My daughter came home from school yesterday with her indoor shoes in her bag. She showed them to me, and told me that they were "finished" and she needed a new pair, stat. I checked them out, and yes, having a sole that's flapping is never good. I explained though that with dance classes that night, we'd have to wait on getting new shoes and that maybe she could bring one of her many OTHER pairs for her indoor shoes. The look she gave me certainly made me pause. You've surely all seen "the look." It's a mix of the "whachu talkin' bout Willis" and the "ach. You're almost making me sick with your stupidity!"
Apparently, her other shoes all have a variety of roles that do not allow them to fraternize with shoes at school. Some are for when she's dressed up, some are for outdoors only, some are only to wear for a short time and certainly not gym class, and some are just for fashion. She then pleasantly threw my own words back in my face, "Once your shoes are done, even though you may have loved them, the good news is, it's time for MORE shoes!!! We need to shop!"
Ruh Roh. I may have caused this shoe fetish and it's various delineations with my own shoe lust. I, too, could explain why certain shoes just cannot be worn except for their predetermined purpose. I could also then explain why my closet is so full of so many shoes. I don't think I've had to get rid of many though, so unlike my daughter, my collection just continues to grow.
I proceeded to tell her that we'd look for some new, proper runners on the weekend but for now, she'd have to wear her outdoor ones inside, and that it was okay to do so because it was winter after all and they weren't out and about getting muddy and gross. It seemed to satisfy her and she packed them into her bag for today.
In the middle of this shoe fiasco, my other daughter handed me all of her notes and such from her school agenda. It turns out that their school is working in conjunction with Soft Moc and Sole to Sole, collecting shoes to send to Haiti. Their school already had collected a hundred pairs, and were asking for more gently used shoe donations by Friday.
What perfect timing! Today, we searched our closets and our summer bins and we packed up at least ten pairs of shoes and sandals for donation. We talked about why we were donating our shoes, why people in Haiti would need shoe donations, and the wonderful feeling that comes with helping others in need.
As my husband put the bag in the trunk and my girls were preparing to leave the house, I realized that maybe the lesson had gone over my youngest's head. She proclaimed that she was so excited to be bringing all of these shoes to give away, and my heart soared. She then said, "And you know what Mommy? Since we gave all of those shoes away, now it means WE can get MORE!!"
Sigh.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
My Daughters Rock My Socks
There are days when I can't wait for the shouting and fighting and scrambling to stop, and with a final wave to my girls, they are off to school, faces pressed against the bus window. I'm left taking a huge deep breath, and giving a little sigh, happy for some quiet restored to my day.
Yet, for all of the struggles and impatience and days when I feel like I just might actually go crazy, I really can't imagine a day without those wee chicks.
As they grow and change and blossom, I just see so much in them that makes my heart swell with pride. While they may fight like cats and dogs with each other, out there in the Big World, I hear nothing but glowing reports.
This morning, while we were standing at the bus stop waiting, another mom that waits with us commented on how my girls are always so polite and quiet and just have the greatest manners. I hear often from school teachers and activity leaders that my girls are polite, but also that they are kind. My eldest's teacher says she's always the one to help out or offer to do extra with the little kids in other grades. In fact, she volunteers her lunch hour several days a week to "mentor" a little boy. She helps him get ready and eat and such. His parents even gave her a note of thanks at Christmas. My youngest apparently is the model for how to act in class and her teacher appreciates the calming influence she brings on others in the class. (what the? Is this even the same kid?) She attended her first Sparks meeting last night, and another Mom stopped me at the bus this morning to tell me how sweet my little firecracker was and how she was such a joy to be around.
I know I'm Mama Bragging. I think the good qualities are what we try to focus on and nurture and keep fostering so that they continue, and in the hopes that they overwhelm the "not so stellar" moments that we also all share.
In that light, I've been talking to my girls about the horrors going on in Haiti. Obviously, I've watered it down somewhat so that they aren't seeing graphic images or can still sleep at night without the terror of nightmares that they get plagued with when faced with inequities or unkindness. I'd like us, as a family, to "do more." I'd like my girls to be involved in helping out someone else-with no payback other than the feeling of satisfaction and joy that being charitable can bring. I'd like to make the world seem a little smaller.
