Yesterday I took Natalie and 3 of her close friends to the mall for the day. They didn't have school due to conferences, which I skipped because Nat got all A's!! Once in awhile, I just have to announce that. I'm just so proud of her! And to plug our school shamelessly, I have nothing but positive things to say about her principal, her teachers, and the staff. At first I was nervous about the 7th and 8th being integrated into the High school, but my fears were laid to rest. They have no interaction with the older kids, and they are walked back and forth by a teacher when they need to be in another area of the school. It really has been a good change after all and Nat loves the building. Pastor Shannon still stops in for lunch regularly, and she loves hanging around with "Shannie", as they've dubbed him.
Anyway, the girls are all dressing up together for the costume contest at school on Friday, and I am taking them "treating" for Halloween. It will be the first time Natalie is excited about going! I absolutely love her friends, and I really enjoyed spending the day with them. It's like having a few extra daughters, which I love!
So while life can be daunting and crazy at times, involving dog poo and other surprises, life can be beautiful and full of joy.
Like I said, finding peace and contentment no matter what. THAT is my ultimate goal, and with God's help, I will get there!!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Life Adjustments
In the last decade, my life has changed quite a bit. I didn't notice it much, as it changed so gradually, but somehow, my kids grew up, I got older, and things just changed. Sometimes it hits all at once. The change in me, the change in our life, the change of our parenting, the loss of two close family members, and yes, the growing up of our babies. BAM! WHAMMO! KABLOOEY!! What the heck happened here??
I am slow to change, and it doesn't always serve me well emotionally. I tend to want to hold on a little longer, and sometimes it just feels like a slow band-aid removal. Sometimes I wish I could just rip and roll with it. Some things I can do that very well. Others are slow and painful! I don't want to wallow in grief, or be too resistant to change, so I try to blow through situations and feelings in hopes of a good outcome. What I've learned is that sometimes I avoid the fire, and what burns is the wait.
Dealing with things head on is something I believe in logically. However, it's not always that easy. My brother, fresh out of rehab, is living with his son, my nephew. It's not going so well. What needs to happen is the hard decision. What he needs won't be easy to give. What makes US feel better should not be the solution. And yet, we avoid the fire. Why? Because it is that painful and our family relationships hang in the balance. As it stands now, his alcoholism stands to destroy several of them. It is so unfair, because he sits there while we all worry and argue about his fate. You really can't understand the words "enabler" or "codependent" unless you have been one or been in the company of one. Don't judge unless you have been. It's a lot more complicated than you might think. My brother will most likely die of his disease and it will have been his choice. Frustrating, sad, indescribable.
So while some may think politics are the hot issue right now, I can't even think about any more adversity. I have to find ways of keeping my peace and contentment no matter what is going on. I have my relationship with God, my family, my friends, my old dog, and a beautiful place to call home. My job as a wife and mom is to keep my head and heart clear of junk so that I can perform at topnotch quality for them.
Sometimes that means I fall out of society for awhile. Sometimes you have to make those adjustments so you can stay focused on what matters and not be distracted by what doesn't. Life is an adjustment every day. Sometimes it's a battle, and there will always be a fire.
I hope I'm ready.
I am slow to change, and it doesn't always serve me well emotionally. I tend to want to hold on a little longer, and sometimes it just feels like a slow band-aid removal. Sometimes I wish I could just rip and roll with it. Some things I can do that very well. Others are slow and painful! I don't want to wallow in grief, or be too resistant to change, so I try to blow through situations and feelings in hopes of a good outcome. What I've learned is that sometimes I avoid the fire, and what burns is the wait.
Dealing with things head on is something I believe in logically. However, it's not always that easy. My brother, fresh out of rehab, is living with his son, my nephew. It's not going so well. What needs to happen is the hard decision. What he needs won't be easy to give. What makes US feel better should not be the solution. And yet, we avoid the fire. Why? Because it is that painful and our family relationships hang in the balance. As it stands now, his alcoholism stands to destroy several of them. It is so unfair, because he sits there while we all worry and argue about his fate. You really can't understand the words "enabler" or "codependent" unless you have been one or been in the company of one. Don't judge unless you have been. It's a lot more complicated than you might think. My brother will most likely die of his disease and it will have been his choice. Frustrating, sad, indescribable.
