I Was Here 3/29/11

(turn off the music below to enjoy the video)
You will notice me
I'll be leaving my mark
 like initials carved
In an old oak tree,
you wait and see
Maybe I'll write like Twain wrote
Maybe I'll paint like Van Gogh
Cure the common cold,
I don't know
But I'm ready start
'cause I know in my heart
I wanna do something that matters,
say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
 I wanna do something better
with the time I've been given
I wanna try
to touch a few hearts in this life
Leave nothing less
than something that says
I was here
I will prove you wrong
If you think I'm all talk,
you're in for a shock
Cause this dream's too strong
and before too long
Maybe I'll compose symphonies
Maybe I'll fight for world peace
Cause I know it's my destiny
To leave more than a trace
of myself in this place!
I wanna do something that matters,
say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better
with the time I've been given
I wanna try
to touch a few hearts in this life
And leave nothing less
than something that says
I was here
And I know that I,
I will do more than
just pass through this life
I'll leave nothing less
than something that says
I was here
I was here

I love this song.....had to share. It is something I think most people have inside of them, we all want to leave our mark in this world. Sadly many do not follow their dreams or hearts. I hope that I instill in my children to chase after rainbows, to live life outloud, to color outside the lines. I hope that they know to keep trying, and to never give up, when they find something that they are passionate about and awakens their soul. My blog,  my photographs and my time spent with my children are my mark....something that says I was here. It's not Mark Twain, or portraits like Ansel Adams.....but they tell my story, hopes and dreams, and the memories we make and share are part of my legacy.  And one day I hope that they mean everything to my children...and that is what matters, when I leave this place, they will have more than a trace, I will leave nothing less, than something that says "I was here".

You Know You Are A Mom When.....

You know you are a mom when your child comes to just before bed saying he feels sick because he can't find a small black notebook with his "Marine Plans" (things he has written for when he is older).  And you tear up the house searching for it...on your hands and knees with a flashlight looking under furniture and the little "cubby" places that kids love to stick things.  Finally, just before midnight, I found it ♥

I'm going to be a tired mom today....it's a 3X5 black notebook...and he said he remembered he had it when he went to the Odyssey of the Mind Competition (first saturday of this month) I didn't think I'd find it but I said I would look until midnight...he would be so happy if I found it.  And like most moms, when your child is hurt or upset...you will do anything to make them feel better.  I had to stop and think "where would I put my journal of Marine Plans if I was a 7 year old boy".  I began searching his toy room and then their bedroom side (with a flashlight as not to wake them).  Then I checked the living room, kitchen and then the art room.  And then I remembered.  They had looked for stickers for their derby cars in their art backpacks....and I opened his up and what did I see?  A little spiral black notebook staring back at me.  I smiled because it doesn't always happen that a mom can fix a situation, or make things better.  Sometimes things are beyond our control (and the abilities of superglue).  I raced up to his room, it was near midnight, but at this point I was wide awake.   I almost wanted to wake him to let him know he was so heartbroken when he couldnt find it. In fact when I went in to put the notebook at he foot of his bed I couldn't help but whisper in his ear "Mommy found your notebook" in hopes that he would have sweet dreams knowing it was safe!  I hoped they would return the favor and let me sleep in today but I knew if he saw the notebook in the morning he'd wake me up. 

It was totally worth it....this morning he came over for "cuddle time".  He didn't see his little notebook I had placed at the end of his bed.  He was in a gentle sleeplike stage and I whispered I found your book.  He said "where was it?" And I told him I found it in his art backpack.  He nuzzled his head under my chin and onto my chest with his arms squeezing me tight...and he said "I love you Mommy".  Then he quickly jumped out of bed to go and get his notebook.  I loved the tender moment we shared and completely understood his need to go hold his notebook with his own hands...to hold onto what he had thought he had lost!! My mommy heart understood that feeling...which explains why I searched for a notebook in the first place.  He held onto his notebook like I was holding onto to the feeling...that I do not ever, ever want to lose!

The Daffodil Principle

The Daffodil Principle
 Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday, "I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"


My daughter smiled, "We drive in this all the time, Mom."

"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears and then I'm heading straight for home!" I said, rather emphatically.

"Gee, Mom, I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car," Carolyn said with a forlorn look in her eyes.

"How far will we have to drive?"
 

Smiling she answered, "Just a few blocks, I'll drive ... I'm used to this."

After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!" "We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils." 

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." 

"It's all right, Mom, I promise, you will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church I saw a hand-lettered sign ...

Daffodil Garden

We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. As we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped.

Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.

Five acres of the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen!
"Who planted all these?" I asked Carolyn.

"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.

We walked up to the house we saw a sign...

ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS

I Know You Are Asking:

50,000 bulbs

one at a time

by one woman

2 hands, 2 feet

and very little brain

Began in 1958

When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her direct way, "Start tomorrow, Mom," she said, "It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of our yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson a celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask... 