We've discussed working with World Vision and sponsoring a child. I have friends who have done this for years now and truly find it inspiring and concrete. I have friends with plans to travel to visit their Foster Child as well. One friend sent school supplies to her foster child's whole school for Christmas, in the name of her children's teachers. She said he sends photos with gifts they've sent and homemade cards with her children's school pictures. It's real and tangible help-not just for the child, but for the community. Right now, World Vision is already in Haiti, and has been for some time. There are also profiles of children who are living in communities with a high risk of HIV and a need for fostering. I think for $35 a month, it's way more beneficial and character building than eating out at a restaurant, or buying even more Webkinz.
Over the weekend, I believe we'll move into action and make our family a little larger with the edition of a new child. It may be one that is physically farther away, but the scope, I hope, will bring our worlds, and our hearts, that much closer. My goal is to encourage my already kindhearted girls, into being big hearted ones as well.
There are so many profiles of children worldwide. I encourage you to find a way that you, too, can make a difference in the life of a child, near or far, today. Let's not take our privilege for granted, but use it for good.
Yet, for all of the struggles and impatience and days when I feel like I just might actually go crazy, I really can't imagine a day without those wee chicks.
As they grow and change and blossom, I just see so much in them that makes my heart swell with pride. While they may fight like cats and dogs with each other, out there in the Big World, I hear nothing but glowing reports.
This morning, while we were standing at the bus stop waiting, another mom that waits with us commented on how my girls are always so polite and quiet and just have the greatest manners. I hear often from school teachers and activity leaders that my girls are polite, but also that they are kind. My eldest's teacher says she's always the one to help out or offer to do extra with the little kids in other grades. In fact, she volunteers her lunch hour several days a week to "mentor" a little boy. She helps him get ready and eat and such. His parents even gave her a note of thanks at Christmas. My youngest apparently is the model for how to act in class and her teacher appreciates the calming influence she brings on others in the class. (what the? Is this even the same kid?) She attended her first Sparks meeting last night, and another Mom stopped me at the bus this morning to tell me how sweet my little firecracker was and how she was such a joy to be around.
I know I'm Mama Bragging. I think the good qualities are what we try to focus on and nurture and keep fostering so that they continue, and in the hopes that they overwhelm the "not so stellar" moments that we also all share.
In that light, I've been talking to my girls about the horrors going on in Haiti. Obviously, I've watered it down somewhat so that they aren't seeing graphic images or can still sleep at night without the terror of nightmares that they get plagued with when faced with inequities or unkindness. I'd like us, as a family, to "do more." I'd like my girls to be involved in helping out someone else-with no payback other than the feeling of satisfaction and joy that being charitable can bring. I'd like to make the world seem a little smaller.
We've discussed working with World Vision and sponsoring a child. I have friends who have done this for years now and truly find it inspiring and concrete. I have friends with plans to travel to visit their Foster Child as well. One friend sent school supplies to her foster child's whole school for Christmas, in the name of her children's teachers. She said he sends photos with gifts they've sent and homemade cards with her children's school pictures. It's real and tangible help-not just for the child, but for the community. Right now, World Vision is already in Haiti, and has been for some time. There are also profiles of children who are living in communities with a high risk of HIV and a need for fostering. I think for $35 a month, it's way more beneficial and character building than eating out at a restaurant, or buying even more Webkinz.
Over the weekend, I believe we'll move into action and make our family a little larger with the edition of a new child. It may be one that is physically farther away, but the scope, I hope, will bring our worlds, and our hearts, that much closer. My goal is to encourage my already kindhearted girls, into being big hearted ones as well.
There are so many profiles of children worldwide. I encourage you to find a way that you, too, can make a difference in the life of a child, near or far, today. Let's not take our privilege for granted, but use it for good.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Walking And Talking
My friend and I have decided to walk three mornings a week together, with others joining occasionally, or not. Today marked Day 1 of our trek. The thing is, her husband leaves for work at 630am, so she needs to be home by then. You do the math. We leave our houses at 530am. Yuck.
