It's the final day of January and I think that I can feel my spirit lightening already... What is it about the first month of the year that is so blah? I really don't mind the gray weather. The constant rain makes my skin feel great (sun makes me squint anyway). And I love to organize - apparently Target has me in mind when they pull out all of the storage bin displays right after Christmas. It's like they decided to create a new theme month... 2011 is officially the "International Year of Forests", August is "Orange and Papaya Month" and now Target is tapping January as "Organize your life after Christmas Month." Seriously, have you ever been to The Container Store? It's AMAZING! You can organize every room in your house with bins, shelves, cubbies, liners, magnets...it's a cornucopia of organizing materials! But I digress...
The above randomness actually illustrates my entire month of January well - little snippets of ideas, important tasks to be done, funny stories to share all flit through my brain and then dissolve in a matter of 20 seconds. I can't hold onto anything long enough to focus, complete, remember or even write it down. Instead, I end up walking around in circles trying to figure out what I was going to do and unable to find anything since I somehow managed to put the tv remote in the fridge and left the untoasted bread in the toaster all day! I've got paint chips and floor samples scattered around the house, glitter keeps showing up in unexpected places (mix a preschooler with a glitter project and voila, instant sparkle all over the house!) and my to do list continues to grow but I don't think I've crossed one thing off this entire month!
Basically, I've given up on January. It's a month for hibernation without guilt, starting projects without any expectation of completion and chaos spread from one corner to the other. If I can keep from freezing any important electronics I think I'll call it a success!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
A Tale of Two Rae's
Rae was the darling of The Princess when she first started to chew on things. Along with his "made to chew" hands and feet, his ears, tail and tags are perfect saliva collectors as well!
Rae was her most favorite toy and I even went out and bought a back-up because he looked like he was on his way to disintegration.
Happily, Rae survived The Princess' assault intact and back-up Rae was forgotten until I found him while preparing for Sweetpea's arrival.
Back-up Rae (I need a less cumbersome name) made his debut last week into Sweetpea's world and was an instant hit!
So, now we have Rae and Back-up Rae in residence. I tied a ribbon around Rae's neck so that The Princess knew which one was hers but that didn't last. Rae doesn't like accessories.
Perhaps I'll embroider a little I and E on their bums respectively so that there isn't a catastrophic mistaken identity incident in the future...
In the meantime, aren't they cute?!!
Rae was her most favorite toy and I even went out and bought a back-up because he looked like he was on his way to disintegration.
Happily, Rae survived The Princess' assault intact and back-up Rae was forgotten until I found him while preparing for Sweetpea's arrival.
Back-up Rae (I need a less cumbersome name) made his debut last week into Sweetpea's world and was an instant hit!
So, now we have Rae and Back-up Rae in residence. I tied a ribbon around Rae's neck so that The Princess knew which one was hers but that didn't last. Rae doesn't like accessories.
Perhaps I'll embroider a little I and E on their bums respectively so that there isn't a catastrophic mistaken identity incident in the future...
In the meantime, aren't they cute?!!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Ode to a Stroller
My stroller is my gateway to freedom
I barrel down the sidewalk
taking 3/4 of the width for my own
and watch the walkers and runners
eye my children tucked under their quilts
that hide the warm rice bag and
ward off the chill of the day
I grin in the drizzle
breathe in deeply
and pick up my pace because
I can finally
move!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Year of the Bandaid
It's that time of year when we look forward and dream about all we could accomplish in the coming year, how many dreams we can make come true, which bad habits we're going to leave behind...
Of course, I have some specific goals, ones that involve paint and jogging strollers and writing deadlines; separately, not together. But this year I find myself more concerned about my inner person, the qualities will shape me for more than just the upcoming year.
Christmas morning, The Princess reached into her stocking and pulled out a package of Hello Kitty bandaids. The Princess is obsessed with bandaids, to look at her you'd think she was the clumsiest 3 year old on the planet. But the bandaids all over her body are just for show, to make her even more beautiful and princess-like.
Getting that box of bandaids was like winning the lottery. Everything else was secondary as she concentrated on getting that box open, picking out the perfect one and then carefully and painstakingly working her little fingers to pull away the wrapper from the prize inside. Perseverance in action folks.
She got that bandaid out, pulled off the tabs and then the big question was where to put it? What place on her body would be the perfect spot? What placement would telegraph how important, beautiful and exciting this gift was to her?
Well, she smacked that bandaid front and center, right on her forehead, between the eyes and over her eyebrows. She proudly wore that bandaid all day and every Christmas picture this year is going to show Hello Kitty waving proudly from between her eyes! Commitment and Excitement!
We're in Day 7 of the bandaid. We can't just pull it off unless we want an early introduction to what waxing the eyebrows is going to feel like. She's now sporting 1/2 a bandaid since I cut off the part that had finally released and was flapping in her eyes. It's an exercise in Grace and Patience.
One little bandaid placed in an unsual spot has given me a visual of who I'd like to be this coming year. Someone who commits to whatever project/task is in my path with perseverance in the midst of challenges. Someone who remembers that enthusiasm makes even the mundane more exciting and enjoyable. And someone who has the grace and patience to get through the little irritations of life and keep my eye on the little treasures in my life instead.
Of course, I have some specific goals, ones that involve paint and jogging strollers and writing deadlines; separately, not together. But this year I find myself more concerned about my inner person, the qualities will shape me for more than just the upcoming year.
Christmas morning, The Princess reached into her stocking and pulled out a package of Hello Kitty bandaids. The Princess is obsessed with bandaids, to look at her you'd think she was the clumsiest 3 year old on the planet. But the bandaids all over her body are just for show, to make her even more beautiful and princess-like.
Getting that box of bandaids was like winning the lottery. Everything else was secondary as she concentrated on getting that box open, picking out the perfect one and then carefully and painstakingly working her little fingers to pull away the wrapper from the prize inside. Perseverance in action folks.
She got that bandaid out, pulled off the tabs and then the big question was where to put it? What place on her body would be the perfect spot? What placement would telegraph how important, beautiful and exciting this gift was to her?
Well, she smacked that bandaid front and center, right on her forehead, between the eyes and over her eyebrows. She proudly wore that bandaid all day and every Christmas picture this year is going to show Hello Kitty waving proudly from between her eyes! Commitment and Excitement!
We're in Day 7 of the bandaid. We can't just pull it off unless we want an early introduction to what waxing the eyebrows is going to feel like. She's now sporting 1/2 a bandaid since I cut off the part that had finally released and was flapping in her eyes. It's an exercise in Grace and Patience.
One little bandaid placed in an unsual spot has given me a visual of who I'd like to be this coming year. Someone who commits to whatever project/task is in my path with perseverance in the midst of challenges. Someone who remembers that enthusiasm makes even the mundane more exciting and enjoyable. And someone who has the grace and patience to get through the little irritations of life and keep my eye on the little treasures in my life instead.
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