"How can I put this to use today?"

There it was ... "The Daffodil Principle"
For me that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top.

Still, this unknown, old woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of magnificent beauty, and inspiration.

 

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration: Learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.

Written by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

Hello Pollen, Hello Spring!

Pollen pollen everywhere,
pollen pollen in my hair;
now my car is coated green,
and soon everywhere else I've seen;
I cannot wait until the pollen leaves,
because nobody looks cute when they sneeze;
the weather's great that is no doubt, but soon we'll have the pollen count.
Being outdoors is great except for one thing....Hello Pollen, Hello Spring!

I cannot wait to start planting my garden.  It is always a fun time and I love seeing what plants survived the winter and begin to bring life to the flower beds.  The roses are already budding and the climbers have new shoots.  The Canna bulbs are already shooting up through the earth as if to say "hello, I am here".   Once they start coming up I replant them in other flower beds.  My neighbor gifted me with 6 bulbs from her flower bed and in two short years I must have close to 50 of these plants.  Soon I will be "gifting" my friends with this flower bed "bully" as I affectionately call it.  It starts out such a beautiful green foilage plant and when I return from the beach in the summer these stalk like striking red flowers can reach up to 5 feet tall!  It tends to crowd out my roses but provides a tropical rainforest look.  I've noticed an increase number of toads and lizards in the flower beds where they are located.  The jasmine vine leaves have returned to green after the reddish color that comes each winter.  Soon the sweet smell will fill my backyard and compliment the gardenia bushes.  I would fill my yard with gardenia bushes but my yard gets too much direct sun, and the heat is not their favorite!  The english ivy in the front yard is starting to wane...which means I may have won the battle and can plant some shade plants there!!  The butterfly bushes hopefully will be happier this year, since I had to move them and they didn't not seem to like their new location.  I love the blue Plumbago bushes that provide great contrast admist the roses and under the dogwood tree.  The yellow lantana  covers the flower beds and sometimes tries to climb near the jasmine by the end of summer.  The purple and pink verbena in the flower pots provide a waterfall of colors with the annual plants that soon will join them. 

I love to visit the nursery and get new plants and add to the colors that return in my flowerbed each year.  I can spend hours at Plant and See, our local nursery in our town.  The boys will go with me and pick their plant for the year.  They will help plant the flower and love to water them for me in the evenings!  I've started getting more  perennials and hope this winters snow did not hinder their root system.  I love flowers that bloom all throughout spring, summer and fall.  Our new dog seems to enjoy digging and keeps getting into the rose garden...digging dangerously close to my jasmine vine.  I am not sure what he's after but once I get more flowers planted I hope that he finds somewhere else to bury his bones! 

Now once the pine pollen is completely over (and I hope for a nice long rain shower to wash it all away) then I can start planting.  Hello Spring!

Look Mom...No Hands!!!

[riding a bicycle up the street] "People always say you should be yourself ~ like yourself is this definite thing ~ like a toaster, or something. Like you can know what it is, even. But every so often, I’ll have like…a moment, where being myself, and my life right where I am is, like, enough." [she releases the handlebars and rides up the street, no hands] ~ My So Called Life (turn off the music below to enjoy the videos below)
Ever have one of those days when you just need to let go and throw your hands up in the air while you are on the crazy ride called life??? It's like the bicycle scene in City of Angels, where Meg Ryan is riding her bike.....wind at her face...free, almost flying.....without a care, at peace...her mind flooded with memories and moments....(yes, I know that there is a tragic ending to it) but was it really?? I would rather have had
One breath of her hair,
One kiss from her mouth,
One touch of her hand,
Than eternity without it.
One!

So for today....throw your hands up in the air, feel the wind and embrace the moment of your life right where you are.... so that someone one day will say "when they ask me what was the best part was....I will tell them it was you. "

It's Never Too late ~

"It's never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. You can make the best or worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you feel things that you never felt before. I hope you live a life that you're proud of and if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again" ~Benjamin Button

I have lived a life of reinventions of sorts.  I've worked several jobs, I loved starting over at age 24 moving to NC to go to college only knowing one person in town.  It was like a rebirth on many levels.  Questioning and growing along the way.  Then came marriage... a whirlwind of emotions and growing with another person.   Next came having kids.  Not an easy task for us....we had hurdle after hurdle and what a learning experience on so many levels. Then came life...and all it's ups and downs.  At some point, I lost myself and my dreams.  As a mother it is easy to do.  I often joked that I went to school, to get a degree, to become a mom.  It is so easy after all we went through to put these little miracles and all their hopes and dreams before my very own.  I stopped writing, stopped painting, had a degree yet I didn't use it.....but I have never resented or regretted putting their needs before my own.  That is just what mothers do.