I am, by no stretch of the imagination, a morning person. I can get by on very little sleep better than most. In fact, I'd say I've probably gone on 5-6 hours of sleep for the last oh.....ten years? So, it's not the lack of sleep that kills me, it's just the getting up early. I'd much rather stay up til all hours, and then sleep in a little in the morning. It works out to the same AMOUNT of hours, it's just skewed a little differently than most.
We discussed some evening jaunts around the 'hood, but with five children between us and various activities, that just didn't seem to be working out. So, 530am it is then.
It was still dark as I pried my eyes open this morning. I crept stealthily into the bathroom to throw in my contact lenses, and then tiptoed down the stairs where I dressed in the dim light of the stove hood light. Once outside, it felt great though, I have to admit. It was pretty warm out this morning, and half way through I ended up removing my hat and my gloves.
We chatted about everything under the sun, huffing and puffing a little on the big hills, and started cruising in for the last stretch at exactly 615am. I grabbed a shower and then crawled back into bed for 30 glorious minutes. My mind wouldn't shut off and I couldn't fall back asleep, but I felt good. Content.
Once the family began to stir, with complaints of it being too early and that they needed more time, I chuckled and told them I'd already been up, walked 45 mins, had a shower and crawled back into bed to await the rest of the world's awakening.
My youngest daughter's reply? "Well, you're crazy then."
Crazy is as crazy does, my sweet.
While I'm exhausted now, hitting my wall at 1pm, I'm still happy that I got in a brisk walk early this morning and that I can just enjoy my day from here. Well, except for the cursed Shred, later.
For now, I hear the couch calling my name for a little tardes siesta.
Until the next early morning call to walk.
I am, by no stretch of the imagination, a morning person. I can get by on very little sleep better than most. In fact, I'd say I've probably gone on 5-6 hours of sleep for the last oh.....ten years? So, it's not the lack of sleep that kills me, it's just the getting up early. I'd much rather stay up til all hours, and then sleep in a little in the morning. It works out to the same AMOUNT of hours, it's just skewed a little differently than most.
We discussed some evening jaunts around the 'hood, but with five children between us and various activities, that just didn't seem to be working out. So, 530am it is then.
It was still dark as I pried my eyes open this morning. I crept stealthily into the bathroom to throw in my contact lenses, and then tiptoed down the stairs where I dressed in the dim light of the stove hood light. Once outside, it felt great though, I have to admit. It was pretty warm out this morning, and half way through I ended up removing my hat and my gloves.
We chatted about everything under the sun, huffing and puffing a little on the big hills, and started cruising in for the last stretch at exactly 615am. I grabbed a shower and then crawled back into bed for 30 glorious minutes. My mind wouldn't shut off and I couldn't fall back asleep, but I felt good. Content.
Once the family began to stir, with complaints of it being too early and that they needed more time, I chuckled and told them I'd already been up, walked 45 mins, had a shower and crawled back into bed to await the rest of the world's awakening.
My youngest daughter's reply? "Well, you're crazy then."
Crazy is as crazy does, my sweet.
While I'm exhausted now, hitting my wall at 1pm, I'm still happy that I got in a brisk walk early this morning and that I can just enjoy my day from here. Well, except for the cursed Shred, later.
For now, I hear the couch calling my name for a little tardes siesta.
Until the next early morning call to walk.
Monday, January 18, 2010
How Do You Talk About Martin Luther King Jr. AND The Golden Globes? You Just Do.
These topics can't really be combined but what the hell. It's my blog.
SO, last night I'm watching the Golden Globes, mesmerised of course by the dresses and the shoes and the hair. I'm both weepy by some of the speeches, and alternately horrified. Hello, Chloe Sevigny? Others are talking about Haiti or being grateful, and she's all pissed off that the guy walking her up the stairs had the GALL to step on and hence rip, her most probably free dress. Man, she may have to actually PAY for it now!!! Geeze. Self-possessed much? I loved Sandra Bullock's speech, Mo'nique's and of course my twin, Meryl Streep. I don't care what anybody says, either. I still find Drew Barrymore to be the sweetest thing ever. What the heck happened to Felicity Huffman, though? She couldn't get a sentence out to save her life.
