gratitude – Page 3 – Writes for all Mommies

children, family, gratitude, happiness, humor, kids, life in pictures, motherhood, parenting

A Year in Review (Happy New Year!)

31/12/201331/12/2013 WFAM

I am typing this with a sports-related pinkie sprain. While I have learned some great lessons this year, apparently I still am slow on the realization that my husband is a competitive beast. Even playing an innocent family game of touch football in the backyard brings out his win-at-all-costs attitude. I blame him entirely for the injury, but I blame myself for even playing in the first place.

In 2013 I think the biggest change I have noticed, especially with Full Speed, is the strange phenomena of actually being helpful without being asked. I am rendered speechless when one or both of my boys volunteers to hold a door, carry a bag, let a dog out, etc. and in turn, make my life a little bit easier. I didn’t think it was possible. That’s not to say they are perfect or that it happens all the time, it’s just a tiny, little gleaming light at the end of the tunnel for those parents up to their neck in diapers, bottles and constant demands. May this help us all set the stage for even more positive changes and growth in the coming New Year.

Another major positive change was being reunited with our dog. T.Puzzle continues to respond well healthwise to both dogs we have now, and seems to have completely outgrown his allergy to them. Honestly, we never outgrew our love for her and we never will.

Mad Dog and I celebrated our ten-year wedding anniversary. I can say without doubt, these past ten years have been the best of my life. It’s not that life somehow got magically easier once we got married, in fact, we’ve faced some pretty major life events. It has more to do with having someone in your corner that appreciates you for all the right reasons and sticks by you even when you are anything but your best. My goal for my family is to create a home that is filled with love and acceptance. With Mad Dog by my side, this goal is automatic.

Familes, people, circumstances and life are never perfect. The real lesson is to somehow find the love when all else seems dark. There are always reasons to be thankful. Sometimes it takes creativity to glean gratitude from your life. Just make sure you surround yourself with awesome people and then finding the gratitude will be easier than you think.

children, family, gratitude, happiness, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

I Tink I Love You

21/12/201322/12/2013 WFAM

When I was young, I always dreamed of having a family of my own. For some reason, for years I was convinced that my firstborn would be a daughter who would look just like me. I imagined she was be shy and quiet. She would read books, chase butterflies and have deep, empathic qualities. As you know, instead I was blessed with quite the exact opposite.

As parents, sometimes it’s easier to believe that if our children were like us, that somehow, they would make more ‘sense’ to us. We spend a lot of time analyzing our kids and how we think they should be. Certainly, we’ve lived enough life to know what has worked for us. Since our children share our genes, it seems reasonable that what worked for us will work for them. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case.

Having just returned from a Disney cruise, which was phenomenal, I have to admit, there were times I longed for that little girl who would happily pose with me for every Disney character under the sun. Instead, I had two extremely reluctant boys that had to be threatened into photo compliance. Stinky attitudes aside, these boys somehow amazingly pulled it together and rocked out each and every photo.

I couldn’t imagine two more extraordinary, bright, entertaining and loving kids.

What I have learned is that the children you are given are rarely what you expect them to be, but miraculously, are more amazing than you could ever hope for.

Disney Cruise Tips: Cruising with Kids (chipandco.com)

children, gratitude, humor, kids, mommyhood, motherhood, parenting

7+9=Never

09/12/2013 WFAM

This is an extremely busy time of year. For our family, it can feel even busier because we have birthdays and a wedding anniversary tucked in between all the major holidays. Somehow, we make it all work and manage to celebrate each and every milestone in our own way.

This morning as I began my walk to school with my recently turned older boys, T.Puzzle commented since now he is seven and Full Speed is nine, I should let them have a little more freedom. They both wanted to start walking independently earlier on our school route. Each had different points that they thought were suitable for me to turn back and let them walk the rest of the way on their own. I was open to hearing all of their ideas as I do see real maturity and growth in both of them. T.Puzzle had lagged behind as he often does and when he finally caught up to me to plead his case for more independence, he looked different to me. I didn’t know if it was a recent growth spurt or what exactly, but something certainly had changed. He seemed lighter. So light in fact, that I soon realized he didn’t have his backpack and we already had walked halfway to school.

Let’s just say, it’s real hard to convince your Mom for more independence if you can’t even remember your own backpack.

Better luck next birthday.

children, family, gratitude, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

We Are the Champions

07/12/201307/12/2013 WFAM

The stage was set. Parents, grandparents and siblings lined the field. The air buzzed with anticipation. Full Speed had made it to the big dance. His remarkable flag football team was in the championship game. I was nervous because I was first and foremost awake, and I was nervous because I had a feeling the other team thought they would beat us with ease. A parent from the opposition casually mentioned they had won last night’s play-off 38-8. He said it with such cool confidence that it seemed the final score was all the statement needed. We knew enough about this team to know they had two rainmakers. What they didn’t know is that we had the lightning quick hands of defense that could make the rain stop. And, stop them we did.

Since our defense was on fire, it allowed our offense to kick it into high gear. Full Speed ran the ball again and again setting us up for awesome field position. The opposition then became so focused on his running that they couldn’t handle the deep bombs that our QB kept launching. This is where Full Speed’s team was a cut above the rest. We had an actual receiver that could catch these deep bombs. This is quite rare in a U10 league and is what marched us into a 26-18 victory.

Go Black Dragons!

children, family, gratitude, humor, kids, motherhood, parenting

5,000

25/11/2013 WFAM

I’m noticing a trend. In many ways, life with Full Speed and T.Puzzle is becoming much more pleasant. Even though they are off school for a whole week for Thanksgiving, I didn’t even bat an eye. I took them to the store today and I had zero anxiety about it. If you know me it all, that is a near miraculous statement. Of course, I still have rather unusual conversations with them before we enter any place that is of public domain.

“Your decisions in the store will determine whether or not you will be spending a large amount of time in your rooms or not once we return home. I am only going to give you one warning. Next time I have to speak to you about your behavior, you will have to go to your rooms as soon as we get home.”

“But, Mom,… is that one warning total or is that a warning a piece for each thing we do? Like, ‘Calm down!’, ‘Be quiet!’, ‘Don’t kick your brother!'” Full Speed had quite a list.

At this point I was only half-listening as the list went on and on. “I don’t know, Full Speed. I just don’t know.”

“Mom, what if T.Puzzle and I came up with 5,000 different ways to get in trouble? Is that equal to 5,000 warnings? What would you say to that, Mom?”

“I would say you are very talented.”

He grinned and chuckled.

Thankfully, we didn’t even crack the top ten.

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