Monday, January 31, 2011
Writing a book + Excerpt #1 from "Stream of Consciousness"
I'm writing a postmodern novel called "Stream of Consciousness." The female protagonist is a married writer named Renee, who has three kids and an awesome dog named Nugget to take jogging along Pacific Coast Highway 101. Her husband, Eric, is a philosophy professor at UCSD, who loves his family, teaching, and the great outdoors.
One day, while sitting at one of the many Starbucks that she frequents to write, Renee meets a paraplegic stockbroker named Jadan. She can't help but notice the large black tattoo running down his left forearm, of an intertwined dolphin, a cross, and a knife.
Jadan's main goal is to make the most of his new life after the accident. His motorcycle ride certainly wasn't his last; his day includes a few hours of day trading from Starbucks and then he hits the beach to kayak, parasail, or jet ski for some adrenaline-filled fun.
While Renee battles writer's block and her struggle for purpose, she sees something unique about her new acquaintance. She questions his hunger for life and excitement amidst his extreme challenges. From a distance, she sees Jadan fall down a lot and then get back up into his steel companion's arms.
Jadan just wants to make sure he doesn't have regrets before he dies, even though his new reality means he's had to make major changes to his own life. Renee ends up learning a lot about her life as well and her need to be thankful for what she has: her loving family, an extensive education, and their charming four bedroom house near the beach. Not to mention two very functional legs and feet.
Renee's best friend, Jen, is also a freelance writer, who mostly takes on boring copy-editing jobs so she can pay her bills. She's recently met a don Juan type at Starbucks named Jared. Renee does not approve, but Jen is a free spirit, ready to give this charming guy a chance. Renee wants her to meet someone to marry and settle down with, but you'll have to wait and see what Jen decides.
This book's about coffee, motherhood, adventure, chaos, writing, depression, hope, and faith. I'm getting close to one hundred pages, single-spaced. So, I'll keep you posted with excerpts along the way. Here's a sample from Renee's morning as she works on a wildlife essay for a magazine before the kids wake up.
Okay, let’s try again…
The fish swims effortlessly along the river's current, one with the universe, one with its fate in life. It is called upon to fight, to survive, to glide, and to be, one simple yet complex day at a time.
Oh, to be a fish. Crap, but then the fish just gets eaten. That’s not idyllic at all. Who’s gonna want to read about a fish that gets devoured by a bigger fish? It’s really just crap. My writing is crap. I am crap. I am not crap. Positive thinking is my answer. I need more coffee.
Delete. Delete. Delete.
“Mommyyyyyyyyyy, I peed my bed. Mommmmmyyyyyyyyy… where are you?” Danielle hollered down the stairs while my brain fought against my will’s call upon it to produce something of literary brilliance so early in the morning.
“Hold on Honey. Mommy is downstairs writing. Just one second. I’m coming up. You’re okaaaaaaaaay! Hold on Sweetie.”
Save.
One day, while sitting at one of the many Starbucks that she frequents to write, Renee meets a paraplegic stockbroker named Jadan. She can't help but notice the large black tattoo running down his left forearm, of an intertwined dolphin, a cross, and a knife.
Jadan's main goal is to make the most of his new life after the accident. His motorcycle ride certainly wasn't his last; his day includes a few hours of day trading from Starbucks and then he hits the beach to kayak, parasail, or jet ski for some adrenaline-filled fun.
While Renee battles writer's block and her struggle for purpose, she sees something unique about her new acquaintance. She questions his hunger for life and excitement amidst his extreme challenges. From a distance, she sees Jadan fall down a lot and then get back up into his steel companion's arms.
Jadan just wants to make sure he doesn't have regrets before he dies, even though his new reality means he's had to make major changes to his own life. Renee ends up learning a lot about her life as well and her need to be thankful for what she has: her loving family, an extensive education, and their charming four bedroom house near the beach. Not to mention two very functional legs and feet.
Renee's best friend, Jen, is also a freelance writer, who mostly takes on boring copy-editing jobs so she can pay her bills. She's recently met a don Juan type at Starbucks named Jared. Renee does not approve, but Jen is a free spirit, ready to give this charming guy a chance. Renee wants her to meet someone to marry and settle down with, but you'll have to wait and see what Jen decides.
This book's about coffee, motherhood, adventure, chaos, writing, depression, hope, and faith. I'm getting close to one hundred pages, single-spaced. So, I'll keep you posted with excerpts along the way. Here's a sample from Renee's morning as she works on a wildlife essay for a magazine before the kids wake up.
Okay, let’s try again…
The fish swims effortlessly along the river's current, one with the universe, one with its fate in life. It is called upon to fight, to survive, to glide, and to be, one simple yet complex day at a time.
Oh, to be a fish. Crap, but then the fish just gets eaten. That’s not idyllic at all. Who’s gonna want to read about a fish that gets devoured by a bigger fish? It’s really just crap. My writing is crap. I am crap. I am not crap. Positive thinking is my answer. I need more coffee.
Delete. Delete. Delete.