And now I find that I am teaching my children to dream big dreams and to not let go of them.  For them to explore and be whatever they want to be....I want them to try anything...win or lose...succeed or fail.  We try to live life to the fullest.  Not too get to busy in life that they stop doing the things that they love or have time to just "be" themselves.   Life is too short to waste time on "what ifs" and "if I had only".  I try to teach them to live in the moment because it will pass us by whether we like it or not. 

I started writing more in my journal, and at night both the boys are writing in one too.  I tried to keep up with the 365 photo journal.  Where you take picture everyday and it tells a story over the year.  I loved to take pictures and each year I say I am going to do this type of journal and end up too busy.  I've had several online journals and trying to merge them into one here, but that has been a labor of love and was overwhelming.  I felt it was important for my kids to know who I am and what I am feeling at this moment in my life and I began to write in my journal again (with a few older posts added along the way).  And instead of taking a picture, I aim to capture moments.  There are moments that are special and treasured and the moments of just "ordinary days" which together tell our story.   And I am painting too.  We go to the Accidental Artist at least once a month and paint together.  We break out the paints in our house and  paint on canvas, framing each one and placing it on our "art wall".   We have taken them to plays at ECU theatre since they were three, with yearly Family Fare tickets and have seen some pretty amazing plays.  I watch as they sit there and become one with the character, or ask quizzical questions about what is going on during the performance.  I love how they embrace the Arts.  I love how they freely want to explore and try anything.  I love how they seem to lack the fear of failure.  How they will try anything new and their williness to learn.  How wide open their eyes are to the world....childlike in wonder and grace.  Funny how, if you look closely, your children even at a young age can become your teacher.  How you begin to live again, whether it's through them or with them.  Hopefully, it is a little bit of both.   It is never too late or too early to be "reborn".  Where you discover and redisover things you may have long forgotten. When you get down on the ground and play games, snuggle to read stories of incredible make believe and voices, your imagination grows and your heart swells.  When you get back to the basics...what is really important and life...the simple things, the little things....and you start living....really living!

Yes, we have our less than stellar moments....as all families do.  Life deals us many different cards,  and just like the song, we have to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away and know when to run.  But the best hand we are dealt is  living the life we are proud of.  The one where we are true to ourselves.  Sure we may not like the hand we are dealt at any one particular time, but if you know who the Dealer is (in my case God)....you just cast out your bad cards and await to see what hand you draw.   Sometimes it is left to chance but in the end it matters not what hand you are dealt but whose hands you are in. 

So if you find that you are stuck, feel you are in a rut, maybe it's time you reshuffled the deck....and reinvent yourself...it's never too late or too early.  Don't leave this world without it knowing who you really are.

A visit from the "Super Moon"

The moon was so bright, and hasn't been this close to the Earth since 1992!  Cooper and I ventured outside with my camera and I was able to get some awesome pictures last night...but I wish I could have seen it as it rose....here is a link of some incredible shots Amazing Moon Pictures  and here are a few I took below:

Pinewood Derby Race Day

Today was our Cub Scout Pack 200 Pinewood Derby Race Day.  We made our cars two days before the race and needed help getting the wheels on.  We worked together and went to the cub scout Derby workshops where they cut the cars out for us.  The boys took two matchbox cars to the have their woodblocks cut out.  They picked their stickers and for racing stripes they found a sheet of "duct tape" at A.C. Moore. They sanded their cars and began to paint...then the decals went on and off to the prequalifying on Friday night we went...without our wheels on.  The Scout Master assisted up as we did not know what we were doing...and we were told to add graphite to the wheel hubs...without instruction and so we left our cars last night in anticipation for the race.   We had no anticipation of winning a race, if we did we'd be thrilled.  As we saw on prequalification night that there are plenty of scouts and their parents that take this seriously.  There were tips that were shared about how to make your car faster..how your cars should be shaped, how much weight and where it should be placed were many of the tips we over heard or were told.  We just had fun.  The boys had fun.  We made cars together and the boys were happy.  We were happy.  We NEVER anticipated to win.  In fact, we even made plans for the upcoming weekend to visit relatives and friends...even though it was the District Competition.  That is how certain we knew that our cars were not up to par and that we didn't think we'd win.  Now, don't get me wrong....we wanted nothing more than to see our kids cars cross the finish line first, but we just went into it with the motto of a cub scout "Do Your Best".  The most important thing for us was that our kids had fun.  In fact when we had our cars weighed...Elliott's car weighed 4.901 and Coopers was 4.8 and the check in qualifiers asked us if we wanted to add more weight before checking our cars in.  The cars could weigh up to 5.0 oz.   We declined and observed others look on as if we should add more...but it wasn't important to us to add more weight to win.   The kids were happy with their cars..and we sent them into the prequalifying pit. 