Amid all of this glitz and excess, it was easy to push the soul wrenching images of the destruction and loss of life in Haiti out of my mind. Really, that's the point of movies and television and literature anyways. It can transport us to another world of entertainment and glamour. I've been crying silent tears seeing children searching for parents, individuals dying because they don't have access to medical care, for many days now. I've listened to people say that maybe this is the "cleansing" that Port-au-Prince needed and make sick references to the quality of life there "anyways." Really? I don't care who you are, or where you live-poverty or affluence, war or peace. The human race still contains mothers and children. Mothers everywhere, I believe, want better for their children. They want to rise above their circumstance, they want their children to be healthy and happy. Those of us capable of sitting in our glass houses and mocking that tragedy truly need to shake our heads and take a look in the mirror.
This brings me to Martin Luther King Jr. day today. Though we've seemingly come a long way, we have so much further still to travel. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pioneer and strong voice in the battle for equality and freedoms. I hope we continue to fight ignorance and fear, and realize that inequality and prejudice surround us daily, still, in our modern world. I hope strong voices continue to rise for all of those held down by race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Someday, some way, maybe we'll finally get to a place where we can all "come together" and truly extend our hands and our hearts for our fellow man.
You may say I'm a dreamer.........but I'm not the only one.
SO, last night I'm watching the Golden Globes, mesmerised of course by the dresses and the shoes and the hair. I'm both weepy by some of the speeches, and alternately horrified. Hello, Chloe Sevigny? Others are talking about Haiti or being grateful, and she's all pissed off that the guy walking her up the stairs had the GALL to step on and hence rip, her most probably free dress. Man, she may have to actually PAY for it now!!! Geeze. Self-possessed much? I loved Sandra Bullock's speech, Mo'nique's and of course my twin, Meryl Streep. I don't care what anybody says, either. I still find Drew Barrymore to be the sweetest thing ever. What the heck happened to Felicity Huffman, though? She couldn't get a sentence out to save her life.
Amid all of this glitz and excess, it was easy to push the soul wrenching images of the destruction and loss of life in Haiti out of my mind. Really, that's the point of movies and television and literature anyways. It can transport us to another world of entertainment and glamour. I've been crying silent tears seeing children searching for parents, individuals dying because they don't have access to medical care, for many days now. I've listened to people say that maybe this is the "cleansing" that Port-au-Prince needed and make sick references to the quality of life there "anyways." Really? I don't care who you are, or where you live-poverty or affluence, war or peace. The human race still contains mothers and children. Mothers everywhere, I believe, want better for their children. They want to rise above their circumstance, they want their children to be healthy and happy. Those of us capable of sitting in our glass houses and mocking that tragedy truly need to shake our heads and take a look in the mirror.
This brings me to Martin Luther King Jr. day today. Though we've seemingly come a long way, we have so much further still to travel. Martin Luther King Jr. was a pioneer and strong voice in the battle for equality and freedoms. I hope we continue to fight ignorance and fear, and realize that inequality and prejudice surround us daily, still, in our modern world. I hope strong voices continue to rise for all of those held down by race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Someday, some way, maybe we'll finally get to a place where we can all "come together" and truly extend our hands and our hearts for our fellow man.
You may say I'm a dreamer.........but I'm not the only one.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Out The Window With The Bath Water
I had big plans for today. Oh, not exciting plans or anything, just things I wanted to tackle. I need to clean my house from top to bottom, meaning vacuuming, dusting, mopping. I did the bathrooms the other day and did the laundry. Well, mostly did the laundry. I still have to put it away. I was going to do my Shred (*$#@!!) and run on the treadmill as well.
I've folded the laundry and brought it up to the appropriate rooms, but haven't put it away yet. I'm still sitting in my jammies after finishing lunch. (and I'm now eating Cherries with an itchy tongue.)
I'm thinking that, you know what, since before the holidays, I haven't had one day to myself not involving some small person needing me or needing something from me. I keep my house pretty tip top to begin with, and while it's not my current standard, it's nothing a day or two will mind.
