There are lots of things I can't wait to do with Ryan... but this is a good list for me... :o)
1. Go School Supply Shopping! Don't even get me started on school supplies... I just love them! I can't wait until I get to pack his little backpack full of colorful goodies all labeled "Ryan". :o)
2. Chase him around the room and hear him scream! This is one of those things that just look like so much fun... and a priceless moment.
3. Christmas time wish lists! I'll include letters to Santa! I can't wait to see these little insights into his mind!
4. Camping in the backyard. I loved doing this as a kid... I hope he loves it as much as I do!
5. Make pancakes. I loved my mom making pancakes for us on Saturday mornings. It was awesome to wake up to that... and I loved adding things like bananas!
6. Go to Disney! I know I just took him... but I want to go again at maybe age 4. I want to see the magic in a way I've never seen before!
7. Halloween time! Uh hello... making a little boys dreams come true with some fabric and face paint??
8. First Little League sports team win! I can't wait to see his face when he is on a winning team!
9. Come up with surprises. Not for him... but have him help me create surprises for others! The pride of a child is awesome!
10. The Zoo! I can't wait to have him yell out the names of animals and the sounds they make as he sees them Live and In Person!
11. Be greeted with Breakfast In Bed. I know that he's gonna love making me a bowl of cheerios and a glass of milk! (Good thing coffee isn't part of my morning routine!)
12. Climb a tree. And just sit there and enjoy it.
13. I can't wait until the first day he tells me a secret. A mother's bond with their children is awesome... but nothing is better than being trusted with my baby's secrets! :o)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Happy Birthday to Me!
Yesterday was my birthday. Pretty uneventful... but we had fun. I got the tea set I've been craving... and Guitar Hero3. And a bunch of cash... and clothes. And $$$ to spend at BareMinerals. Have I mentioned how loved I am??
Oh, and Ryan figured out how to surf the web and steal Daddy's credit cards... he ordered this gorgeous bouquet for me!
Of all the things I got... I am in love with a card right now... here are the words.
"Once there was this guy.
A nice guy, really.
And he met this girl.
An incredible girl-- truly amazing.
So naturally the guy falls
head over heels in love with her,
and pretty soon they're picking out
china patterns and rings
and there's a wedding
and the starry-eyed couple
rides off into what will surely
be a rosy future.
"Ok, so now some time has passed
and the guy is living in that future.
He's still married to this girl,
but now their life includes a lot of stuff--
appliances and bills and loads of laundry
and home repair projects.
But between all the to-dos and have-tos,
there are these moments
when the guy stops for a minute
and looks around him.
"He looks at his wife,
who is still truly amazing,
he looks at their life together,
all the ways and different
directions it's grown,
he looks at all
the responsibilities he's got,
and he thinks to myself,
so, this is my life.
And then he thinks,
I am one helluva lucky guy."
Yeah... pretty good, huh? I love my hubby.
Oh, and Ryan figured out how to surf the web and steal Daddy's credit cards... he ordered this gorgeous bouquet for me!
Of all the things I got... I am in love with a card right now... here are the words.
"Once there was this guy.
A nice guy, really.
And he met this girl.
An incredible girl-- truly amazing.
So naturally the guy falls
head over heels in love with her,
and pretty soon they're picking out
china patterns and rings
and there's a wedding
and the starry-eyed couple
rides off into what will surely
be a rosy future.
"Ok, so now some time has passed
and the guy is living in that future.
He's still married to this girl,
but now their life includes a lot of stuff--
appliances and bills and loads of laundry
and home repair projects.
But between all the to-dos and have-tos,
there are these moments
when the guy stops for a minute
and looks around him.
"He looks at his wife,
who is still truly amazing,
he looks at their life together,
all the ways and different
directions it's grown,
he looks at all
the responsibilities he's got,
and he thinks to myself,
so, this is my life.
And then he thinks,
I am one helluva lucky guy."