“Mommyyyyyyyyyy, I peed my bed. Mommmmmyyyyyyyyy… where are you?” Danielle hollered down the stairs while my brain fought against my will’s call upon it to produce something of literary brilliance so early in the morning.
“Hold on Honey. Mommy is downstairs writing. Just one second. I’m coming up. You’re okaaaaaaaaay! Hold on Sweetie.”
Save.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Realistic expectations
As moms, we frequently set the bar very high. And then we can't even reach it ourselves. For some, it might be about a dietary goal, an educational pursuit, or a volunteering endeavor. For me, I struggle to set realistic expectations in these three areas: physical fitness, finances, and emotional wellness.
In the area of exercise, I'm fairly fit already, but I aim higher than my body can handle; subsequently, I pay for it by injury or stress later. For example, I try to get to the gym four to five times a week.
But, I usually only make it about two to three times per week since my mom-duties pull me in a hundred different directions. So I tend to jam in more miles and longer weight circuits instead of being gentle on my body.
Recently, I have found a more attainable goal for myself. I'm now running four to five times a week for shorter distances. Instead of aiming for seven miles on the treadmill, I'm upping my frequency out on the road, but limiting it to two miles instead.
The result is more peace and satisfaction along with healthier shins. I still squeeze the gym-time into my schedule, but now I don't feel as stressed if I skip it once in awhile.
When it comes to finances, my hubby and I have reduced all of our debts, other than educational loans and one of our cars. So we should feel really good about ourselves; but still, I have the tendency to feel pressured to do even better. I want to increase our savings and investments even more.
And though both of these aspirations are positive, I have to make sure I set realistic goals here as well. Otherwise, I'm likely to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. If I do set manageable financial goals, then I'm more likely to achieve them.
Instead of paying off my new car in three years, it seems reasonable to shoot for four or five years so I can enjoy a few cappuccinos and a few new outfits along the way. Penny pinching and coupon cutting have their pay-offs, but a few luxuries are necessary as well.
Regarding my emotional state, I want to be a stronger, more courageous, and healthier person. But on most days, I simply want to feel more content than I am. And I think if moms are honest, most would say that they feel the same way.
But we want to come off as totally self sufficient and gloriously happy. So we usually respond to someone's help with, "No, I'm fine. I can handle that myself." And I'm not sure why we do it with such uncanny regularity, but we do.
So in this department, I want to accept myself right where I'm at. If I'm not perfectly content with life on Monday, then I want to be at peace with that.
If my level of joy isn't where I'd like it to be by Friday, then that's okay too. I want to pursue my emotional goals graciously as well.
Part of this health for me also means accepting help when I need it. If a friend offers to watch my kids so I can get a break, I need to welcome it. Also, feeling down is a part of life, so I need to stop striving to be Mrs. Happy everywhere I go.
As I learn to take things in stride by setting healthier expectations, I feel that I am achieving a calmer and happier me in all three areas: exercise, money, and emotional well-being.
Share your thoughts about setting more realistic goals. We'd love to hear from you. :)
In the area of exercise, I'm fairly fit already, but I aim higher than my body can handle; subsequently, I pay for it by injury or stress later. For example, I try to get to the gym four to five times a week.
But, I usually only make it about two to three times per week since my mom-duties pull me in a hundred different directions. So I tend to jam in more miles and longer weight circuits instead of being gentle on my body.
Recently, I have found a more attainable goal for myself. I'm now running four to five times a week for shorter distances. Instead of aiming for seven miles on the treadmill, I'm upping my frequency out on the road, but limiting it to two miles instead.
The result is more peace and satisfaction along with healthier shins. I still squeeze the gym-time into my schedule, but now I don't feel as stressed if I skip it once in awhile.
When it comes to finances, my hubby and I have reduced all of our debts, other than educational loans and one of our cars. So we should feel really good about ourselves; but still, I have the tendency to feel pressured to do even better. I want to increase our savings and investments even more.
And though both of these aspirations are positive, I have to make sure I set realistic goals here as well. Otherwise, I'm likely to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. If I do set manageable financial goals, then I'm more likely to achieve them.
Instead of paying off my new car in three years, it seems reasonable to shoot for four or five years so I can enjoy a few cappuccinos and a few new outfits along the way. Penny pinching and coupon cutting have their pay-offs, but a few luxuries are necessary as well.
Regarding my emotional state, I want to be a stronger, more courageous, and healthier person. But on most days, I simply want to feel more content than I am. And I think if moms are honest, most would say that they feel the same way.
But we want to come off as totally self sufficient and gloriously happy. So we usually respond to someone's help with, "No, I'm fine. I can handle that myself." And I'm not sure why we do it with such uncanny regularity, but we do.
So in this department, I want to accept myself right where I'm at. If I'm not perfectly content with life on Monday, then I want to be at peace with that.
If my level of joy isn't where I'd like it to be by Friday, then that's okay too. I want to pursue my emotional goals graciously as well.
Part of this health for me also means accepting help when I need it. If a friend offers to watch my kids so I can get a break, I need to welcome it. Also, feeling down is a part of life, so I need to stop striving to be Mrs. Happy everywhere I go.
