This day flew by as Michael is over for the weekend. Having all three boys together really seems to motivate me to kick into full time mother mode. On these days, I get alot more accomplished. I got up early today and jumped right into household chores, which of course is one of a procrastinater's favorite things to do. Then.......I cooked! Yes this is true. I cooked brunch for everyone (which is about 1pm around here) and I even got compliments. I don't know if I was being complimented on the food being wonderful or for actually cooking the food, but that is neither here nor there. So, being complimented by my children (for whatever reason) is definitely on my list of choices for today's Happy Happy Joy Joy award. But the day is still young.
After brunch, Michael and I decide to go over to my parent's house to see if I can help out with their preparations for my brother and niece's arrival tonight, in combination with the Labor Day BBQ/ mini family reunion tomorrow. We were not there long when Pops somehow used his magic powers on me and got me to volunteer to make the cupcakes. I think I may have been hypnotized by my parents at some point in life, and "cupcake" could be a trigger word!
Making cupcakes is a fairly simple cooking task for me, where it is simply simple for others. Pops showed faith in me, which made me both proud and nervous. I didn't want to disappoint.
All baked up great! I may even bake again someday! Oh, I have to frost them too?
I decided to ask Michael for assistance with the frosting. A little mother son bonding time - sure! Michael was hesitant as usual, mostly because he has never frosted anything before, and also because he is a 15 year old teenager and probably feared pictures or a video of him playing Betty Crocker may pop up on YouTube, or his Facebook/ MySpace page. He briefly protested saying he didn't know what he was doing, he would probably do it wrong, blah blah blah. I reassured him it was a piece of cake, no pun intended, and I would give him a quicky lesson. I played it off perfectly. He did not suspect that I, too, had the same fear- of popping up on the internet somewhere. Just kidding.
He had no idea I was as much a beginner as himself. We both did great! That is purely my own opinion of course. We did run out of frosting before getting to the second dozen cupcakes, but I'm sure that's normal right? I told Michael it was normal and retained my status as master baker to my son. In light of this, Michael frosting cupcakes has landed a spot on the list for today's Happy Happy Joy Joy Award.
Late in the evening and back at home, we all were strewn about the house doing our own things, as per the norm. Leaving the laundry room, I knocked on Devin's door. When he opened the door I was surprised to see what I saw. I had to question my vision for a moment, and then another moment. Okay if my eyes did not deceive me, this is what I saw.
Devin had his black light on, something entertaining playing on the monitor- South Park or Penn and Teller I think. But what is this... Ryan AND Michael were in there, AND they had been in there for a quite a while! Getting along and hanging out? In Devin's mancave??? This was truly a super duper Kodak moment for me, but I didn't want to break up the party by saying something to them and making a big deal out of it - like a parent usually does by default. So I took in the moment for literally only a moment, then quickly left, smiling and burning the memory into my mind. This is why My three sons bonding in mancave made the list for today's Happy Happy Joy Joy award.
And the winner of today's Happy Happy Joy Joy Award is.......
My Three Sons Bonding in Mancave!!!
Congrats and thanks for the memories. Until tomorrow....
Happiness is in the now! ......................at the end of the day reflect back on any moments which made you feel good. It will change the way you ultimately see your world, one moment at a time!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
C'est LA Vie
Such is life.
Where do I begin. I wish I would have started back on July 7th when my life changed on a dime getting terminated from my job for something that I could not even begin to know how to do. Or I could go back to December 14th, when my life experience list grew with a slap in handcuffs, and the loss of my goal of having no record Or even further back to November 08, when I found out the wrong way, that the house I was renting was going into foreclosure, and all the stability or foundation was wobbling again.
The point is there are many moments, benchmarks I suppose, that impact you deeply, that you think you will remember them to the tee, for life. And this is possibly true; however, if you look up to the memories above, you will see that they all have a personal negative or hurtful impact. That is why we remember them longer and with greater detail. They made us feel, feel emotions that we don't feel on a usual basis. Emotions that hurt, make us feel unstable, insecure, and make us doubt our own worth. They cut and bruise, and take a long time to heal because we hold them in to ourselves. Not sharing them with others out of shame or embarrassment. Not dealing with them the way we would deal with any other days experiences.
