Feb 14th is Overrated

I'm married to one of those guys you've probably heard about that says valentines day is a man made commercialized holiday. He refuses to celebrate it in the traditional way (i.e. flowers, candy, romantic dinner, pretty much gifts of any kind). He refuses to be told that he has to 'prove' his love for me on a day that Hallmark made up. I really dont know exactly when or why this transformation took place. When we were younger he loved V-Day. He would get me roses, candy, balloons, teddy bears, cards, the whole shebang. Oh well, the why is not important. I understand his point and dont push the matter. I still believe in the love and magic of the day but thats not what this is about though.

I'm truly thankful for the love we share. 365 days a year for the last 15 years his behavior towards me has remained constant. He tells me all day everyday that he loves me. He gives me hugs and kisses at every opportunity. Those two small gestures alone are enough to make Valentines Day look like amateur hour to me. He's right in the fact that he doesn't need to 'prove' his love to me on this one day. He proves his love in the little things everyday.

Here's a small example. I got my hair cut last week and when I came home I told him what the stylist had told me about how to style it. I told him about the type of brush she used and the styling product she used with it. Within two days he came home with not one but two of that type of brush in different sizes to make sure he got the right one and the styling product. He listened to what I said and got what I needed to upkeep my style. It was incredibly sweet and I had no idea he was going to do that. I certainly hadn't asked him to. Another example is my new phone cover. I had gotten him one as part of his V-Day gift. I told him I saw the one I wanted. So what does he do? He comes home with it yesterday.

He does the sweetest things all the time. He lets me take a nap when I'm really tired from a night up with the wee ones. He watches my shows for me when I cant be home to watch them so he can tell me whats happening. He even calls me while I'm gone to tell me whats happening because its so exciting! Sometimes he will clean up the kitchen and/or do the dishes for me just because. There are literally too many things for me to list that show me how much he cares.

So when he came home this Valentines Day with a little gift for me I was ubber surprised. He had gotten me the chick flick that I wanted, The Bounty Hunter. As great as it was to get that acknowledgement it meant more that he put on the movie (at seven) and we watched it together. The time that he put it on was special too because he didn't want me to miss my show at 9. I didn't mind but he did. He wanted to make sure I had time to watch both. He's so thoughtful.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that while my husband might not like being told to 'prove' his love on one day, he does it everyday. That makes me feel more loved and special than any V-Day celebration ever could. I dont feel jealous of the women that get that ONE grand gesture because I feel the love ALL YEAR LONG. Feb 14th is Overrated.

Snow Day

We finally did it!! We took the kids to the snow for the very first time. They were so excited that they could barely sleep the night before. Once we got up in the morning all they talked about was going to the snow. As I packed the last couple items I noticed Emma pacing at the door in anticipation. Alex had his hand on the knob and was opening & closing the door repeatedly. Their excitement only heightened as we got in the car and began our drive. Our climb up the mountain was a bluster of chatter and laughter. The car began to bounce in rhythm to the ever mounting excitement. The turns were coming quicker, the drop steeper. Then we heard it.....the 'splarph' of the mornings bananas and juice. We pulled over in the first turnout we could find. David rushed to Emma while I grappled with Alex. Both had simultaneously lost their breakfast from the curvy motion of the road. Once everyone and everything had been decontaminated we continued our advance towards that white plushy wonderland. But not before enjoying this breathtaking view.

The rest of our ascent was fairly uneventful. However, the air in the vehicle had changed. The exuberance had been replaced by the whines of upset tummy's and swirling heads. The protests of being held captive by those pesky seat belts were beginning to hinder our desire to continue on our journey. Then, as if a marshmallow had exploded  we began to see dirty mounds of our enchanted kingdom. The euphoria was once again mounting. It became evident that we had made the right decision in our perseverance up the mountain side. Before we knew it we were surrounded by a gleaming snow blanket nestled ever so delicately over the forest floor. We began our search for the perfect play area when we heard it, again, 'phlaft'. Emma's little hand was covering her quivering lip as she desperately tried to contain another round of motion sickness. David swooped her from the car and as soon as he was clear she let it fly. Our poor little girl who wanted nothing more than to play in the plush oasis of snow was miserable. After several minutes she had finally gotten it all out of her system. As a reward for being such a brave little warrior she was the first to get to touch snow. The boys sat in the car still held captive by their seat belts while Emma explored snow and another beautiful view.