As I learn to take things in stride by setting healthier expectations, I feel that I am achieving a calmer and happier me in all three areas: exercise, money, and emotional well-being.
Share your thoughts about setting more realistic goals. We'd love to hear from you. :)
Labels: emotional, finances, fitness, moms, realistic expectations
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The sun rises anew
No matter how stressful life gets, the sun ALWAYS rises anew. It's such a great reminder that we are not alone. Even if an emotional serpent has me by the throat, it can not thwart the sun's warmth.
God's word is like that too. It's always there for us. It soothes us with truth and encouragement, no matter what we face! In a world where chaos and injustice run rampant, we can turn to the Bible to find the answers.
But, do the sun's heat and the Bible's presence mean that God is good? Even though I struggle to see that at times, I think the answer is "Yes, they do." It is by God's mercy that the sun's radiance lights our planet without burning us into flames.
Our earth's axis at 23.5 degrees to the sun is a miracle in and of itself. We don't spin off into space like we would if it were off of that by even one millionth of one degree. It's this huge friendly reminder from the Lord like, "Hey, I see you guys and I'm taking care of you."
His Word does that too. He didn't have to give it to us. We could have been left for dead, clueless, and even more ridiculous than we already are.
Imagine the confusion of life with no rules and no guidance. But because of God's grace, He filled the Bible's authors with some super deep and amazing insights over the years.
So instead of walking blindly, we get to read about God's plan for our lives, no matter how insane they get. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
As I've struggled in my own whirlwind of darkness lately, I've been challenged about God's goodness. Do I really believe He is good, you know when I'm not at church singing worship songs with hundreds of other believers?
What about God's goodness when I wake up with really upsetting thoughts in my head? What about when I feel really down and the feelings don't go away for a long time? Is He still good, even then?
My friend reminded me earlier today... that He is good, no matter what we're going through. Praise God for those cozy chairs at Starbucks cuz she had to listen to me cry and moan about this and that for two hours.
Through her plethora of struggles in life she said she has always clung to the reality of God's goodness. She hasn't lost that hope no matter how challenging her family's circumstances have been. And while she didn't judge me at all for questioning God's goodness, she encouraged me through her testimony.
My twin sister also reminded me in a text today of Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." That's hard for me on most days... to be sure of what I hope for???
Do I really hope for heaven and all that spiritual stuff on most days? Probably not. I get caught somewhere between wishing for emotional wholeness and the American dream.
Happiness! An end to all emotional struggles! Financial security! Health and safety for our three kids! The list goes on ad nauseum. And I certainly don't always focus on those fluffy angel-feathered wishes: to be holy, to be ready for heaven, to be used by God, etc.
And then... certain of what I can't see? Not sure I nail that one either. I'm afraid of the dark, so if I can't see something, it just freaks me out. Not seeing the afterlife... frankly, that drives me nuts. Of course, I want to end up there, but the thought terrifies me.
It's hard for me to see my emotional and spiritual development over the years as well. Has the Lord really done a work of restoration and wholeness in me since I accepted Christ twenty-five years ago? If I depend upon my feelings, I might not feel like God has done very much at all.
But, if I take Hebrews 11:1 to be true, then He must be doing something. I just have to be sure that I'm hoping for what He hopes for. And of course, I must be certain of that hope, even when I can't see the result of it at this exact moment.
So, what do you think about God's goodness? Do the sun's constancy and the Word of God give you hope in His goodness? Share your thoughts here. We'd love to hear from you, even if you disagree. Keeping it real! :)
God's word is like that too. It's always there for us. It soothes us with truth and encouragement, no matter what we face! In a world where chaos and injustice run rampant, we can turn to the Bible to find the answers.
But, do the sun's heat and the Bible's presence mean that God is good? Even though I struggle to see that at times, I think the answer is "Yes, they do." It is by God's mercy that the sun's radiance lights our planet without burning us into flames.
Our earth's axis at 23.5 degrees to the sun is a miracle in and of itself. We don't spin off into space like we would if it were off of that by even one millionth of one degree. It's this huge friendly reminder from the Lord like, "Hey, I see you guys and I'm taking care of you."
His Word does that too. He didn't have to give it to us. We could have been left for dead, clueless, and even more ridiculous than we already are.
Imagine the confusion of life with no rules and no guidance. But because of God's grace, He filled the Bible's authors with some super deep and amazing insights over the years.
So instead of walking blindly, we get to read about God's plan for our lives, no matter how insane they get. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
As I've struggled in my own whirlwind of darkness lately, I've been challenged about God's goodness. Do I really believe He is good, you know when I'm not at church singing worship songs with hundreds of other believers?
What about God's goodness when I wake up with really upsetting thoughts in my head? What about when I feel really down and the feelings don't go away for a long time? Is He still good, even then?
My friend reminded me earlier today... that He is good, no matter what we're going through. Praise God for those cozy chairs at Starbucks cuz she had to listen to me cry and moan about this and that for two hours.
Through her plethora of struggles in life she said she has always clung to the reality of God's goodness. She hasn't lost that hope no matter how challenging her family's circumstances have been. And while she didn't judge me at all for questioning God's goodness, she encouraged me through her testimony.