Yeah... pretty good, huh? I love my hubby.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Cali
So I never really mentioned it, and I haven't talked about it much since, but we just got back from California. We were visiting my sister who is trying to make it big in Hollywood... no, she's not an actress, she's just trying to find herself really, and I am so proud of her! We were able to stay in her beautiful condo in Brentwood (Thanks Heather!)
Well, what trip to Cali is complete without a trip to the most magical place on earth?? We had to go to Disneyland for Ryan... and he loved it! He went on several of the rides, and we had to get him a set of Ears with his name on them. I was in love with his little Mickey Ears!
Ryan also had his first experience with sand. There were bets going on whether he would eat it... but lo and behold, the sand stayed out of his mouth!
Oh, my Little Bug is growing up! I can hardly believe it. He is already 8 months, going on 4 years... ugh! Stay little forever!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The World Is Lucky...
Today was an interesting day. My mother in law decided she wanted to come visit Ryan and spend some time with our family. Little did I know that basically meant that I was on babysitting duty, and she wanted me to take her shopping, swimming, and leave her alone with my child... not fun at all.
As much as I hated all that, at least I was prepared for it. I wasn't, however, prepared at all for something so underhanded and passive aggressive that came with her. I was questioned about my ability to parent. And not in a "Do you need help?" or "Let me make a suggestion" kind of way... she flat out corrected me and made me feel like the most insignificant person around. I know that I am not the best mom out there... but I feel that I was given Ryan because someone trusted me with such a fragile little being. I don't think that's her place to be questioning this.
I realized as she took toys away from Ryan that I thought were fine and as she questioned Plums with Apples as and appropriate "lunch", I had 2 ways to react. I could tell her that she was wrong, that she doesn't know what she is talking about and that I am awesome. Or, I could tell her nothing. I could realize that she did things a certain way, and it worked for her... and some things just work for me. And that's ok.
I decide on a little from column A, and a bit from column B. I decide that this is what works for me... AND I am awesome. I do things the way I do because it is what will make my tomorrow unique. My Laissez-Faire attitude is what will give Ryan the ability to open up more and realize that it's ok not to bottle things up because I will accept him for who he is, and what he wants to become. And ultimately, my world is better because of this attitude...
It's time to realize that you are special, and the world is lucky to have you in it! Even if you mother in law doesn't agree.
As much as I hated all that, at least I was prepared for it. I wasn't, however, prepared at all for something so underhanded and passive aggressive that came with her. I was questioned about my ability to parent. And not in a "Do you need help?" or "Let me make a suggestion" kind of way... she flat out corrected me and made me feel like the most insignificant person around. I know that I am not the best mom out there... but I feel that I was given Ryan because someone trusted me with such a fragile little being. I don't think that's her place to be questioning this.
I realized as she took toys away from Ryan that I thought were fine and as she questioned Plums with Apples as and appropriate "lunch", I had 2 ways to react. I could tell her that she was wrong, that she doesn't know what she is talking about and that I am awesome. Or, I could tell her nothing. I could realize that she did things a certain way, and it worked for her... and some things just work for me. And that's ok.
I decide on a little from column A, and a bit from column B. I decide that this is what works for me... AND I am awesome. I do things the way I do because it is what will make my tomorrow unique. My Laissez-Faire attitude is what will give Ryan the ability to open up more and realize that it's ok not to bottle things up because I will accept him for who he is, and what he wants to become. And ultimately, my world is better because of this attitude...
It's time to realize that you are special, and the world is lucky to have you in it! Even if you mother in law doesn't agree.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Friends and "Friends"
I have been very lucky to come into a great group of women that I can share almost anything with... and it dawned on me the other day that we have known each other for quite a while... almost 3 years in some cases! We love to get together for drinks, have dates, catch movies and just hang out. I am also blessed to have several other important women in my life... they say a friend for every situation... I have my "mommy" friends, my happy hour friends, my AlwaysHonest friends, my church friends... the ones I go to for a good cry... the ones I go to for a good laugh... and almost all of them are my I'veGotYourBack friends!
