Picture of the Day: Buzz & Woody

I was lucky to get away on a girls trip to Palm Springs this weekend. This is a picture of my boys on the morning I was leaving. They were so happy to be in these pajamas together!

What a team they will make.
And what a bittersweet moment.

Such a simple one that just took my breath away because as I was packing up my suitcase, I was so very aware of how in love with them I am. My little Buzz & Woody.

The Joy of Turning 27

I turned 27 last week.  The big 2 - 7.  Three more years until 30.  Before the big day, I posted on Facebook something like "...is underwhelmed at the idea of turning 27 next week. "Eh." ".  (The Eh was supposed to be interpreted as a shoulder shrug.)  People took this post entirely the wrong way, like I was feeling anxious about the reality of my descent to the grave, suddenly confronted with my own mortality, OH THE AGONY of the idea of turning 27.  Nope.  Nuance and tone are impossible to decode via social networking site.  I was trying to convey that I had no real feelings at all about this particular birthday, not exciting like 16 or 18 or 21, and as a stay at home mom, I knew the day would unfold much like all our other days: breakfast, bath, gym, errands.  So "Eh."  *shoulder shrug*

But it was a great day.  The girls behaved.  I got 70-ish Facebook Happy Birthdays which blew me away.  And I took pictures of almost everything that gave me joy that Friday.  Little feet in the tub, Ashton hosted Regis and Kelly, Dad brought Starbucks!, Linz got me a Happy Book to journal in, the fam took me out to Red Robin and I got my standard (and delicious) Crispy Chicken Salad, Holly slurped noodles, Doug and my parents got me a NatureBright light therapy system for my self-diagnosed Seasonal Affective Disorder, and Doug took me out to a movie of my choosing (No Strings Attached...Ashton, naturally).  Joy in the little things was the theme for the day. 

27 isn't a big deal.  It's not the year I learned to drive, the year I could buy lottery tickets or win a sweepstakes, the year I could finally have a glass of wine ;), or even the year I could rent a car in most states without putting six million dollars down for a deposit.  But great things are happening this year that I will remember for the rest of my life.  I'm running my first marathon.  Doug and I are celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary.  Our oldest munchkin is going to start kindergarten.  27 isn't a big deal for Hallmark, but it is going to be a spectacular year around here--nothing "Eh." about it.   

A January Moment

Last night, after putting Carter to bed, I asked my four-year-old if he wanted to workout with mama (my husband was at a late meeting). Logan replied with an enthusiastic "YES!" mainly because he loves the exercise balls and resistance bands that come along with my workout. I've been doing something called, "Mommy Muscle" by Stroller Fit that is basically pilates, but is designed for women recovering from C-section. It is awesome!

In the past, I have put off my workout until the babies are in bed because, ineveitably, once an adult is on the floor in our house it means wrestle time...and that includes our dog wanting to play, too. For whatever reason, I thought I'd give it a shot. Logan was hilarious! He did the first 3 or 4 exercises right next to me with an incredibly serious look on his face...ball between his feet...feet up in the air...

It started going downhill from there.

Our dog was licking my fingers as I did my V sit. I was in plank position and, all of a sudden, Logan sat right on my butt. OUCH! Immediate belly flop to the floor. Starting to get frustrated now. I put the dog out and asked Logan to give mama some space so I could finish my exercise. He started trying to throw the ball "over mama" (and hit me in the face a couple times). So, here I am holding a side plank on my elbow, wishing I would die and thinking, "I can do this...I CAN'T do this...let's focus on a flat stomach...when will this be over..." A small, ADORABLE, smiling face popped through the hole under my armpit and said, "Go mama!"

I laughed and fell on top of him. He laughed. We wrestled. We played. He gave me a big kiss and said he was proud of me.

What a little man! And, what a moment.

[New Year's Resolution] The Moments

Sarah already introduced this little tradition of mine in her 'Joy' post. Here's a little history. My first word was SIMPLIFY in 2009. I was newly pregnant with my second child and was rapidly feeling overwhelmed with 'stuff'. I had suffered a miscarriage the previous year (a heavy topic that can be discussed later, but important when explaining my reasons for picking a word). I felt like I needed order and something to focus on. Because of my experience, this pregnancy was filled with fear, stress, and worry. My desperation to remain positive and sane was palpable. Call it a major nesting phase, but I wanted all the 'junk' (physical and mental) gone. I wanted life to be clean and simple. I wanted our home to be clean and simple. I wanted to focus on having a healthy pregnancy and baby. It worked. I felt refreshed, organized, and prepared for the future when we brought healthy baby Carter home.

