You are a rock,
Do not let the ripples of life
Shrink you down to a pebble
You are a rock.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Daydreams
I spend a lot of my time daydreaming. If I could get paid for daydreaming, I would be a multi-millionaire. On days like today, a day when, after days of rain, wind advisories, frost and freeze warnings, the sun engulfs the entire day, presenting mid 70s temperatures, it is hard not to get swept away.
I see so many people in my life doing exactly what they want to be doing, musicians, photographers, teachers and such. Perhaps I tend to surround myself around more 'artsy' people than business folks, I don't really encounter a lot of people who eagerly wake up in the morning and say "let's sit in rush hour traffic, deal with jerks and get ridiculed all day" to think that retail, business, customer service work seems to be the daydreamers of the bunch.
Or maybe I just identify more with the daydreamer jobs, the ones most people, even grown men and women, dream of having one day, but never consider it more than a dream. I don't know exactly, but what I do know is, days like today make me think.
I want to do something I love. I want to do something that makes me jump for joy when I wake up in the morning.
What is that something for me? Besides wandering around in my PJs for as long as I want, making breakfast for the family and ushering them out for the day, only to wrap myself in solitude in front of my computer with a cup of coffee. Yes that is my dream day. Take a break at lunchtime and take a walk with the dogs… go for a jog when the kids come home. Live my day inside my dreams, my daydreams…and bring them to life.
That is my dream
Now, I have to retract slightly. I said before that I don't really encounter a lot of people eager to start their customer service day. I apologize, that was an erroneous error. My darling husband loves his customer service job and does just that. And, quite honestly, he is the most influential in my desire to move towards what generates joy in my soul. He has worked very hard removing himself from the corporate office day job to the customer service spirits industry job he has steadily moved further up the ladder for. I admire that immensely and I strive to see that within myself.
What kind of daydreams do you have? Do you daydream?
Spring Break 2014
Today was the first day of Spring Break 2014
I did something different this year, I took a day off…and you know what I am going to do the last day of Spring Break 2014? I am going to take another day off! We are going to the Zoo!
Today we went to the Andretti Go Karts. My daughter, recently completing her twelvth year of life, was completely against going. "I just want to hang out with my friends," "What friends, honey?" Let me work with you, building a smile on that face…"No one, nevermind."
It seems like, in an effort to try to maintain a shred of a relationship with my children, I have to remember, my ego is nonexistent and how to function around theirs. So, I did only what I could think to do. I stayed positive, tried to ignore the anger. I slowed my step so she could storm out to release her feelings, and we started on our way. Throw a few missing shoes, little boys with no patience into the mix and we were off.
Unfortunately the ride lasted almost 30 minutes. In that time, I seriously began to start second guessing my decision. The boys seemed as though they were falling asleep in the back seat and my daughter was expressing nothing less that the belief that I hated her and only tried to make her life miserable. (insert my dad here, "sound like anyone else we know")
We got to the venue. My daughter perked up slightly (also because she had just passed Starbucks and imagined herself sipping on a Caramel Flan Frappachino afterwards). "Park there," she lightly ordered, almost as an attempt to see if mommy is going to be in a fighting mode or a forgiving mode. As I headed in the direction she pointed, she said "It's shady here," and her brother chimed in "yeah, let's park in the shade so we don't have to get into a hot car when we are done."
Did that sound like they were getting along? A little?
Out of the car we hopped, and towards the front entrance where, with all ages of excitement, a revolving door awaited. Score. Kids squealing to get in, it was game over. The kids were estatic, and I truly don't know who was having more fun, my 12 yr old, my 9 yr old, or the recently wakened 8 yr old whose birthday is tomorrow.
For 2 hours there was nothing but pure fun. My daughter, typically hiding in her bedroom, with at least one electronic device tucked under her nose, quick to spout out whatever negative thought she has at any given time to anything that does not even remotely resemble electronics or food, was not only laughing and playing with the boys, but treating them to toys in the "store' and sharing her game dollars. What an awesome suprise. I knew, with just the blink of the eye my daughter could make me the proudest mom alive, but heres he was actually showing it. And not just to me either…I even got "your children are so well mannered" while we were there.