Energized with a new spirit we pressed on in our search. Finally, we had found the perfect place. We bundled up the children and they were gone. There was no hint of guilt when they ran for the snow leaving us behind in the parking lot. We took that moment to inhale deeply and feel that same sense of awe that our babies were experiencing. Then we dove in, okay more like fell in. We tried to make a snowman but the kids were too excited to stay in one place so we called it a volcano and continued on to a snowball fight. We dug the start of a tunnel in a small mound of snow and had another snowball fight. The kids shoveled everywhere. Emma decided quickly that while she enjoys snow she doesn't do cold. William was having himself a jolly good time. At least until about the fortyish time he fell. Then he demanded to be toted everywhere. The only complaint Alex made was that he wasn't ready to come home. He is our snow angel. 

Another wonderful family fun day has come to an end.

"Grand"

Think back to when you were a kid. What do you remember? Do you remember spending the weekend with your grandparents? Watching Nascar races and John Wayne movies with your Grandpa? Eating wonderful creations that your Grandma made from scratch in the kitchen? Those are some of the things I remember about my Grandparents. Civil War reenactments, air shows, shopping trips, and comfort foods. Every time I see an old episode of Shirley Temple I think about my Grandma.

I have so many more fun memories about my Grandparents. I saw them every weekend and sometimes in between. We talked on the phone and even got cards in the mail. They are very special to me.

I have a few memories of my other Grandparents too. Just not as many. My Grandpa took us out to a canal near his house and we went fishing. We made our own ice cream too. I remember one time my Grandma said she was gonna put me in her suitcase and take me home with her. And watermelon. Can't forget the huge slices of watermelon we ate.

We made it out to visit them a few times and they used to visit us too. But that was a long time ago. That's about all I remember from when I was little. Most of the memories I have of them are from when I was older.

Its funny the things we remember and the things we forget. We have no control over it. Some things just stick with us for one reason or another. Which is what leads me to write this. I wonder what types of things my kids are gonna remember about their Grandparents? What memories are they gonna cherish? If any?

365 In A Flash

Have you ever thought about making a photographic journal?  I decided that I would give it a try. The idea is to take a photo a day for each of the 365 days in a year. I have to tell you, its much easier to do than I originally imagined. Mostly because I bust out my camera at the drop of a hat and click away. I find that the most difficult part is deciding which picture to use each day.

Another challenge for me is what to photograph. I have photos of my kids, other people & their kids, nature, toys, food, animals, etc. Some pictures I thought would be cute to include in future blogs and others were reflective of what we played with and/or did that day. I can't wait until we have more warm days than cold so there will be more fun things to do and experience. 

My main reason for accepting this challenge is my kids. Life goes by ever so quickly and there are so many everyday events that we let go by as insignificant.  Just because they are things we see and do everyday should not decrease there value. Take laundry for example. Not very exciting and its such a chore. Especially when Williams unfolding things faster than I can fold them. Emma wants to put each sock away one at a time. And Alex, well he just wants to play with the basket before its even empty. These memories don't really sound special right now. But wait until next week. When were remembering, William with a towel over his head spinning in circles and Emma with her daddies socks on as mittens, it becomes funny. Next year when Alex is no longer interested in playing with the basket it will become kinda sad. Therefore even these most mundane of tasks are opportunities for play, memories and you guessed it....photos!! 

So by taking such a boring task and turning it into a photo opt I hope I have inspired you to jump on this wagon with me. Even if its a picture of the cupcakes we made yesterday or of a building block creation we made last week it will still have a story behind it and therefore be a wonderful memory to share. 

Now go get your click on.

Bath Time

One of my favorite times of the day is bath time. I get one on one time with each one of my babies. Its a time to talk, share, laugh and play together. I get to watch their imaginations flourish as they play with their toys in new ways. One minute they're deep sea divers the next they're submarines. They swim with sharks and train the dolphins. Imaginations the limit. It's always fun watching them do things that I used to do as a child.

Alex likes to get as close to one side of the tub as possible then launch himself across the tub as fast as he can. Water careens over the edges of the tub cascading to the floor. Such good times.