My twin sister also reminded me in a text today of Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." That's hard for me on most days... to be sure of what I hope for???
Do I really hope for heaven and all that spiritual stuff on most days? Probably not. I get caught somewhere between wishing for emotional wholeness and the American dream.
Happiness! An end to all emotional struggles! Financial security! Health and safety for our three kids! The list goes on ad nauseum. And I certainly don't always focus on those fluffy angel-feathered wishes: to be holy, to be ready for heaven, to be used by God, etc.
And then... certain of what I can't see? Not sure I nail that one either. I'm afraid of the dark, so if I can't see something, it just freaks me out. Not seeing the afterlife... frankly, that drives me nuts. Of course, I want to end up there, but the thought terrifies me.
It's hard for me to see my emotional and spiritual development over the years as well. Has the Lord really done a work of restoration and wholeness in me since I accepted Christ twenty-five years ago? If I depend upon my feelings, I might not feel like God has done very much at all.
But, if I take Hebrews 11:1 to be true, then He must be doing something. I just have to be sure that I'm hoping for what He hopes for. And of course, I must be certain of that hope, even when I can't see the result of it at this exact moment.
So, what do you think about God's goodness? Do the sun's constancy and the Word of God give you hope in His goodness? Share your thoughts here. We'd love to hear from you, even if you disagree. Keeping it real! :)
Labels: Bible, God, goodness, sun
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Moms love the Wii
Since the Wii was released on November 19th, 2006, it has been a hit with families around the globe. According to Wikipedia, the game console broke the US record for best selling console in a single month in December 2009. And as of January 2011, Nintendo's Wii remains the leader in overall sales over Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360.
So, why do moms love the Wii? As a mom of three and a recent Wii convert myself, it wins first place in my book. Creating the Mii characters alone provides lots of fun; from eye and hair color to height and skin color, creating your own player is a snap. You can even add a mole to your right cheek or blue eye shadow to your eye lids. Then you can pick your Mii as the character for many of the games that you play.
My son's beloved "QT2 shoes" Mii is a balding, dark-haired, tall and skinny man who wears red lipstick. The kids have even made Mii characters for everyone in our family including one for Nana and Grampy. Grampy's Mii character (in case he ever comes up to play the Wii with us) is a true likeness with gray hair around the sides of his head.
But here are the main reasons I love the Wii. There are six primary benefits of the Wii game system in our household:
First, it gets my middle daughter out of bed (Hallelujah!). Even when loud dance music jams to get the rest of us boogeying into the morning, she lies dead to the world. But as soon as I whisper, "If you get dressed, go potty, and brush your teeth, you can play a little bit of the Wii this morning," she's out of bed like a rocket headed to space.
Second, it involves the whole family. Gillian Sharp of Riverside says that her three kids "love that Mom finally plays video games!" Lisa Heying of Riverside recently purchased a Wii console for her family. She says, "It has been fun interacting as a family playing the Wii."
In our family, it's hard to steal the Wii remotes and the Nunchuks away from our kids, but when Friday night hits, Hubby and I get our game on and the kids move out of the way. My husband always slams me at tennis and I generally pummel him at bowling.
Our littlest one loves the sword fighting on Wii Sports Resort and our two school-aged kids have conquered almost every level and episode of Lego Star Wars. Hubby has been known to stay up until 3AM playing Star Wars by himself, but don't tell his boss that.
A third pro for the Wii is that it helps my shy kids to connect socially. Just ask one of my kids about their level and episode on Lego Star Wars and you might not get them to stop talking. Shy? Not anymore.
My daughter loves to be Luke Skywalker and my son loves to pick R2D2 or Darth Vader for his character. I'm sure their teachers and friends hear the full report on a daily basis, but it's great to see them so excited and engaged.
Fourth, the Wii gives moms fabulous parenting leverage. Obedience has never looked so great in my house. I can now get my kids to clean up their messes within five to ten minutes. And homework gets completed enthusiastically and speedily.
Kristin Hoerger of Beaumont says, "The Wii is definitely a great leveraging tool. When the kids don't want to do their homework, even the mention of taking away their Wii privileges sends them into productive action."
My mantra is: "No Wii unless you... (fill-in-the-blank)." It's kind of like giving treats to puppies, but hey, it works! And it can also be used as a disciplinary tool, such as, "If you don't improve your attitude toward your siblings, you lose the Wii for a week." It's amazing how fast the kids start to share their toys or help one another out.
Fifth, the Wii has lots of family friendly game titles. The Wii's standard-definition display may not compete graphically with the other game consoles, but its extensive library of hundreds of appropriate kid titles gives it a competitive edge. Nintendo intentionally targets a wider family market as opposed to the hard-core gamers, which works well for us.
As a parent of younger kids, you still have to supervise game selection on the Wii, avoiding titles like "House of the Dead" or "Call of Duty" (which exist for the other two systems as well), but you'll run into less inappropriate material in general. For example, you can't buy the notorious "Grand Theft Auto" series on the Wii. With the Wii, you will never have trouble finding a variety of fun games suitable even for young children.