And then I have another totally different set of "friends"... I am not talking about the other girls that I talk to and we know of each other... I am talking about the people that bring me in close because they want me to feel like I am their friend. Then come the favors... and not for me. They want to do a bbq at the house while we watch the game. And they bring a single 2-liter bottle of orange soda. Don't get me wrong... I love people pitching in... but a soda? So, I run to the store to grab something of substance... and come home. They mention that they need a swing for the baby... ok... I can do that. I grab the swing and set it up in the living room. I make lunch... and then we are all happy....
Until it's starts getting late... My hubby is getting hungry... and the "guests" are still here... the game is over... and 2 more have come and gone. I can't ask them to leave... but we make no invitation for them to stay longer. She gets up and takes my Ben&Jerry's out of the freezer (new carton no less), and eats.the.whole.thing! I am in shock... anyone who knows B&J knows that the carton should never... never... never be eaten in one sitting! Unless of course you must... but those times are rare!
With B&J gone, she puts her newborn to sleep... on my living room floor... behind the couch. Yep... behind the couch! Her husband is asking random questions about things like "So, how warm do you think the pool is?" and then before you know it, we are outside... by the pool...
Finally, Dustin says that he needs to run back to his office because he left an imaginary project he *needs* on his desk, so we pack them up to leave. They ask to borrow the swing because they don't have one, and we say sure. Away goes my lovely Fisher Price Papasan Nature swing... but at least the "friends" are gone.
Now, anyone who has known me for longer than 5 minutes knows that I love to lend things to people. It shows me that more than one person benefited from my frivolous spending of money... but what drives me nuts is that I just found out that this "friend" has put my swing in storage... "for later"... she has taken several other items from me that I know I will never see again (a breastpump that I bought but never used, a DoodleWrap, numerous baby items). She never pays me back... and she always needs something else. Although my heart is huge... my pockets aren't... and I hate being taken advantage of.
Friends are the ones that make you laugh and understand your pain. They make the world a little brighter and a little bit easier to deal with... and the "friends" are the ones that you don't understand why you try... I hope you all have more of the friends you need in your life! Let's make a pack to undo those "friendships" once and for all... life is too short to pretend to make it work.
And then I have another totally different set of "friends"... I am not talking about the other girls that I talk to and we know of each other... I am talking about the people that bring me in close because they want me to feel like I am their friend. Then come the favors... and not for me. They want to do a bbq at the house while we watch the game. And they bring a single 2-liter bottle of orange soda. Don't get me wrong... I love people pitching in... but a soda? So, I run to the store to grab something of substance... and come home. They mention that they need a swing for the baby... ok... I can do that. I grab the swing and set it up in the living room. I make lunch... and then we are all happy....
Until it's starts getting late... My hubby is getting hungry... and the "guests" are still here... the game is over... and 2 more have come and gone. I can't ask them to leave... but we make no invitation for them to stay longer. She gets up and takes my Ben&Jerry's out of the freezer (new carton no less), and eats.the.whole.thing! I am in shock... anyone who knows B&J knows that the carton should never... never... never be eaten in one sitting! Unless of course you must... but those times are rare!
With B&J gone, she puts her newborn to sleep... on my living room floor... behind the couch. Yep... behind the couch! Her husband is asking random questions about things like "So, how warm do you think the pool is?" and then before you know it, we are outside... by the pool...
Finally, Dustin says that he needs to run back to his office because he left an imaginary project he *needs* on his desk, so we pack them up to leave. They ask to borrow the swing because they don't have one, and we say sure. Away goes my lovely Fisher Price Papasan Nature swing... but at least the "friends" are gone.
Now, anyone who has known me for longer than 5 minutes knows that I love to lend things to people. It shows me that more than one person benefited from my frivolous spending of money... but what drives me nuts is that I just found out that this "friend" has put my swing in storage... "for later"... she has taken several other items from me that I know I will never see again (a breastpump that I bought but never used, a DoodleWrap, numerous baby items). She never pays me back... and she always needs something else. Although my heart is huge... my pockets aren't... and I hate being taken advantage of.