So while some may think politics are the hot issue right now, I can't even think about any more adversity. I have to find ways of keeping my peace and contentment no matter what is going on. I have my relationship with God, my family, my friends, my old dog, and a beautiful place to call home. My job as a wife and mom is to keep my head and heart clear of junk so that I can perform at topnotch quality for them.
Sometimes that means I fall out of society for awhile. Sometimes you have to make those adjustments so you can stay focused on what matters and not be distracted by what doesn't. Life is an adjustment every day. Sometimes it's a battle, and there will always be a fire.
I hope I'm ready.
Monday, October 25, 2010
A BooTiful Party
On Saturday night, we had our annual family Halloween party. For years it's just been the four of us, and it was always a time to carve our pumpkins, bob for apples, eat fun food, and watch the Charlie Brown Halloween special. The kids were never all that thrilled with trick or treating, and we would only go to both grandparents' homes, the senior apartments and my childhood neighbors. All that running around made for tired, grouchy kids, and it wasn't all that much fun!
Thus began the tradition of the family party. Each year it has had to change, as the girls grow older. Last year we invited G & G, and had a fun scavenger hunt in the wind and rain. This year we planned a treasure map expedition, complete with clues buried in old fashioned root beer bottles all around the property. After finding all the clues, they had to put it together to find the "treasure", I-Tunes cards! Daddy was uber clever with all the rhyming clues, and the girls wondered why we drank root beer all day before the party!!
The menu was "frankenpizza", "Swamp Slime with veggies", "Dracula's punch", "sewer cake" (compliments of Grandma), "Crispy Snake", and lot of other disgusting and delicious snacks. The girls requested "spooky" but not scary decorations, so I used purple and black, lots of bats, spiders, bones, and lots of slimy gross stuff. It actually looked pretty cute in the kitchen, even though it was "spooky".
After we pigged out, we watched the girls play "Just Dance", and Grandpa played a little Monster Buck Hunt with the funny orange Wii gun. Sophie slept through the whole thing! I sure wanted to sleep after all that work. It is a lot of work and time, but I love to surprise the girls with the menu, the decorations, and the games. They always appreciate it, and it's worth it just to make them smile!
Halloween to our family is nothing but a day to enjoy little kids in cute costumes, eating our weight in candy, and enjoying some happy time together. Any other description of the holiday to me just gives it way too much attention. I'm keeping it about the candy, the pumpkins, and Charlie Brown, of course! That's not so complicated, is it??
Thus began the tradition of the family party. Each year it has had to change, as the girls grow older. Last year we invited G & G, and had a fun scavenger hunt in the wind and rain. This year we planned a treasure map expedition, complete with clues buried in old fashioned root beer bottles all around the property. After finding all the clues, they had to put it together to find the "treasure", I-Tunes cards! Daddy was uber clever with all the rhyming clues, and the girls wondered why we drank root beer all day before the party!!
The menu was "frankenpizza", "Swamp Slime with veggies", "Dracula's punch", "sewer cake" (compliments of Grandma), "Crispy Snake", and lot of other disgusting and delicious snacks. The girls requested "spooky" but not scary decorations, so I used purple and black, lots of bats, spiders, bones, and lots of slimy gross stuff. It actually looked pretty cute in the kitchen, even though it was "spooky".
After we pigged out, we watched the girls play "Just Dance", and Grandpa played a little Monster Buck Hunt with the funny orange Wii gun. Sophie slept through the whole thing! I sure wanted to sleep after all that work. It is a lot of work and time, but I love to surprise the girls with the menu, the decorations, and the games. They always appreciate it, and it's worth it just to make them smile!
Halloween to our family is nothing but a day to enjoy little kids in cute costumes, eating our weight in candy, and enjoying some happy time together. Any other description of the holiday to me just gives it way too much attention. I'm keeping it about the candy, the pumpkins, and Charlie Brown, of course! That's not so complicated, is it??