I'm letting my life go to the dogs.

I was walking my dogs this morning around the green space in front our home.  

There isn't anything special about this grassy green space.   

It was actually line with trashcans today.

But my dogs were so excited to go around the circle.  Checking everything out, taking in everything for the first time.  Then we went around that same, ordinary circle, six more times.

But the funny thing is, my dogs were just as excited to go around the circle each additional time - as if each was the first time.  

Noticing something new to see each trip around.

 I began to think, how many times have I treated each day, or even a moment of the day, like a second trip around the "ordinary" circle. Thinking I was doing the same thing or routine, and just going around and around, and not really looking at it as anything special. 


So today, my eyes are open, and I am going to act more like my dogs. I'm not going to start peeing on everything and chasing chipmunks BUT, I am going to go around EACH round of that ordinary circle as if it were the first time.   

Recognizing that each trip around the circle is an opportunity to see something special.

Is there a butterfly to see, or a flower I didn't notice before, or a friend to wave at or talk to as I am walking around that "ordinary" circle?

Although I love my dogs, it would not be fair to give them all the credit for my eyes being wide open this morning.  Actually, this is my "first" day after My Walk To Emmaus.  And to continue in tradition of our gifted table of Ruth, I can summarize the experience in one word, "WOW".

I dedicate this post to all the Sisters that were there at the Georgia Foothills walk to Emmaus #26, as we now are walking with, not only our eyes, but our hearts wide open.  

Psalm 104: 1-3

Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great!
 

You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent.
 

He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on the wings of the wind;

If I have a happy marriage, why did I spend my wedding anniversay crying?

It’s not because my husband forgot to buy me a card and his usual flowers. He did forget, but he’d had a long day and when he told me I actually laughed. I laughed because I bought him a card and I NEVER do! And then I forgot to give him the card, we both laughed.

It’s not because we got married on April Fool’s Day and he played a mean trick on me.  Or vice versa.

And it’s not because he fell asleep in his chair by 9:00 pm.

It’s simply because our children had left us flowers that morning of our anniversary and two homemade cards.

This one made me laugh

 The second card made me laugh too.

“It takes a lot of strength to keep a marriage alive this long. Don’t worry, you make it look easy.”

Any married person knows it is not easy. We realized a couple years ago that all our friends were not going to stay married, and it made us start to appreciate each other more.  

 I told our children how much I appreciated their thoughtfulness all day, which included a romantic “breakfast” dinner for two.

I wanted to shout from the roof top that it meant more to me than they could ever know, how happy I am that they are being raised with both their parents and to cherish every moment.  

Then it hit me, this girl from a “broken home” whose parents divorced when she was very young, was already is teaching them that. 

And that is why I couldn’t stop crying. 

 

Leave the Crazy behind this Christmas

Stop jumping up and down, I am not talking about having one less seat at the Christmas dinner table for "that" family member...

This is actually one of my normal relatives if that tells you anything.

While out shopping this Christmas Season, I was beginning to think, do I not like people anymore? Or have they just becoming more annoying? ...And parking a mile away is irritating... And why does someone have to sneeze on me in every store?

List, let me look at my LIST. Which BTW has been rewritten no less than ten times.

Thanksgiving was less than a month ago. I was so thankful...for everything...I couldn't post on the 30 days of Facebook thanks because I had 1,000 thanks. Too many things to post, it couldn't possibly fit in 30 posts. It was all pumpkin pie and scarecrows.  How quickly I forgot that Thanksgiving isn't a holiday, but a way of life.

Now I am cranky and irritated and way to busy with "Christmas Stuff".

 And I am having to budget in more time for a daily bath in hand sanitizer thanks to Sneezy.

Then I felt really ashamed, because many have a heavy heart this Christmas. Some people are reminded of those that have passed this time of year-whether many years ago or last year. Some people are leaving a loved one behind in the hospital to heal. Some people can't come home to be with their family.  And some people are mourning a very recent loss of a loved one.

 

So how dare I get irritated and impatient. For one, that is not what the Christmas Spirit is about... it is about love.

So hug your relatives extra tight this year, even the crazy ones.

Let your heart be filled - not with "Christmas Stuff" - but with many  thanks and "The Christmas Spirit", and love on those that have one less seat at the dinner table. 

Parenting is risky business

One of the biggest risk factors is driving your child to school..... in your pajamas.

Even riskier.... driving them in your pajamas when the car line is about to close.  Then you do what I believe the school calls the "Mommy Walk of Shame."

Thankfully, it has only happened to me once....okay, maybe twice....well, no more than three times.  The most memorable Mommy Walk of Shame outfit I had on included slippers, my husband's oversized camo fleece, and baggy plaid pants.  I know, you are thinking my husband is one lucky man.