Today was the day of the race.  We arrived and like proud parents took pictures and quite frankly thought that our kids would do ok, maybe win a race here or there...and then we'd be gone by lunchtime.  This was not the case.  First race up...Elliott wins.  What a great moment to watch him beam with pride.  Next race, Cooper is up..he comes in second but he doesn't seem to mind at all.  He places his car back and walks by where I am sitting at the finish line and gives me a kiss.  My heart swells.  Elliotts car goes down several more times...finishing first, second, third...he never shows disappointment.  He high fives his team mates and you see him thumbs up when his friends win.  Each time Cooper car goes down he comes over each and everytime and gives me a kiss.  I have to say that was the best award received for this day....for I did not see any other mom get such a sweet reward from their scout.  Whether he kissed me for luck or not...his car kept winning coming in 1st in almost every race he was in.  The last race Elliott is up...and his car comes in first.  Now for the judging.....and to my surprise Cooper wins first!  He is off to the Districts!! Elliott placed 8th out of 15 and did an outstanding job.  I could tell he felt sad that he did not place 1, 2 or 3...he really wanted a trophy.  But he was so excited to receive the blue ribbon everyone got for participating...you would have thought it was a trophy!  They watched and cheered on the Wolves and observed the record breaking Weeblos... observing the cars and how fast their speeds were.  Cooper had to continue to the finals with the other cars to see which car was the fastest overall.  There was one Weeblo that showed such outstanding sportsmanship...cub scout shakes with every finish and good race comments to his fellow racers.  He impressed me so much I had to find out his name and make sure I told the Scout Master and then his mother. 

Later that afternoon when we were cleaning up, I spoke to the boys and to another scout neighbor about this particular scout who, to me, won the biggest award of the day (aside from my Cooper kisses....beaming proud mom heart of mine is biased on this one) I shared with them how this young fellow scout displayed such great sportsmanship and conduct that was better than any trophy,certificate, or ribbon that day.  It was such a great day....from beginning to end.  What a great experience for us all.  The saying "it doesn't matter if you win or lose it matters if you have fun" is so true.  Not only did we have fun....we had what mattered most...our memories of this moment we spent together!

Something worth leaving behind by Lee Ann Womack

(be sure to turn off the music below to enjoy the video)
This is the song that was the inspiration for my blog.....

Something Worth Leaving Behind <3 By Lee Ann Womak
Hey Monalisa, who was Leonardo? Was he Andy Warhol?
Were you Marilyn Monroe
Hey Mozart, what kind of name is Amadeus
 It's kinda like Elvis
You gotta die to be famous
I may not go down in history
I just want someone to remember me
I'll probably never hold a brushthat paints a masterpiece
Probably never find a penthat writes a symphony
 But if I will love
then I will find
That I have touched another life
 And that's something
Something worth leaving behind
Hey Midas you say you have the magic touch
But even all that shiny stuff
Someday is gonna turn to dust
Hey Jesus it must have been some Sunday morning
 In a blaze of glory
We're still tellin' your story
I may not go down in history
 I just want someone to remember me
I'll probably never dream a dreamand watch it turn to gold
 I know I'll never lose my lifeto save another soul
But, if I will love
then I will find
That I have touched another life
 And that's something
Something worth leaving behind
Hey baby see the future that we're building
 Our love lives on
 in the lives of our children
And that's something
Something worth leaving behind

How To Catch A Leprechaun

First things first, if you want to catch a Leprechaun you must build a "lucky" trap. The boys have conjured up many a scheme and traps over the past three years, and this year was no exception. They went to work with a container, dominos, a smaller ladder, some string, a bottle of water with a shiny green stone in it, and notes to lure the Leprechaun in to find a shiny gold coin.

You carefully place all your creative props in hopes of catching the ever elusive Leprechaun that plans to wreak havoc on your unsuspecting home the night before St. Patrick's Day.

The boys went to sleep after hiding all their coins, because they didn't want the Leprechaun to take them. As night fell, something began to stir amongst the boys room, could it be....the Leprechaun???

The boys were sound asleep as the mischief and mayhem began....their pants were tossed about their room...even hanging from the ceiling fan! Their favorite crocodile soon occupied the empty drawer and looked as if he was ready to pounce at any given moment. The Leprechaun spied the trap, he crept closer, closer, the gold coin called to him.

He read the note carfully...

oh what the luck! 

A gold dime was left inside, 

he must take a look!

But wait, it's a trap! 

The Leprechaun laughed, 

these kids made a great trap, 

they thought they could trick me?

 I'll show them how it's done, 

I'm the best at being tricky! 

And off with a flash,

 the Leprechaun set off

to spread his mischief

with all sorts of things....

As he ran from the trap,

he left a trail of green Leprechaun dust

 and two rainbow slinkies, and two shiny rings.