My word for 2010 was ENJOY. I had a 5 month old and a 3 year old and was EXHAUSTED. I felt it was important to remind myself on a daily basis (and by daily I am talking about being awake for 24 hour periods at a time with a baby who didn't want to sleep) that no matter how tired I was, I wanted to look back on these baby days with great memories and joy. I had to think about my word a lot. I had to force the word into my mind at times. I had to talk to Sarah about my word on occasion. It worked. I let the little things go. I took it all in and tried to remember that in Sarah's words "I would sleep again".

A holiday 'moment' at Snowflake Lane.

I like this method because it feels like less pressure than a resolution. It is something you can carry with you throughout the entire year. And, I like that it is a journey. Where will my word take me? What will it help me through? What will I learn along the way?

This year, it seems as though my word has picked me. I've been thinking about it since November and all through December I kept telling myself to savor everything. That the pure joy my children were exuding over the 'small stuff' was a gift. That they will NEVER be these ages at Christmastime again. That the focus should be on my family, not on the lines...and gift buying...and stress. I chose things like fingerpainting Santa pictures rather than unloading the dishwasher and guess what? We had FUN. And guess what else? Everything still got done.

I decided to carry that feeling over into the new year.
My word for 2011 is:

moment

as in...
enjoy it
seize it
recognize it
capture it
preserve it
make the most of it
relish in it
be confident in it
and

LOVE each moment that we have together.

[New Year's Resolution] Joy, Marathon, Minimize...and a Real Housewives Reality Check

It's that time again--the beginning of a new year, the opportunity to start fresh.  Lindsay, for as long as I've known her, has had a Word Of The Year to go hand in hand with her New Year's Resolutions and I love this idea of trying to set the tone for the months ahead.  Her word two years ago was Simplify, and her word for last year was Enjoy.  

At the risk of sounding redundant, the word I have chosen for myself this year is Joy: choosing to have joy rather than dwell on other, less productive emotions like anxiety or impatience, raising children who radiate joy and consciously spread joy to others.

I chose this particular picture because it screams joy to me.  Uncle B, a devoted and involved uncle to say the least, got a gift from friends out of state and it was packed in pink confetti.  He saw an opportunity for JOY and seized it.  He told the rest of us 'responsible adult types' not to worry, he'd clean up the mess, enjoy the moment!  And he was so right.  The happiness was tangible.

Real Housewife Confession:

I don't want this post to sound smarmy.  I'm really tired.  And I'm a complainer.  Mostly to Lindsay, sometimes my mom, sometimes Doug...sometimes I just mutter to myself at the sink in the kitchen about the cantankerous nature of a particular day.  Choosing joy over griping does NOT always come easily to me, although I am aware that in the grand scheme of things, I have very little to complain about.  Another confession?  I'm tired of having all the kids at home.  ALL. THE. TIME.  I am responsible for the three of them every second of every day and it can be tiresome to say the least.  I am ready for Haley and Hannah to start school.  Isn't that terrible?  I'm ready for sleepovers and PTA and extracurricular activities--a different kind of responsibility.  Now all the grandmas who are reading this can say in unison:  "Cherish this time!  They're only little once!  Forget the chores and obligations and just enjoy this time with them!  They're so precious!  You're going to wish they were this age again!  Don't be so impatient for these years to end!"  Does that about cover it?  I know, I know.  I'm trying.  Hence my 2011 Word Of The Year! 

And my 2011 New Year's Resolutions, keeping Joy in mind, are as follows:

Marathon: This is something just for me, my selfish thing, that brings me joy and it's all mine.  I signed up for my first full marathon in June and I am amped about it.  I just want to finish this first one.  Even if I have to crawl, I'm making it across that finish line.  And then I am going to party like a rock star.  I'm sure Mom will say, "When are you going to have time to train for a marathon???"  That's where Part 2 of my resolution comes in.

Minimize: Not just talking about "stuff" here, although we are beginning to accumulate quite a bit of it. (Our house that once felt giant now feels mildly claustrophobic).  I'd also like to minimize unnecessary obligations and time-wasters.  I take on a lot for someone with three small children at home.  And I spend too much time at the computer doing absolutely nothing.  If I'm not blogging or paying bills, there's really no reason for me to be sitting at my desk in the corner.  Less time spent on stuff, more time spent loving on my very affectionate herd of children and focused on my 26.2.

So, to sum up:  Spread joy.  Run far.  Lose stuff.

Reader question: What would your Word For The Year be?