I am no mathematician, but I found myself doing some math on a recent car line visit (while I was in yet again, my pajamas, and watching the clock tick). Approximately eight vehicles should be able to pull forward and drop off in about a thirty seconds to a minute.  

My calculations were way off as I watched the car line turn into an I-85 traffic jam. 

As I was thirty seconds away from total humiliation, and I pondered that I could be leaving the house earlier.

But instead I came up with a some hints for the parents making car line last way too long.

Goodbye should begin at home.  It may be something like this, "Here's a hug before we leave. I love you and have a wonderful day!  Now sweetie, let's get going. We have 30 minutes before carline ends" OR  "HURRY, HURRY! Get your breakfast, get your shoes and get your backpack and get in the car!" Nonetheless, all this letting go should begin prior to the car door opening. 

As you pull up to the school, pretend the shuttle is about to take off. 
Give your child a heads up that they will have to be ready to exit the vehicle in 5 minutes... 4 minutes... 3 minutes... 2 minutes.... 1 minute.

Siblings should not hang out the top of the car in carline.

This one I threw in for a friend,

this happens frequently at their school.  

 

Your child should already have their shoes on before you stop to have them exit your vehicle.  And in hand, their backpack, lunch box and any projects.

Parents should not exit the vehicle when dropping off.  The adults that we entrust our children with all day, can assist the kids getting out of the car.

  

And last but not least, don't EVER wear your pajamas to drive your kids to school.

 

 

 

Unless you want to humiliate your children on purpose, and that will be a whole other blog post!

 

Check this Back-To-School Item off your list

Backpack - check

Lunch box - check

Clothes - check

Shoes - check



School supplies - check. Even the last minute add-ons they do in the 11th hour.

And it's a big year here at our house, we have a MIDDLE SCHOOL-ER.

And though I have bought the necessary supplies, how do I prepare my children for bullies, snarky kids, and just plain mean people? 

We have already dealt with some not so nice mouthy kids. I offered three suggestions:

1. You gotta get thick skin and ignore them
2. Tell them something witty, like, "You will probably still be living with your parents when you are 40 and I will remember this when I am your boss"

3. Kindly offer them some laxative infused brownies

 

Number one turned out to be the best. 

And, I remember middle school.... aah.....Brandy was gonna beat me up on numerous occasions. Probably because I wore fake K-Mart Nikes or something silly like that.  We had a good laugh ten years later when I saw her and said, "Remember when...."

I am sure she is still living with her parents. 

So, as I was sitting in the Middle School parking lot on "Meet the teacher" night with my child, I saw one 6th grader wearing a backpack.  I casually said, "Ooo, aren't you glad you didn't wear your backpack on meet the teacher night?"
The reply after a long pause, "Mom, that's my friend."

Oops.  Just add that comment to my other one about the highlighters and pens in the outside pocket of the backpack looking baby-ish... Hey, I am parent of the year here.   
 

But a nice note written to my child from a fellow parent reminded me that maybe the tools our kids need aren't that far out of reach after all.  And I am going to learn to keep my mouth shut.  Really.

 

 

The Spirit of The League

We have all been there as parents.
Whether at a sporting event, school or recreational activity,
watching your child succeed at something and you find yourself tearing up
 - brimming over with pride and emotion -
and you may or may not refrain from yelling,
 "That's MY kid!"
 

 
It was a County Championship Swim Meet,
comprised of more 40 teams split among four sessions.
All the parents were seated comfortably in the stands

on the plastic flip down chairs made for really tiny people.

  (Reminiscent of an airplane,

but at least on the airplane there are only rows of three.)

 

"Excuse me, pardon me.. excuse me, pardon me, excuse me..,

excuse me... pardon me, excuse me, excuse me...."

 

In the third session, the stands were packed.

We all became very close.

 

Obviously, we are all cheering for our team's swimmers.

That's a given.

 But I noticed half way through the session,

once the parents around us realized who our kids were,

 they started cheering for our kids too.

It was no longer competitors with team spirit,

but parents-sharing in each other's joy.

Whether our "new friends" heard our child's name called,

saw they were heat winner, or just that they swam hard,

there was a nod of approval and parents were congratulating the
 parents from competing teams.

 

And when another teams swimmer broke their own sibling's county record,
we were all congratulating them.

(I won't mention their names because I got in trouble with my kids for talking about it,

 but I will so be looking for them at the Olympics!)

And then the moment came. 

 The parents right in front of us were watching their child
(from a competing team)
 in the final heat-in the fastest lane.
They went crazy, hollering, cheering, jumping up and down,
and then when he won, hugging and crying.

 

And that's when I found myself crying too,
because after all the competition is over,
we are all parents at the end of the day.