As to the working out, my goal is 5x a week for Shred and three for running. I could do them tomorrow and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday, and still meet that quota.
So, you know what? I went to bed really late last night (1am) and I didn't sleep well. I have no kids at home today and no commitments tonight. I think I'm going to grab a shower, put laundry away and then curl up with The Lovely Bones (shudder) and read and sip tea and just "take a day." They don't come often and really, why the hell not?
It's already 1pm, which means that my two sweethearts will be home in 3 hours anyways. We're invited to the neighbours for dinner as well! So, other than homework and baths, I'm thinking this will be a great day to just get some inner "me" time.
That's exactly what I feel I need and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
I've folded the laundry and brought it up to the appropriate rooms, but haven't put it away yet. I'm still sitting in my jammies after finishing lunch. (and I'm now eating Cherries with an itchy tongue.)
I'm thinking that, you know what, since before the holidays, I haven't had one day to myself not involving some small person needing me or needing something from me. I keep my house pretty tip top to begin with, and while it's not my current standard, it's nothing a day or two will mind.
As to the working out, my goal is 5x a week for Shred and three for running. I could do them tomorrow and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday, and still meet that quota.
So, you know what? I went to bed really late last night (1am) and I didn't sleep well. I have no kids at home today and no commitments tonight. I think I'm going to grab a shower, put laundry away and then curl up with The Lovely Bones (shudder) and read and sip tea and just "take a day." They don't come often and really, why the hell not?
It's already 1pm, which means that my two sweethearts will be home in 3 hours anyways. We're invited to the neighbours for dinner as well! So, other than homework and baths, I'm thinking this will be a great day to just get some inner "me" time.
That's exactly what I feel I need and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
But, I Love Cherries!
I'm not a big fruit eater, in general. My husband makes smoothies every morning, and honestly, that's about my fruit intake for the day. It's not so much that I dislike fruit, there's actually many that I LOVE, it's just that I don't really think of it as a snack when I want something crunchy or salty or sweet. There's just more appealing options, to me.
I feed my children fruit daily, of course. They love green apples and bananas and grapes. My one daughter loves strawberries and blueberries. My youngest loves her some applesauce.
So, the other day I was in the grocery store and saw that green grapes, red grapes, cherries and nectarines were all on sale. I loaded up on fresh fruit. I've been enjoying a little bowl of fruit for my snack, along with my tea, since Monday. Fruit contains A LOT of sugars though, even though they are naturally occurring, so I try to keep the portion smallish.
I noticed something consistently happening, though. After I eat the cherries, and oh how I love cherries, my tongue gets itchy and my lip feels kind of tingly. Are you serious????
I now am starting to believe that I have a sensitivity to cherries. Today, I had the red grapes first and waited a bit. Nothing weird happened. Then, I had some cherries. Immediately, my lip and tongue thing happened.
WHY is nature being so cruel to me???? Seriously? All of my favourite things seem to now be causing a reaction! Whenever I drink wine, or most alcohol actually, my face gets really hot and red. I always thought, "oh that's just what alcohol does to me" but then I was talking to my neighbour who is a nurse, and she said it's likely a sensitivity to alcohol. WHAT? That's it. Strike me down now. She apparently has the same thing happen and had it tested and the sweatiness and red face were a mild allergic reaction. Greaaaaat.
Of course, neither of these reactions are enough to make me stop eating cherries or stop drinking wine. I enjoy living on the edge, I guess. And really, what kind of living would it be without them? I can stand itchy lips and a sweaty face over saying goodbye to the sweet elixirs in my life.
Bring on the vino!
I feed my children fruit daily, of course. They love green apples and bananas and grapes. My one daughter loves strawberries and blueberries. My youngest loves her some applesauce.
So, the other day I was in the grocery store and saw that green grapes, red grapes, cherries and nectarines were all on sale. I loaded up on fresh fruit. I've been enjoying a little bowl of fruit for my snack, along with my tea, since Monday. Fruit contains A LOT of sugars though, even though they are naturally occurring, so I try to keep the portion smallish.
I noticed something consistently happening, though. After I eat the cherries, and oh how I love cherries, my tongue gets itchy and my lip feels kind of tingly. Are you serious????