I could go back further than I did, but the gaps of time would be more spread apart. They are fading, which goes to show that time is the true healer....
Now I have many great days and memories and experiences and feelings... in between those dates above. Just about any other normal day could fill in the gaps. If you asked me about a good time, or what happened on a particular day, I could not tell you right at the moment. I would have to seriously meditate on it, and I would probably fall asleep! Why is that? Because those are the normal everyday living life days. No drama, no shockers, nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to write home about! LOL
But, I would like to start filling in those blanks. Be thankful for all the days I have easily forgotten about, because they way outnumber the days I won't forget! I would like to start finding at least one thing every day that I will remember. Remember how it made me feel, or what it made me stop and think of, or how it affected another person, or vice versa. That is a great goal!
Where do I begin. I wish I would have started back on July 7th when my life changed on a dime getting terminated from my job for something that I could not even begin to know how to do. Or I could go back to December 14th, when my life experience list grew with a slap in handcuffs, and the loss of my goal of having no record Or even further back to November 08, when I found out the wrong way, that the house I was renting was going into foreclosure, and all the stability or foundation was wobbling again.
The point is there are many moments, benchmarks I suppose, that impact you deeply, that you think you will remember them to the tee, for life. And this is possibly true; however, if you look up to the memories above, you will see that they all have a personal negative or hurtful impact. That is why we remember them longer and with greater detail. They made us feel, feel emotions that we don't feel on a usual basis. Emotions that hurt, make us feel unstable, insecure, and make us doubt our own worth. They cut and bruise, and take a long time to heal because we hold them in to ourselves. Not sharing them with others out of shame or embarrassment. Not dealing with them the way we would deal with any other days experiences.
I could go back further than I did, but the gaps of time would be more spread apart. They are fading, which goes to show that time is the true healer....
Now I have many great days and memories and experiences and feelings... in between those dates above. Just about any other normal day could fill in the gaps. If you asked me about a good time, or what happened on a particular day, I could not tell you right at the moment. I would have to seriously meditate on it, and I would probably fall asleep! Why is that? Because those are the normal everyday living life days. No drama, no shockers, nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to write home about! LOL
But, I would like to start filling in those blanks. Be thankful for all the days I have easily forgotten about, because they way outnumber the days I won't forget! I would like to start finding at least one thing every day that I will remember. Remember how it made me feel, or what it made me stop and think of, or how it affected another person, or vice versa. That is a great goal!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Too Blessed to be Stressed
How about some random thoughts.
I sit and think often about how I live paycheck to paycheck, barely. Everyday I think about how to stretch my dollar til my next check. Then I remember the next check will go to the rent, and that I have to stretch that dollar now for a whole month. Wow. Rent, utilities, food, gas, household supplies, car payment and insurance. It is all taken up. What to do if anybody gets sick, or my car breaks down, or well on and on. Me and my two sons, two dogs, and a cat. Oh yes, one son has a lizard that needs to be fed too.
As I drive to work I think about these things. Thankful that I have enough gas to get to work. Thankful that I have that Pop Tart and Cup O Noodles to eat for the day. And for dinner, Mac n Cheese & hot dogs - again. Such is the life for me. Pondering these thoughts every single day, it only dampens me, for a moment. Then I think about the following.
I think how lucky I am to have a job to go to. I think how blessed I am to have a reliable car to get me there. How fortunate I am to have a home of my own, with my children and our pets. Our family is together. My boys are still living with me, not caught up in the usual passtimes of kids their ages. I think how glad I am that we have just enough of what we need. And I am appreciative again.