Emma likes to swim in the bath. She practices floating on her back. Then she flips over and practices kicking her legs. She kicks water all over me too. She thinks its funny to put her bath bubbles on me too.

My little guy William is fascinated by dripping water. He just loves to splash the water around the tub. He laughs so hard when he throws his wash rag into the water and it splashes him back. His laughter always makes me laugh.

Bath time is truly special to me.

A Wonderful Sick Day

Yesterday was not a good day but it could of been much worse. I woke up with a slight headache but chose to ignore it. Big mistake. Within an hour my slight headache turned into a full on migraine. Migraines are kinda incapacitating for me. Head pain turns to blurred vision which leads to nausea and then there ya go. I'm sick on several levels. I can't handle light or sound. Can't move without getting sick. Overall, not fun. And to top it off I had my three kids for the next 8 hours before Daddy would be home to help.

The wonderful part of this story comes first from the kids. Alex and Emma came up to me and gave me hugs because I didn't feel good. They caressed my cheeks and told me they loved me. I told them that they had to be very good for me. Alex wrangled his brother and sister up and took them to his bedroom and closed the door. He tried to keep the kids in his room all morning. It was the sweetest thing he could of done for me. After spending most of the morning being sick in the bathroom I managed to get myself into the kitchen. Afterall, the kids had to eat lunch. The walk to the kitchen made the sink my new get sick locale. I was able to throw together some grilled cheese sandwiches and some snacks from the pantry. As they sat at the table eating their lunches I got Williams bed ready and Emma a pull up. I sat it on the couch and told Emma that when she was all done eating she needed to put it on and take a nap. She did it so sweetly with no fight. Just got up, changed, gave me a kiss and went to bed. She was so good about it which never happens. Then Alex cleared his and his sisters plates and played quietly so I could take a nap on the couch. When I woke up him and his sister were playing in their room with the door closed. I was feeling less queasy and my headache was less severe again.

The other wonderful part of this story comes from David. Since I no longer felt the urge to die everytime I moved I decided I could make dinner so I set out something simple to make when David got home. But, he didn't think that I should cook at all. So after coming home and checking on me he ran to the store. He bought me some chowder and wheat thins. Then got him and the kids drive thru. He got the kids plates all ready when he got home and then made my chowder for me. After dinner he washed all the dishes and cleaned the kids room. He let me sit down all night and relax.

I had a wonderful sick day. I was surrounded by the love and support of my three babies and great husband. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

The Importance of Living

Eventually there comes a day in everyones life where we look back on what we've done, where we've been and whose lives we touched. It's the inevitable moment of change not only in our lives but in our hearts and mind sets as well. My moment of change came after I was forced into loosing someone who should not have been lost. She was a sweet beautiful woman who was barely starting her family and life. She was too young to go and left behind a precious gift of a little girl. This little girl was only three months old. She will never know her mother. Never hear her voice.

That moment and realization hit me harder than I expected. It made me really look at myself and gave me a renewed sense of life. I began to think about what I had accomplished. What I still wanted to do. So I made a list. I made a 'Life List' as I like to call it. This list was designed to keep my life full of new and exciting adventures. To keep me living life to the fullest. How many of us are really living? We go through the motions of life but aren't living it. Too bogged down by the day to day stuff to realize that while we have to do those things they aren't the important meaningful things we want or need to do.

I highly recommend that everyone make a list. Include anything and everything you've ever wanted to try or do. Then write a second list of things you have to do in order to accomplish those written on the first list. And so on. You should include things from different categories in life. For example, my list includes health goals, travels, charity and quality time with friends and family to name a few. Cross off the goals you've achieved and continue adding new ones.

You'll probably be surprised at just how much more fun you find yourself having. Get your friends and family involved too. You may find you have more in common than you previously thought and you can accomplish your goals together.

Along this journey I also found myself tackling my own mortality. I have three beautiful young children. That gave me another perspective to include in my list. Things I want to accomplish for them. To prepare for their futures. Things like letters to them from their mommy, a will, portraits, etc.

This list has helped to shape my life. To guide me in my day to day decisions. And to prepare me for things to come. I hope that you live your life to its fullest! Good luck and God Bless.

You can check out my list here: My 'Life List'