Downstairs,

 he paused and thought, 

what kind of fun can I have

 and with that he was off! 

To the bathroom he ran, 

and boy did he make trouble. 

The toilet paper he tossed

 and in the toilet a green bubble! 

The kitchen was next,

 he tipped chairs upside down and 

 tossed gold covered candy coins

 all on the ground!

 He hung shoes on the table 

and jackets on the floor,

 but he couldn't stop now...

he had to do more!

 He tipped over their pirate chest

 and found nothing inside! 

Another trick he thought,

 well this one is mine! 

He raced back upstairs

 and tossed stuffed animals all over,

 the Leprechaun thought

 this will show them tomorrow!

The boys woke up
bright and early,
6:42 to be exact.
They shouted in excitement
when they thought of their trap.
"GET MOM" was soon heard
as they saw with delight
a Leprechaun had come
to visit them last night!

In the shadows  we saw him,
in a flash he was gone!
The Leprechaun was here
and the boys search was soon on!
They looked at their bedroom,
it sure was a mess!
Pants on the ceiling fan,
was their trap a success???
They saw the green glitter,
their excitement did soar...
is he in our trap
or has he run out the door?

No Leprechaun here..
he didn't fall for our trap!
 He must be still here,
so they were off in a snap.
Down to the kitchen
they saw such a sight!
The chairs are all crazy,
this just wasn't right!
 Oh my, our coats
 are tossed on the floor,
our shoes are hung up...
but wait there is more!

Onto the bathroom,
and what do we see???
There is toilet paper everywhere...
and even green pee???

So much excitement,
 this was so cool!
But we had to eat breakfast
and get ready for school!
 So we picked our cereal..
we thought "Trix" was just right...
but nothing prepared us
for our next greatest sight.
The milk poured out
and was normal at best,
but once it hit the cereal
 the magic suggests....
When suddenly the milk became green!
 Was the Leprechaun still here?
Did he want to be seen?
The boys ran back upstairs
determined to catch him...
but just like last year
 he was gone in Leprechaun fashion!!

Taking Time

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (I John 3:1). To lavish is to give freely, profusely, extravagantly, and abundantly. He doesn't give us everything we want when we want it. No father wants spoiled children. Rather, He gives us everything we need to become well-behaved children who bear His name well.

A good friend shared this devotion with me today. And it is sooo true, we were talking about something like this yesterday at the boys school (about how kids today have so many gadgets and that there is lack of creativity and don't know how to "play") One of the staff said her grandkids came to visit their retreat and that she had army men and the boys didn't even know how to set them up. She said she had to get down on the floor and set them up because they didn't know how to "play". I shared how our kids do not watch TV in our house (except for news/weather) and they get to watch movies on special nights and weekends. Many of my kids friends look at us with quizical eyebrowed looks and their first reply is usually "do you not OWN any televisions in your house". And when I tell them that yes we do, we just don't watch them. That usually follows with well what do we do? And that answer is that we "play".

I often worry if I am holding my children back by withholding technology from them. I see kids today as young as 4 able to use a cellphone, and play games on a iphone. My kids do not know what an MP3 player even is, which now they are probably obsolete with the ipad nano and 3G/4G phones. We thought the desktop computer we got them for their 5th birthday would be a great segway into technology and loaded it with educational games. These days it would be considered a relic in computer standards. We finally got wireless interenet this year so that they could access their school websites for educational games, because the boys wanted to get to a place in their JumpStart games that was only accessbile via internet. The boys just "had to have it" so when we got it, we thought they would be begging us to play it. Not so much...which is what I hear some parents say that they spend all this money on video games and then the kids either a) spend little time playing them b) they spend too much time playing it or c) they use the video game playing time as a reward/punishment. My kids have asked for a DSi for the first time last Christmas, we asked them why did they want it. They said they wanted to be able to play a Military game that they saw a friend play over the summer. We discussed that the game was made for older children and that we could get a DSi but they'd have to wait until they were older to get that game. They quickly changed their minds and they no longer wanted the DSi. They will sit and watch someone playing a DSi but still show little interest in owning one (I am sure that time will come when that changes). They loved playing the Kinects no remote control video bowling and boxing at their Memaw and PawPaws and have played Wii Resort Sports with our neighbor, but for short amounts of time compared to playing with their toys or other board games.

Recently, we went to an Odyssey of the mind competition and it was an all day excursion. Many kids had Dsi's, parents had their multipurpose cell phones, some had ipads, and we brought board games. We had Connect Four, Trouble, and Toy Story Yahtzee....and it amazed me how many wanted to play the board games over the gadgets. What was even more amazing was how many had never played them before or had forgotten how to play them! What fun it was to sit and watch the kids teach each other the rules and sit and play these 'relic' games that didn't have fancy buttons, gadgets, bells or whistles. Just good old fashioned fun.

