be a promiscuous slut who's marriage is doomed and who's children will be tarnished for life.
So, do we know each other?
This shit drives me crazy and is one thing that I do not miss about the office.
We are such assumptive creatures. It's in our DNA to compare ourselves to others and typically, in an effort to feel better about our own set of circumstances, we determine that the other guy's got it worse than we do. And, that he probably deserves it.
But you know the old adage, assumptions only make an ass out of you and me.
So, how well do we really know each other?
Allow me to "out" myself on a few issues. I didn't shower the entire weekend. Yep, I stunk so much that my kids said, "Wow, you need a bath."
One of my children's friends dropped over and exclaimed after seeing our basement/playroom..."This is a mess." I prefer to call it organized chaos. But, you'd call it a mess.
Here's another one, if you call me and I'm in the middle of something, I won't answer my phone. It's just not worth it. I figure that you'll leave me a message if you want me to call you back.
And yet another, I jack up idioms all the time and then am dumbfounded when someone laughs their ass off while I'm taking myself seriously. For example, you might find me somberly saying, "A bird in the bush is worth two in the hand."
And finally a doozy for you...I have faked an ____...you know what. And, it's not been with my husband which means that I've also had _____....you know what. Which means that I must be a promiscuous slut who's marriage is doomed and who's children will be tarnished for life.
So, do we know each other?
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Investing in Motivation
I have a great friend who has been an inspiration to me on my fitness journey.
She will be running the same half marathon that I am and then, a few short weeks later, will tackle a Half Ironman.
So, on most days when I'm running or spinning or lifting...she's doing some insane combination of running, cycling, swimming, and lifting. And, almost 100% of the time, she has a smile on her face while she's doing it. She's uplifting. Positive. Informative. And HUGELY motivating. She's got two children of her own and understands the demands of balancing family, work, and fitness.
And her motto is that motivation does not come to us. We must actively seek it out and invest in it regularly. Motivation is not a well that once discovered we have unlimited access to...we must invest in and continue to reclaim it over and over again. What do I mean by this?
For example, on any day, I can have an amazing run where I feel challenged, elevated, focused, and on top of my game. The next day with just as much sleep, nutrition, and stamina, I can have an exhausting, barely breathing, can't wait to be done, about ready to die run. And there's no reason for the difference So, what propels me to get back up and try again?
Motivation. How do I tap into it? Everyone has different techniques. I'm a visual girl. I see myself crossing that finish line racing like a friggin machine on fire. I see myself climbing hills like it's my job and running stairs like I can't be stopped. I wear insanely bright colors and play sexy ass songs and I tell myself that I can and I will do this. One step, one moment, one day at a time.
And, I never arrive. I always have to keep pushing myself. And I have to believe it more than anyone else does...otherwise, it's just wasted effort.
Motivation. It must be reinvigorated, engaged, invested in daily. Because it fades, it wanes, it falls by the wayside. It needs someone, something to believe and then it takes you where you want to go.
She will be running the same half marathon that I am and then, a few short weeks later, will tackle a Half Ironman.
So, on most days when I'm running or spinning or lifting...she's doing some insane combination of running, cycling, swimming, and lifting. And, almost 100% of the time, she has a smile on her face while she's doing it. She's uplifting. Positive. Informative. And HUGELY motivating. She's got two children of her own and understands the demands of balancing family, work, and fitness.
And her motto is that motivation does not come to us. We must actively seek it out and invest in it regularly. Motivation is not a well that once discovered we have unlimited access to...we must invest in and continue to reclaim it over and over again. What do I mean by this?
For example, on any day, I can have an amazing run where I feel challenged, elevated, focused, and on top of my game. The next day with just as much sleep, nutrition, and stamina, I can have an exhausting, barely breathing, can't wait to be done, about ready to die run. And there's no reason for the difference So, what propels me to get back up and try again?
Motivation. How do I tap into it? Everyone has different techniques. I'm a visual girl. I see myself crossing that finish line racing like a friggin machine on fire. I see myself climbing hills like it's my job and running stairs like I can't be stopped. I wear insanely bright colors and play sexy ass songs and I tell myself that I can and I will do this. One step, one moment, one day at a time.
And, I never arrive. I always have to keep pushing myself. And I have to believe it more than anyone else does...otherwise, it's just wasted effort.