The sixth prop for the Wii is that it gets your family moving. In an era where child obesity runs rampant and adults spend way too much time littering the couch with Cheetos and bean dip, the Wii provides good exercise options.
Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort are two games that come bundled with the console. And now users can purchase Wii Fit as well, which comes with the Wii Balance Board for traditional exercise options, such as yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games. You can burn calories while having fun from your own home.
The Wii has been a great fit for our family. Share some thoughts about your family and the Wii. We'd love to hear from you. :)
So, why do moms love the Wii? As a mom of three and a recent Wii convert myself, it wins first place in my book. Creating the Mii characters alone provides lots of fun; from eye and hair color to height and skin color, creating your own player is a snap. You can even add a mole to your right cheek or blue eye shadow to your eye lids. Then you can pick your Mii as the character for many of the games that you play.
My son's beloved "QT2 shoes" Mii is a balding, dark-haired, tall and skinny man who wears red lipstick. The kids have even made Mii characters for everyone in our family including one for Nana and Grampy. Grampy's Mii character (in case he ever comes up to play the Wii with us) is a true likeness with gray hair around the sides of his head.
But here are the main reasons I love the Wii. There are six primary benefits of the Wii game system in our household:
First, it gets my middle daughter out of bed (Hallelujah!). Even when loud dance music jams to get the rest of us boogeying into the morning, she lies dead to the world. But as soon as I whisper, "If you get dressed, go potty, and brush your teeth, you can play a little bit of the Wii this morning," she's out of bed like a rocket headed to space.
Second, it involves the whole family. Gillian Sharp of Riverside says that her three kids "love that Mom finally plays video games!" Lisa Heying of Riverside recently purchased a Wii console for her family. She says, "It has been fun interacting as a family playing the Wii."
In our family, it's hard to steal the Wii remotes and the Nunchuks away from our kids, but when Friday night hits, Hubby and I get our game on and the kids move out of the way. My husband always slams me at tennis and I generally pummel him at bowling.
Our littlest one loves the sword fighting on Wii Sports Resort and our two school-aged kids have conquered almost every level and episode of Lego Star Wars. Hubby has been known to stay up until 3AM playing Star Wars by himself, but don't tell his boss that.
A third pro for the Wii is that it helps my shy kids to connect socially. Just ask one of my kids about their level and episode on Lego Star Wars and you might not get them to stop talking. Shy? Not anymore.
My daughter loves to be Luke Skywalker and my son loves to pick R2D2 or Darth Vader for his character. I'm sure their teachers and friends hear the full report on a daily basis, but it's great to see them so excited and engaged.
Fourth, the Wii gives moms fabulous parenting leverage. Obedience has never looked so great in my house. I can now get my kids to clean up their messes within five to ten minutes. And homework gets completed enthusiastically and speedily.
Kristin Hoerger of Beaumont says, "The Wii is definitely a great leveraging tool. When the kids don't want to do their homework, even the mention of taking away their Wii privileges sends them into productive action."
My mantra is: "No Wii unless you... (fill-in-the-blank)." It's kind of like giving treats to puppies, but hey, it works! And it can also be used as a disciplinary tool, such as, "If you don't improve your attitude toward your siblings, you lose the Wii for a week." It's amazing how fast the kids start to share their toys or help one another out.
Fifth, the Wii has lots of family friendly game titles. The Wii's standard-definition display may not compete graphically with the other game consoles, but its extensive library of hundreds of appropriate kid titles gives it a competitive edge. Nintendo intentionally targets a wider family market as opposed to the hard-core gamers, which works well for us.
As a parent of younger kids, you still have to supervise game selection on the Wii, avoiding titles like "House of the Dead" or "Call of Duty" (which exist for the other two systems as well), but you'll run into less inappropriate material in general. For example, you can't buy the notorious "Grand Theft Auto" series on the Wii. With the Wii, you will never have trouble finding a variety of fun games suitable even for young children.
The sixth prop for the Wii is that it gets your family moving. In an era where child obesity runs rampant and adults spend way too much time littering the couch with Cheetos and bean dip, the Wii provides good exercise options.
Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort are two games that come bundled with the console. And now users can purchase Wii Fit as well, which comes with the Wii Balance Board for traditional exercise options, such as yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games. You can burn calories while having fun from your own home.
The Wii has been a great fit for our family. Share some thoughts about your family and the Wii. We'd love to hear from you. :)
Labels: family, game consoles, moms, Wii
Friday, January 14, 2011
Blowing kisses at the trees
This title gets you thinking about Disney's Pocahontas, right? But, this piece actually has very little to do with Disney movies at all. It is about my little four-year-old and her precious ability to say the right thing at the right time. After big-kid-drop-off today, she and I were heading home when I heard a funny noise in the backseat.
I was feeling stressed about the day ahead and trapped inside my own thoughts about a hundred different things. But when I heard her cute little noises, I paused to ask her what she was doing. She confidently replied, "Blowing kisses at the trees."
She frequently brings me back down to reality and out of life's "what-ifs" and worries with some kind of silly word or deed. A mom's day certainly gets hectic for a plethora of reasons, from health issues, to finances, to child-rearing challenges, etc. But, we should all be abundantly thankful that our kids are here to make us smile and laugh through it all.