Which got me to thinking, that all of this applies to our lives as well...with so much "stuff" do we really see what is important. Do we get so busy and distracted that we forget relish all the little things that happen everyday? It also reminds me of my post from yesterday, the gift of an ordinary day. Kids will not always remember the gifts we've gotten them over the years, but they will remember how we made them feel. How true it is for adults as well. It is easy to lose sight on what is important in our day to day routines. So today, take a time out, to see the little things....take the time not only to "play" but to"pray"!

"The Gift of an Ordinary Day"

(Be sure to turn off the music below before watching the video)
"I know I can't make time slow down, can't hold our life as it is in a freeze frame or slow my children's inexorable journeys into adulthood and lives of their own. But I can celebrate those journeys by bearing witness to them, by paying attention, and, perhaps most of all, by carrying on with my own growth and becoming. Now it dawns on me that the only way I can figure out what I'm meant to be doing is to try to understand who I'm meant to be...I will not waste this life, not one hour, not one minute. I will not take for granted the blessing of our being here...I will give thanks..."

I had to share this again, before another spring and summer begins.....it is written and read by Katrina Kenison......This could sum up my lives and those of my friends! Enjoy your Ordinary Days!!!

Change the Voices in Your Head

(turn off the music below to enjoy the video)

Made a wrong turn ~ Once or twice ~ Dug my way out ~ Blood and fire~ Bad decisions ~ That’s alright ~ Welcome to my silly life ~ Mistreated, misplaced, missunderstood ~ Miss “no way it’s all good” ~ It didn’t slow me down~ Mistaken ~ Always second guessing ~ Underestimated ~ Look, I’m still around…Pretty, pretty please ~ Don’t you ever, ever feel ~Like you’re less than ~Less than perfect ~Pretty, pretty please ~ If you ever, ever feel ~ Like you're nothing...You are perfect too Me!!!

I love, love, love this song....it's the "radio" version but still awesome!! Why do we change ourselves...why do we do that..why do I do that! Life happens, life can change us or do we become changed by it? Sometimes change is good, sometimes we change to what we feel is more socially acceptable or because we have searched ourselves and grown from an experience. Wear what's in style, cut your hair, drive this car, live in this house....people really do live with the mentality that they have to be a certain way. Whether it is to fit in, or to be cool, to be understood...there are those who make decisions with the crowd. Then there are those that step away, go to the beat of their own drummer, and not only take the road less traveled, they make a trail all their own. It is the best feeling when we can just be and be accepted for who we are, truly accepted by those that love us!

I have a dear friend who is considering changing her name back to her maiden name post divorce. Having not only to deal with all the changes of all that comes with separation and rebuilding a life, the what to do about your name comes into the mix. My best advice to her...Your kids see you as "mom" and there is no greater name than that!! Shakespeare said it best in Romeo and Juliet, "What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"..what matters most is who someone is, not what they are called.

So change those voices in your head....

Plain Will Never Be The Same

Rarely does a commercial captivate me...but this one is phenomenal! It's almost too good, because I almost forgot they are actually "selling" something. Well Done! If you haven't seen it yet ~ Enjoy! (be sure to turn off the music below before watching the video)

"Plain was the same as it ever was the same.
Plainly plain, samely same...
But then someone lit the flame.
Plain rode away on lion's mane.
Where plain met fruits with strangely names.
Such wonderful things they did contain.
A shot of life to a hungry vein.
The captive beast who broke the chain.
And there upon that fruited plane,
is where plain became what plain became.
So much more than more than plain.
Plain will never be the same."

With Every Goodbye You Learn

Comes The Dawn

After a while, you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With the grace of a woman,
not the grief of a child,
And learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans,
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight
And after a while, you learn That even sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure...
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn
and learn...
With every goodbye, you learn.

It is a yellowed newspaper cutout from Ann Landers that I've saved since 1983-84. I used to cut out every "Love is" cartoon

They are all saved in a scrapbook from 7th-10th grade. Movie stubs, school memorabilia, pictures of friends and saved notes from girlfriends....carefully folded in the many creative ways that girls did back then with letters. And it got me to thinking how we wrote our inner most thoughts and feelings so freely back then. How we shared so much in a note...who we had a crush on, silly comments about tv shows, etc. but it was how we tucked our words with intricate folds and tucks of paper into some origami art form. It was as if even then we knew above all guard your heart and what you shared. It is a flashback in time, nostalgic....and at the same time relevant. Which brings me back to the saved poem from Ann Landers column. To love, is to take the chance on another, without knowing where that will lead. How we guard our heart, but at some point we open our innermost thoughts and feelings to another...And then, like that origami paper, our hearts fold back for all to see. Some go on to have 75th wedding anniversaries, some end in divorce after a few short years. No matter how long or how short the relationship...Love brought two people together and in the end it's a matter if love is or was enough. For a moment think back to your first boy/girlfriend and remember the breakup...how devastated you felt, the tears, the heartache. How crushed and overwhelming the feelings were with the "goodbye". At a time when you were discovering yourself and finding your path into the world. I do not feel that the pain lessens with each goodbye...but you do learn. Which is why it is so important to plant your own garden, and decorate your soul, nurturing it as it grows, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers...you will plant your own ~ So if you meet the man or woman of your dreams, it doesn't mean your garden is more or less beautiful because of it. Plant your seeds of today so that your tomorrows will have strong roots and your garden will grow with every goodbye it will grow!