Motivation. It must be reinvigorated, engaged, invested in daily. Because it fades, it wanes, it falls by the wayside. It needs someone, something to believe and then it takes you where you want to go.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Contentment
So yesterday was the first day that I saw a pregnant woman at Target and thought, "Oh she's beautiful...I sort of miss that."
And then my girlfriend phoned. She's expecting her third. She already has a set of twins. And I heard the chaos.
And then my four-year old locked us out of the house. And then the baby had a blow out. And then my son said something disrespectful and I thought, "Nope, I'm good."
We have a sign in our home that says, "Happiness is wanting what you have."
And I fully believe that if I embraced the mantra of this quote that I would be content until the cows came home. Because really, other than minor personal areas of improvement, I am insanely blessed. If we get down to brass tax, we all are.
Most of us in the western world, have a roof over our heads with multiple rooms. We have access to education, healthcare (even if it's not perfect), technology, freedom of speech, friends, family, books, food, and ultimately, love. We are brimming with God's favor.
So, why do we become self absorbed and think that a new dress, a new car, a new gadget, a new fill in the blank will bring us love. Our experience tells us that the feeling is fleeting and then we're on to the next shiny deal. The truth is the only place to invest your time, your energy, your resources is in gratitude for that which you have been given and with those around you whom you love. That investment will produce countless dividends.
So, today I am content. My cup is full. I am grateful for this life that is mine.
And then my girlfriend phoned. She's expecting her third. She already has a set of twins. And I heard the chaos.
And then my four-year old locked us out of the house. And then the baby had a blow out. And then my son said something disrespectful and I thought, "Nope, I'm good."
We have a sign in our home that says, "Happiness is wanting what you have."
And I fully believe that if I embraced the mantra of this quote that I would be content until the cows came home. Because really, other than minor personal areas of improvement, I am insanely blessed. If we get down to brass tax, we all are.
Most of us in the western world, have a roof over our heads with multiple rooms. We have access to education, healthcare (even if it's not perfect), technology, freedom of speech, friends, family, books, food, and ultimately, love. We are brimming with God's favor.
So, why do we become self absorbed and think that a new dress, a new car, a new gadget, a new fill in the blank will bring us love. Our experience tells us that the feeling is fleeting and then we're on to the next shiny deal. The truth is the only place to invest your time, your energy, your resources is in gratitude for that which you have been given and with those around you whom you love. That investment will produce countless dividends.
So, today I am content. My cup is full. I am grateful for this life that is mine.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Locked Out
The day started out well.
I went for an early morning run, got Sam off to school, and discovered that the bill for our auto repairs would be manageable.
Kate had her best friend over for a play date and after dropping her off, we pull up to our house to find out that the door won't open.
I unlocked the dead bolt which is the only lock we use and the door was still locked. Low and behold, Kate had locked the second lock from the inside before leaving. SHITTTTTTT!!!
It was lunch time and I had a screaming baby who was hungry and tired.
I call my husband, "HELP!" He calls a lock smith who arrives and can not unlock the door. Are you kidding me? I'm dying on the vine here and from time to time, you can't get locks. He told me that I should take comfort in the fact that I had a secure house. Christ.
So, we call a second lock smith. The first guy because he's frustrated decides to wait for the second to see if he can get it. Turns out that they know each other and the second dude unlocks it in under a minute. The first dude says, "Yep, I got it loosened up for ya."
Mother of God...it's been a $500 day and I am wiped out. Thank God that the sun is shining and the baby is finally in bed. Oh and under threat of death, Kate promises to never touch the door again.
I went for an early morning run, got Sam off to school, and discovered that the bill for our auto repairs would be manageable.
Kate had her best friend over for a play date and after dropping her off, we pull up to our house to find out that the door won't open.
I unlocked the dead bolt which is the only lock we use and the door was still locked. Low and behold, Kate had locked the second lock from the inside before leaving. SHITTTTTTT!!!
It was lunch time and I had a screaming baby who was hungry and tired.
I call my husband, "HELP!" He calls a lock smith who arrives and can not unlock the door. Are you kidding me? I'm dying on the vine here and from time to time, you can't get locks. He told me that I should take comfort in the fact that I had a secure house. Christ.
So, we call a second lock smith. The first guy because he's frustrated decides to wait for the second to see if he can get it. Turns out that they know each other and the second dude unlocks it in under a minute. The first dude says, "Yep, I got it loosened up for ya."
Mother of God...it's been a $500 day and I am wiped out. Thank God that the sun is shining and the baby is finally in bed. Oh and under threat of death, Kate promises to never touch the door again.
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