To think that my daughter really cares for the trees that we drive by while sprinting towards a red light makes me sit back and remember that I'm not alone. No matter what challenge I face, she's there for me with sweet little hands to hold and twinkling eyes.
She's ready to give a comforting hug or a bubble gum flavored kiss. She never turns down the chance to have a refreshing tea party or to snuggle on the couch to read My Little Pony for the hundredth time.
She races up to the play-set to play tic-tac-toe at a moment's notice and feels like a true genius when I let her win. I hardly mention a soccer ball and she's ready to set the cones up in the backyard to kick the ball around with me.
Think about the little ones in your life and try to enjoy the precious minutes you have together. If your life is incredibly stressful today, then it's the perfect time to take a break and enjoy some quality time with your child(ren). Read a book together. Take a walk! Watch a Disney movie, maybe even Pocahontas.
My little princess is a true gift to me, and I'm so thankful to be her mommy. Share your thoughts about life, motherhood, and "blowing kisses at the trees." We'd love to hear from you. :)
I was feeling stressed about the day ahead and trapped inside my own thoughts about a hundred different things. But when I heard her cute little noises, I paused to ask her what she was doing. She confidently replied, "Blowing kisses at the trees."
She frequently brings me back down to reality and out of life's "what-ifs" and worries with some kind of silly word or deed. A mom's day certainly gets hectic for a plethora of reasons, from health issues, to finances, to child-rearing challenges, etc. But, we should all be abundantly thankful that our kids are here to make us smile and laugh through it all.
To think that my daughter really cares for the trees that we drive by while sprinting towards a red light makes me sit back and remember that I'm not alone. No matter what challenge I face, she's there for me with sweet little hands to hold and twinkling eyes.
She's ready to give a comforting hug or a bubble gum flavored kiss. She never turns down the chance to have a refreshing tea party or to snuggle on the couch to read My Little Pony for the hundredth time.
She races up to the play-set to play tic-tac-toe at a moment's notice and feels like a true genius when I let her win. I hardly mention a soccer ball and she's ready to set the cones up in the backyard to kick the ball around with me.
Think about the little ones in your life and try to enjoy the precious minutes you have together. If your life is incredibly stressful today, then it's the perfect time to take a break and enjoy some quality time with your child(ren). Read a book together. Take a walk! Watch a Disney movie, maybe even Pocahontas.
My little princess is a true gift to me, and I'm so thankful to be her mommy. Share your thoughts about life, motherhood, and "blowing kisses at the trees." We'd love to hear from you. :)
Labels: family, kids, life, stress
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Taking down the tree
Some people are all too eager to take down their pine-shedding Christmas tree. We got ours early this year, so it was becoming an actual fire hazard. But still, I was so bummed to see it go. It felt like Christmas flew by this year... no matter how hard I tried to suspend it into slow-motion. The dinner, the lights, the church service, the presents, the laughter, the music... it raced by like a shooting star.
So, to respond to the melancholy of the passing holidays, our family decided to celebrate the night of taking down the tree. We sang along to some fun Christmas tunes, took pictures of the kids in front of the tree, wrapped each kid with white Christmas lights, and finally decorated our official 2010 family ornament. we even went outside for a Christmas tree bonfire before bed.
I explained how it was the ultimate recycling process. The kids were thoroughly entertained by the monstrous sized blaze in our fire-pit. We have 3/4 of the tree left in the backyard to burn later this weekend; so we'll definitely have to make some S'mores.
Our family night of un-decorating the tree and house was helpful to review the season and to let it linger on for just one more night. However, I still can't take down the last few decorations. I love my hanging snowman banner that says, "Let it snow." I also display my family picture ornaments on an upstairs display shelf so that we can see them throughout the year.
There's also one new piece that I may keep out indefinitely as well. It's a red and green wooden decoration that says, "HOPE." It reminds me that the message of Christmas lives in my heart all year long. It doesn't have to fade into the storage bins like most of the ornaments. I don't have to hide this one in the garage until next Christmas simply because it is green and red.
Even though we know we have hope in Jesus all year, we sometimes forget. Somehow the baby Jesus figure in the manger scene makes it so much clearer. And we feel more hopeful while the kids are smiling and opening presents around the tree. It's just easier to cling to our Christian hope when we're on that long relaxing break.
The truth is that we can all find HOPE in Jesus and His goodness every single day. As I sat reading my Bible this afternoon, I studied the "voice of the Lord..." from Psalm 29. It made me wonder, "What does the voice of the Lord sound like?" I pictured things like thunder, fire, wind, and even a quiet cloud.
The Psalmist describes it like this, "The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars... The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert... The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare" (from Psalm 29:4-9).
The feeling I had after reading this Psalm was one of comfort because of God's power. I might feel defeated about saying goodbye to Christmas, amongst a plethora of other struggles and obstacles, but the Lord is still majestic. The Psalm ends with these words: "The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace" (verse 11).