Our Future's Paved With Better days

(turn off music below before playing the video)

I loved the book Eat, Pray, Love. Some thought the woman was selfish leaving her life to fulfill her own needs...I saw it as a woman in search of herself, her faith, her awakening. I loved this song when I first heard it and had to share it. May we all experience a moment of awakening ~

I feel part of the universe open up to meet me
My emotion so submerged, broken down to kneel in
Once listening, the voices they came
Had to somehow greet myself, read myself
Heard vibrations within my cells, in my cells
Singing, "Ah-la-ah-ah, ah-la-ah-ah"

My love is safe for the universe
See me now, I'm bursting
On one planet, so many turns
Different worlds
Singing, "Ah-la-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah"

Fill my heart with discipline
Put there for the teaching
In my head see clouds of stairs
Help me as I'm reaching
The future's paved with better days

Not running from something
I'm running towards the day
Wide awake

A whisper once quiet
Now rising to a scream
Right in me

I'm falling, free falling
Words calling me
Up off my knees
I'm soaring and, darling,
You'll be the one that I can need
Still be free

Our future's paved with better days

Seven Lost Secrets

There are seven lost secret fascinations and abilities. They are that: animals can talk; your favorite blanket is woven from a fabric so mighty, that once pulled over your head, it becomes an impenetrable force field, nothing is too heavy to lift with the aid of a cape; your hand, held forefinger out and thumb up, actually fires bullets; jumping from any height with an umbrella is completely safe; monsters exist and can be both seen an done battle with; and the greatest, most special and regrettable loss of all: the ability to fly. ~ Radio Flyer

How true this and how wonderful if, as you grow older, that you didn't lose any of these fascinations or abilities you had as a child. Animals can talk...they comfort us when we are sad, make us smile, get us outside and having fun, and sit quietly beside us as a constant companion through all of lifes journeys with unconditional love ~ Your Favorite Blanket..who hasn't curled up under a blanket and instantly it has the power to make you feel better, warmer, loved. When we are sick, having the covers pulled up and getting tucked in has magical qualities that challenges modern day medicine. ~ Our Hands...we speak with our hands, we create with our hands, you will find as you get older that your hands have so much more power than you even knew existed ~ Jumping with an Umbrella...metaphorically speaking...jumping through life with a soft landing created by the umbrella of great friends and family. They also shield us through life's storms and sometimes they are there to help us dance in the rain ~ Monsters....they do exist, we often want to see the good in people and forget that there are monsters out there that can and do bring negativity to our lives...never let anyone steal your joy!

Then there is the greatest one...the ability to fly ~ Hold onto your dreams, "to thine own self be true", never lose yourself in anyone or anything for you are unique and will be constantly growing and developing...find your passion, keep hope alive, dare to dream and try the impossible, so what if you try and fail...inside you is a gift and you have the key to unlock it and Fly!

Thin Mints Live Here No More

This house is clean...Oh the evil sinister Girl Scouts boxes of caloric temptation....you have left no trace you were ever here, except maybe to my hips and thighs. My hidden stash is no more, the frozen treats of minty chocolate succumbed to their timely demise ~ one sleeve at a time. Not even the best CSI could comb this house to find one crumb, crumpled foil packaging or box.. there is no trace you ever existed...I did my job, and I did it well.

Oh and for the record, I would just like to say that the cookies this year have become rather small....bite size in fact. The boxes are even smaller, as if to con me into buying more. It is all a conspiracy. New Years starts with gym memberships, and then we have SuperBowl with wings and chilli...then the Valentines Chocolates, Girls Scout Cookies...and next comes the PEEPS ~ I think for Lent I will give up giving up....for this will be a challenge each year to wipe out as many boxes of Thin Mints before they take over the planet ~ I will rid the hips and thighs of others by taking on one box at a time and be the SuperGirlScoutCookie Hero (que music ~ Here I come to SAVE the day)

Until next year, when more knee sock wearing green sashed cuties and their boxes of tastie treats tempt me once more....be forewarned, in this house your life will be cut short.