I now am starting to believe that I have a sensitivity to cherries. Today, I had the red grapes first and waited a bit. Nothing weird happened. Then, I had some cherries. Immediately, my lip and tongue thing happened.
WHY is nature being so cruel to me???? Seriously? All of my favourite things seem to now be causing a reaction! Whenever I drink wine, or most alcohol actually, my face gets really hot and red. I always thought, "oh that's just what alcohol does to me" but then I was talking to my neighbour who is a nurse, and she said it's likely a sensitivity to alcohol. WHAT? That's it. Strike me down now. She apparently has the same thing happen and had it tested and the sweatiness and red face were a mild allergic reaction. Greaaaaat.
Of course, neither of these reactions are enough to make me stop eating cherries or stop drinking wine. I enjoy living on the edge, I guess. And really, what kind of living would it be without them? I can stand itchy lips and a sweaty face over saying goodbye to the sweet elixirs in my life.
Bring on the vino!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
I Hate The Shred
As I told you, I have the 30 Day Shred DVD. I had done it maybe twice in the past, half assed. By "doing it twice" I don't mean 60 days of it. Ohhhh no. I mean, two actual times where I put the DVD in, did some moves, sat down a bit, did a few more.
This week, I decided to get serious. No one was going to do this working out business FOR me and I'm kind of tired of complaining all of the time. (well, until dinnertime and I make something yummy and then all of this working out/getting fit stuff goes out the window) So, yesterday, I made the commitment. I was tired, I was cranky, it was the end of the day. At that fortuitous moment, my family ticked me off, just enough, to make me go grab my runners and start Shredding.
Lord help me.
The one saving grace of this DVD is that it's short. You can't really quit, cause seriously, how much of a lame-o are you if you can't even manage to carve out 20 mins? But like Jillian Micheals says in the DVD, "if you only want to work out 20 mins, then there's no breaks. This 20 mins has to COUNT and it needs to be INTENSE." Oh Jillian. I hear ya.
By 10 mins in I feel just about ready to quit. I'm also fairly certain that I need to purchase a new sports bra. Or two. The jumping jacks and skipping rope are not good on someone with over an A cup. Or B. Ahem. So, holding my boobs, I decide that there's only 10 minutes left and I have to stick it out. Only.
I just completed Day 2 of the 5 I'll do this week. I'm also off for a walk/run tonight. My plan is walk/run 3x a week, and Shred 5x a week. I still haven't managed to fit in the yoga, but in due time it'll happen.
Right now, I'm just trying to lift my arms to make dinner and walk up the stairs without wincing.
Jillian Micheals, you're a cruel one. If, at some point, I can have your abs though.....it'll all be worth it.
This week, I decided to get serious. No one was going to do this working out business FOR me and I'm kind of tired of complaining all of the time. (well, until dinnertime and I make something yummy and then all of this working out/getting fit stuff goes out the window) So, yesterday, I made the commitment. I was tired, I was cranky, it was the end of the day. At that fortuitous moment, my family ticked me off, just enough, to make me go grab my runners and start Shredding.
Lord help me.
The one saving grace of this DVD is that it's short. You can't really quit, cause seriously, how much of a lame-o are you if you can't even manage to carve out 20 mins? But like Jillian Micheals says in the DVD, "if you only want to work out 20 mins, then there's no breaks. This 20 mins has to COUNT and it needs to be INTENSE." Oh Jillian. I hear ya.
By 10 mins in I feel just about ready to quit. I'm also fairly certain that I need to purchase a new sports bra. Or two. The jumping jacks and skipping rope are not good on someone with over an A cup. Or B. Ahem. So, holding my boobs, I decide that there's only 10 minutes left and I have to stick it out. Only.
I just completed Day 2 of the 5 I'll do this week. I'm also off for a walk/run tonight. My plan is walk/run 3x a week, and Shred 5x a week. I still haven't managed to fit in the yoga, but in due time it'll happen.
Right now, I'm just trying to lift my arms to make dinner and walk up the stairs without wincing.
Jillian Micheals, you're a cruel one. If, at some point, I can have your abs though.....it'll all be worth it.
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