Psalm 29 is an in-your-face reminder that no matter what's going on, you can get through it because God is there for you. It's also a passage about extending our faith. It can be hard to listen to the Lord; it's not usually an audible noise that we can record on our MP3 players. Isn't it more like a reminder of His truth through His word or a fellow believer?
Let's choose to find hope as we listen for His voice in 2011. Let's grab hold of God's strength and peace as we depend upon one another. Share your thoughts about the post-Christmas season. We'd love to hear from you. :)
So, to respond to the melancholy of the passing holidays, our family decided to celebrate the night of taking down the tree. We sang along to some fun Christmas tunes, took pictures of the kids in front of the tree, wrapped each kid with white Christmas lights, and finally decorated our official 2010 family ornament. we even went outside for a Christmas tree bonfire before bed.
I explained how it was the ultimate recycling process. The kids were thoroughly entertained by the monstrous sized blaze in our fire-pit. We have 3/4 of the tree left in the backyard to burn later this weekend; so we'll definitely have to make some S'mores.
Our family night of un-decorating the tree and house was helpful to review the season and to let it linger on for just one more night. However, I still can't take down the last few decorations. I love my hanging snowman banner that says, "Let it snow." I also display my family picture ornaments on an upstairs display shelf so that we can see them throughout the year.
There's also one new piece that I may keep out indefinitely as well. It's a red and green wooden decoration that says, "HOPE." It reminds me that the message of Christmas lives in my heart all year long. It doesn't have to fade into the storage bins like most of the ornaments. I don't have to hide this one in the garage until next Christmas simply because it is green and red.
Even though we know we have hope in Jesus all year, we sometimes forget. Somehow the baby Jesus figure in the manger scene makes it so much clearer. And we feel more hopeful while the kids are smiling and opening presents around the tree. It's just easier to cling to our Christian hope when we're on that long relaxing break.
The truth is that we can all find HOPE in Jesus and His goodness every single day. As I sat reading my Bible this afternoon, I studied the "voice of the Lord..." from Psalm 29. It made me wonder, "What does the voice of the Lord sound like?" I pictured things like thunder, fire, wind, and even a quiet cloud.
The Psalmist describes it like this, "The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars... The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert... The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare" (from Psalm 29:4-9).
The feeling I had after reading this Psalm was one of comfort because of God's power. I might feel defeated about saying goodbye to Christmas, amongst a plethora of other struggles and obstacles, but the Lord is still majestic. The Psalm ends with these words: "The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace" (verse 11).
Psalm 29 is an in-your-face reminder that no matter what's going on, you can get through it because God is there for you. It's also a passage about extending our faith. It can be hard to listen to the Lord; it's not usually an audible noise that we can record on our MP3 players. Isn't it more like a reminder of His truth through His word or a fellow believer?
Let's choose to find hope as we listen for His voice in 2011. Let's grab hold of God's strength and peace as we depend upon one another. Share your thoughts about the post-Christmas season. We'd love to hear from you. :)
Labels: Bible, hope, peace, post-Christmas, strength
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
I was a total idiot...
So, if you're an avid golfer like I used to be, you're familiar with the meaning of a mulligan. You know that it's when you hit the ball from the tee and it sucks so badly that you get to have a do-over. A clean slate. Total forgiveness this one time. Well, as life so frequently applies to some sort of golf metaphor, mine did as such earlier this evening.
I was WAITING for my husband to get home from work. I'd done my fair share of meal preps, taxi-cab-kid-pick-ups, volunteering in the classroom, and had also given a fair share of homework guidance amongst a plethora of other tasks. So, I was ready for my break, a chance to sprint off to the gym with U2 blaring way too loud from my headphones.
So, why was Hubby about an hour late? For a totally good reason, of course: 2 dozen pink-tea colored roses, a bottle of fabulous Merlot, a package of tasty chicken raviolis accompanied by an amazing pesto sauce, and a spa gift card inside of a card... that said, "Each small kindness, like a seed, grows tall in memory...THANK YOU!" Then my husband added to the generic card's message, "...for the greatest kindness of all--being my wife. I love you!"
So, how did I respond? Like a total idiot. I didn't seem especially thankful. I was a bit miffed that I didn't get off to the gym when I'd intended to... that I was now going to feel starved after my three mile run and 30 minute weight circuit. My eyes expressed a bit of apprehension about the money as well.
The money that my husband spent on "me" for one of our normal stay-at-home Tuesday date-nights, which contrasted financially to our standard one dollar Redbox movie rentals. I am our resident accountant after all. My name-tag says, "Budget-master." Doesn't he remember that?
And then, it hit me. "What kind of an idiot acts stressed out about getting these lovely gifts and such kindhearted servant-hood?" An idiot like myself...that's who! But, I'm sure you can relate about certain acts of lameness, right? Tell me I'm not totally alone!
It goes to show that after twelve point five years of marriage, my husband is still a charming prince and I have turned into a bit of a practical nut-ball. In my head, I'm figuring out the other things we "needed" to buy for the month. I'm planning ahead to one of our kid's upcoming birthday parties, thinking, "OK, how are we going to pay for this and that?"