Where is the Love

Father, Father, Father, help us...Send us some guidance from above...'Cause people got me, got me questionin'....Where is the Love

~ "Wear Your Love Today" ~

(to play video you will have to turn off the music below)

What are you wearing??

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”Colossians 3:14

What is the most important thing we can do (“above all”)? Love. “Clothe yourselves with love.” Love is what covers our own faults. Love is the glue that binds, the thing that makes everything work together in perfect harmony. Think of voices singing in harmony, making beautiful music together. That is the picture of love. It is beautiful, it is supreme, it is what we should “wear.” As you dress today, remember to put on the most important thing—love.—Diane Eble, author of Abundant Gifts: A Daybook of Grace-Filled Devotions

We all have our favorite "go to outfit". Everyone has their favorite feel good shirt, the jeans that are faded and comfortable, a dress that makes us feel special, shoes that make a statement, and jewelry that does more than just accessorize. We put on our makeup, fix our hair and get dressed in something we "feel good" in and we can instantly feel better. Granted there are days when we don't have to dress to impress....pajama days around the house, our favorite comfy clothes, but even still what we wear represents how we feel about ourselves at that given moment. How many of you can relate to how a bad hair day effects your overall mode? Let's face it, when we feel we look good, we are confident and more self assured about ourselves. But what if each day, before we get dressed we put on love. It may sound silly, love comes from within...but what if we clothed ourselves with it as well? Would it be so crazy to wear our love like we wear our favorite outfits? So if our shirt has a coffee stain, or our jeans bust a hole in the knee, or our shoes pick up a hitchhiking piece of "tp" as you are exiting the restroom, or you're having a bad hair day it won't even matter....because underneath it all you have the best outfit ever....Love~ Stitch by stitch your garment of love is something that comes in a universal one size fits all, it never fades, never goes out of style, and not only does it make a statement..it tells a story as well. So tomorrow when you decide which outfit you are going to wear...Don't forget to put on your Love ~

A Knock at the Door

This is one of my favorite pick me up videos of all time ~ Enjoy!

(You'll have to turn off my music at the bottom)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!!

Happy Dr. Seuss day to you....for breakfast have some Green Eggs and Ham...then Hop on Pop until Horton hears a Who, meet up with Thing One and Thing Two, and end with dinner consisting of one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish ....Oh the Places We will go!!!!

The bonds of Friendship

Littlefoot "Have you ever seen the Great Valley?" ~"No." Said Littlefoot's Mother ~ Littlefoot "Well, how do you know it's really there?" ~ "Some things you see with your eyes, others you see with your heart." said Littlefoot's Mother ~ Littlefoot "I don't understand, Mother" ~"You will, my son. You will." --The Land Before Time ♥ Talking with my girlfriends on the phone is such a wonderful thing. Though many of us are miles apart, it feels as if I can just pop over to their house for coffee after each time we talk. Recently, while talking and laughing about our pictures of our last beach vacation I realized that none of us are the same place we were a year ago. Yes, I know everything and everyone changes. But to fully understand you'd have to know what brought us all together. We all were going through one thing or another, we all were struggling with something, and we bonded over how much our lives were alike ~ taste in music, love of photography, being a mom, gardening, our children ~ we were comfortable and real with each other in a way many often shy away from. We shared our inner most secrets, our dreams, our hopes, our fears....All but one of us were celebrating our fabulous 40's, coming into a self discovery that only comes with age and experience ~ looking back on our 20's and 30's with fondness and looking forward to our 40's with a deeper appreciation of what really matters. We had all been on different paths that had crossed many times over the years but one night in December during the blizzard of all blizzards we met at Carlos O'Kelleys and had a Margarita Monday that none of us will soon forget. After that night we couldn't wait to plan our next girls night out. We planned our summer vacations with our kids, who were all the same age and upon meeting each other seemed as if they were lifelong friends too. After the most amazing week at the beach of good old fashioned girl time, it was hard to determine who had more fun the our kids or the "big kids". We were all at turning points in our lives, though some of us more aware, and some of us had unforeseen events that changed our lives completely, mostly for the better. Again, everyone goes through changes in their lives but what was so great about ours is that we went through them together. I can't imagine anything in life that we cannot get through. Which brings me to the Land Before Time quote for the day. We are all on a life journey filled with changes and what is really important is when you see a person's heart. To not have to explain or defend what has happened because those that see your heart need no explanation at all. People see what they want to see, and hear what they want to hear...but a true friend sees your heart. And it is an awesome feeling when one sees a persons heart ~ I am so blessed to have the best friends that see mine and will be by my side as we set out on our adventure to the Great Valley ~ to discover our strengths, to explore our uniquenessess, to love and be "real" with, to celebrate our success, to encourage each other when times are tough, to grow and recognize that together we are greater than the sum of our parts. Oh we will get to the Great Valley one day...and I am going to get there with some of the best hearts I know....of that I am certain!