There are so many people in this country that do not have these things. Many who had it, and have lost it all: their jobs, homes, cars, and ultimately their families. So many people I have seen recently that are living in RV's in parking lots. Some are living in shelters with their children. So many bank owned property signs on houses, it is so saddening. Also the abandoned animals that people cannot take care of anymore. I just had an abandoned pit bull find it's way to my house. Poor dog, looked like he hadn't eaten in days. Like someone drove him up my hill and threw him out of the car. Anyway that's another story.
I guess not having anything really substantial to lose to begin with has kept me in the safety zone. No mortgage, no stocks. It's amazing to me how when you grow up in this country, the goal as an adult to be successful is to go to college, have the well paying career, get married, buy a house, have children that you can primp to grow up to do the same things, have the family pet, the cars, the recreational toys, take vacations. Yet alot of families that had all these things not too long ago, have or are in jeapordy of losing all of it. I feel such empathy for these growing number of people. Slowly knowing it's all slipping through their fingers.. It's just a matter of time. Not knowing what to do. How do you tell your children? What do you tell your children?
To go from living the American dream to living in your car has got to have the ingredients for all around chaos in a person. Everything out of control. Psychologically and emotionally challenging. I'm not going to go into it further because it really gets me charged up, and that too is another story. I sincerely feel for people.
So for this I am blessed. Too Blessed to be Stressed. I am fortunate, blessed, and lucky today. By the time I'm finished thinking all of these thoughts, I have arrived at work. Time to start another day. I am thankful.
I sit and think often about how I live paycheck to paycheck, barely. Everyday I think about how to stretch my dollar til my next check. Then I remember the next check will go to the rent, and that I have to stretch that dollar now for a whole month. Wow. Rent, utilities, food, gas, household supplies, car payment and insurance. It is all taken up. What to do if anybody gets sick, or my car breaks down, or well on and on. Me and my two sons, two dogs, and a cat. Oh yes, one son has a lizard that needs to be fed too.
As I drive to work I think about these things. Thankful that I have enough gas to get to work. Thankful that I have that Pop Tart and Cup O Noodles to eat for the day. And for dinner, Mac n Cheese & hot dogs - again. Such is the life for me. Pondering these thoughts every single day, it only dampens me, for a moment. Then I think about the following.
I think how lucky I am to have a job to go to. I think how blessed I am to have a reliable car to get me there. How fortunate I am to have a home of my own, with my children and our pets. Our family is together. My boys are still living with me, not caught up in the usual passtimes of kids their ages. I think how glad I am that we have just enough of what we need. And I am appreciative again.
There are so many people in this country that do not have these things. Many who had it, and have lost it all: their jobs, homes, cars, and ultimately their families. So many people I have seen recently that are living in RV's in parking lots. Some are living in shelters with their children. So many bank owned property signs on houses, it is so saddening. Also the abandoned animals that people cannot take care of anymore. I just had an abandoned pit bull find it's way to my house. Poor dog, looked like he hadn't eaten in days. Like someone drove him up my hill and threw him out of the car. Anyway that's another story.
I guess not having anything really substantial to lose to begin with has kept me in the safety zone. No mortgage, no stocks. It's amazing to me how when you grow up in this country, the goal as an adult to be successful is to go to college, have the well paying career, get married, buy a house, have children that you can primp to grow up to do the same things, have the family pet, the cars, the recreational toys, take vacations. Yet alot of families that had all these things not too long ago, have or are in jeapordy of losing all of it. I feel such empathy for these growing number of people. Slowly knowing it's all slipping through their fingers.. It's just a matter of time. Not knowing what to do. How do you tell your children? What do you tell your children?
To go from living the American dream to living in your car has got to have the ingredients for all around chaos in a person. Everything out of control. Psychologically and emotionally challenging. I'm not going to go into it further because it really gets me charged up, and that too is another story. I sincerely feel for people.
So for this I am blessed. Too Blessed to be Stressed. I am fortunate, blessed, and lucky today. By the time I'm finished thinking all of these thoughts, I have arrived at work. Time to start another day. I am thankful.
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