But, here's the thing: when you are blessed to have a loving and faithful spouse, you should accept their gifts even when they seem a bit impractical. You certainly don't question them like I did. And you should act blissfully thankful no matter how many dumb neurons fire off inside of your dense brain cavity.
But we all do it, from time to time. We take our spouse for granted. We forget that we married Mr. Wonderful. Our lives can so easily become about ritual, kid-management, tasks, appointments, bills, and to-do lists. Sometimes, the mundane simply takes over and we literally forget what marriage is. We act like it is a mere business partnership, when it needs to be about so much more: romance, companionship, and laughter.
I married someone wonderful, handsome, and brilliant. Of course, I frequently minimize these truths when I want to win an argument or put my own spin on things. But truth be told, being an idiot tonight acted as an important reminder of the amazing blessing staring me in the face every single day.
I'm so lucky to have my husband as my partner for my whole life, even when life is hard. Even when our communication sucks at times. Even when we don't feel emotionally intertwined and addicted to one another as Hollywood falsely portrays its average love relationship to be.
So I'm actually glad I was a mental-case tonight. It makes me want to work harder to be even more in love with my husband. He certainly is the first to admit his own list of imperfections, but tonight he came pretty d--n close to perfect... and I was too blind to see it. So I desire to be more patient, caring, and appreciative of him.
If you have a loved one who is doing his best to show you that he loves you, accept his efforts. Say, "Thank you" and "I love you" and "You are amazing" even if it's not the exact thing you were thinking of for tonight, this week, or this month. We should all remember that we are lucky to be loved. And we are blessed to have someone else to love as well.
Keeping it real. Share your thoughts about love and marriage. We'd love to hear from you. ;)
I was WAITING for my husband to get home from work. I'd done my fair share of meal preps, taxi-cab-kid-pick-ups, volunteering in the classroom, and had also given a fair share of homework guidance amongst a plethora of other tasks. So, I was ready for my break, a chance to sprint off to the gym with U2 blaring way too loud from my headphones.
So, why was Hubby about an hour late? For a totally good reason, of course: 2 dozen pink-tea colored roses, a bottle of fabulous Merlot, a package of tasty chicken raviolis accompanied by an amazing pesto sauce, and a spa gift card inside of a card... that said, "Each small kindness, like a seed, grows tall in memory...THANK YOU!" Then my husband added to the generic card's message, "...for the greatest kindness of all--being my wife. I love you!"
So, how did I respond? Like a total idiot. I didn't seem especially thankful. I was a bit miffed that I didn't get off to the gym when I'd intended to... that I was now going to feel starved after my three mile run and 30 minute weight circuit. My eyes expressed a bit of apprehension about the money as well.
The money that my husband spent on "me" for one of our normal stay-at-home Tuesday date-nights, which contrasted financially to our standard one dollar Redbox movie rentals. I am our resident accountant after all. My name-tag says, "Budget-master." Doesn't he remember that?
And then, it hit me. "What kind of an idiot acts stressed out about getting these lovely gifts and such kindhearted servant-hood?" An idiot like myself...that's who! But, I'm sure you can relate about certain acts of lameness, right? Tell me I'm not totally alone!
It goes to show that after twelve point five years of marriage, my husband is still a charming prince and I have turned into a bit of a practical nut-ball. In my head, I'm figuring out the other things we "needed" to buy for the month. I'm planning ahead to one of our kid's upcoming birthday parties, thinking, "OK, how are we going to pay for this and that?"
But, here's the thing: when you are blessed to have a loving and faithful spouse, you should accept their gifts even when they seem a bit impractical. You certainly don't question them like I did. And you should act blissfully thankful no matter how many dumb neurons fire off inside of your dense brain cavity.
But we all do it, from time to time. We take our spouse for granted. We forget that we married Mr. Wonderful. Our lives can so easily become about ritual, kid-management, tasks, appointments, bills, and to-do lists. Sometimes, the mundane simply takes over and we literally forget what marriage is. We act like it is a mere business partnership, when it needs to be about so much more: romance, companionship, and laughter.
I married someone wonderful, handsome, and brilliant. Of course, I frequently minimize these truths when I want to win an argument or put my own spin on things. But truth be told, being an idiot tonight acted as an important reminder of the amazing blessing staring me in the face every single day.
I'm so lucky to have my husband as my partner for my whole life, even when life is hard. Even when our communication sucks at times. Even when we don't feel emotionally intertwined and addicted to one another as Hollywood falsely portrays its average love relationship to be.
So I'm actually glad I was a mental-case tonight. It makes me want to work harder to be even more in love with my husband. He certainly is the first to admit his own list of imperfections, but tonight he came pretty d--n close to perfect... and I was too blind to see it. So I desire to be more patient, caring, and appreciative of him.
If you have a loved one who is doing his best to show you that he loves you, accept his efforts. Say, "Thank you" and "I love you" and "You are amazing" even if it's not the exact thing you were thinking of for tonight, this week, or this month. We should all remember that we are lucky to be loved. And we are blessed to have someone else to love as well.
Keeping it real. Share your thoughts about love and marriage. We'd love to hear from you. ;)
Labels: humor, idiot, marriage, spouse