Friends are the ones that make you laugh and understand your pain. They make the world a little brighter and a little bit easier to deal with... and the "friends" are the ones that you don't understand why you try... I hope you all have more of the friends you need in your life! Let's make a pack to undo those "friendships" once and for all... life is too short to pretend to make it work.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
One Minute Challenge...
I was at the gym today, and I was lucky enough to come across an abandoned "O Magazine"... so, I got the elliptical going and started reading, hoping it would take my mind off the next 30 minutes of turning my knees to jello! It worked... kind of...
Anyway, I was reading this article... and I know I am going to butcher it, and I also know it was copywritten to some extent... so here's the jist to avoid any type of confrontation...
A man was waiting in line at the grocery store and he was in a grumpy mood. He was in a bit of a hurry. The lady in front of him only had 1 item, but she didn't go in the express lane. Instead, she stood there, chatting with the cashier. The lady had a small boy with her, and the cashier was smiling at him and making funny voices. The lady even handed the cashier the infant for a quick minute. The man was getting impatient, and when he looked up, he caught the huge smile on the little boys face. The lady and the boy left, and the man moved forward.
"Cute kid," he said to the cashier.
"Oh, you think? He's actually mine. My husband was in the military and was killed in action about a year ago. I have to work full time now, and my mom tries to bring him in once or twice a day so I can see him while I am working."
The truth is that things aren't always the way that we see them. To us, something may seem to make perfect sense, so we accept it for what we believe it to be, or we get irritated when it doesn't work with our expectations. However, our perceptions could be as far from the truth as it gets.
My challenge to you is to take one minute today and try to dispell one of your personal perceptions! Maybe you feel like someone hates you, but you don't know why (or maybe you do... but that's not the point). It could be that you know exactly why your neighbor always parks their car in front of your house (you know... the car you called the HOA on), or maybe their dog is always barking in the middle of the night (admit that you yelled at the backdoor to 'shut that dog up!'). Maybe your reasoning for why these things happen are far from accurate. That hatred could actually be a bit of a misunderstanding, your neighbor's daughter could have just moved back in from a messy divorce and has to park in the street, or maybe the dog is deaf and can't hear that it barks all the time... and maybe the owner is too! :o)
Either way, start with just one... and then maybe you'll see a few more that you can attack without breaking a sweat! Who knows... maybe someone else is cutting you some slack, too!
Anyway, I was reading this article... and I know I am going to butcher it, and I also know it was copywritten to some extent... so here's the jist to avoid any type of confrontation...
A man was waiting in line at the grocery store and he was in a grumpy mood. He was in a bit of a hurry. The lady in front of him only had 1 item, but she didn't go in the express lane. Instead, she stood there, chatting with the cashier. The lady had a small boy with her, and the cashier was smiling at him and making funny voices. The lady even handed the cashier the infant for a quick minute. The man was getting impatient, and when he looked up, he caught the huge smile on the little boys face. The lady and the boy left, and the man moved forward.
"Cute kid," he said to the cashier.
"Oh, you think? He's actually mine. My husband was in the military and was killed in action about a year ago. I have to work full time now, and my mom tries to bring him in once or twice a day so I can see him while I am working."
The truth is that things aren't always the way that we see them. To us, something may seem to make perfect sense, so we accept it for what we believe it to be, or we get irritated when it doesn't work with our expectations. However, our perceptions could be as far from the truth as it gets.
My challenge to you is to take one minute today and try to dispell one of your personal perceptions! Maybe you feel like someone hates you, but you don't know why (or maybe you do... but that's not the point). It could be that you know exactly why your neighbor always parks their car in front of your house (you know... the car you called the HOA on), or maybe their dog is always barking in the middle of the night (admit that you yelled at the backdoor to 'shut that dog up!'). Maybe your reasoning for why these things happen are far from accurate. That hatred could actually be a bit of a misunderstanding, your neighbor's daughter could have just moved back in from a messy divorce and has to park in the street, or maybe the dog is deaf and can't hear that it barks all the time... and maybe the owner is too! :o)
Either way, start with just one... and then maybe you'll see a few more that you can attack without breaking a sweat! Who knows... maybe someone else is cutting you some slack, too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