So, Andretti Karting, with a sweet deal from Sweetjack.com, you totally kicked off our Spring Break the right way. From the moment we arrived, with KC in training, patiently learning the steps and making sure she got our information correct, all the way to Jarred and his teasing my daughter as she decided against the actual go kart race (don't worry, she more than made it up with games and tickets) to Brad making sure we were set at the Rock Climbing wall, they made the experience priceless.
I didn't get the girl's name at the 'store'. The one who was stuck with 3 kids buying 1 piece of candy for 5 tickets at a time, yeah that's the one. She patiently smiled and made suggestions, moving from one child to the next with ease.
I did something different this year, I took a day off…and you know what I am going to do the last day of Spring Break 2014? I am going to take another day off! We are going to the Zoo!
Today we went to the Andretti Go Karts. My daughter, recently completing her twelvth year of life, was completely against going. "I just want to hang out with my friends," "What friends, honey?" Let me work with you, building a smile on that face…"No one, nevermind."
It seems like, in an effort to try to maintain a shred of a relationship with my children, I have to remember, my ego is nonexistent and how to function around theirs. So, I did only what I could think to do. I stayed positive, tried to ignore the anger. I slowed my step so she could storm out to release her feelings, and we started on our way. Throw a few missing shoes, little boys with no patience into the mix and we were off.
Unfortunately the ride lasted almost 30 minutes. In that time, I seriously began to start second guessing my decision. The boys seemed as though they were falling asleep in the back seat and my daughter was expressing nothing less that the belief that I hated her and only tried to make her life miserable. (insert my dad here, "sound like anyone else we know")
We got to the venue. My daughter perked up slightly (also because she had just passed Starbucks and imagined herself sipping on a Caramel Flan Frappachino afterwards). "Park there," she lightly ordered, almost as an attempt to see if mommy is going to be in a fighting mode or a forgiving mode. As I headed in the direction she pointed, she said "It's shady here," and her brother chimed in "yeah, let's park in the shade so we don't have to get into a hot car when we are done."
Did that sound like they were getting along? A little?
Out of the car we hopped, and towards the front entrance where, with all ages of excitement, a revolving door awaited. Score. Kids squealing to get in, it was game over. The kids were estatic, and I truly don't know who was having more fun, my 12 yr old, my 9 yr old, or the recently wakened 8 yr old whose birthday is tomorrow.
For 2 hours there was nothing but pure fun. My daughter, typically hiding in her bedroom, with at least one electronic device tucked under her nose, quick to spout out whatever negative thought she has at any given time to anything that does not even remotely resemble electronics or food, was not only laughing and playing with the boys, but treating them to toys in the "store' and sharing her game dollars. What an awesome suprise. I knew, with just the blink of the eye my daughter could make me the proudest mom alive, but heres he was actually showing it. And not just to me either…I even got "your children are so well mannered" while we were there.
So, Andretti Karting, with a sweet deal from Sweetjack.com, you totally kicked off our Spring Break the right way. From the moment we arrived, with KC in training, patiently learning the steps and making sure she got our information correct, all the way to Jarred and his teasing my daughter as she decided against the actual go kart race (don't worry, she more than made it up with games and tickets) to Brad making sure we were set at the Rock Climbing wall, they made the experience priceless.
I didn't get the girl's name at the 'store'. The one who was stuck with 3 kids buying 1 piece of candy for 5 tickets at a time, yeah that's the one. She patiently smiled and made suggestions, moving from one child to the next with ease.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Finally Friday
Today I cheated...I just couldn't take the weeds in my backyard any longer and I went down there and started pulling them. I feel like my doctor would probably wring my neck if she saw me...and now, stuck in the recliner with the ice pack again :(.
In the meantime, Daddy and Kaya are repeling off the back porch. Kaya is being such a big girl, listening intently and following daddy's every move. I don't usually get to witness daddy/ daughter time, but tonight I did. And what a beautiful image it was. It was as though the light 's was illuminating from her just having daddy's attention on only her.
Sometimes it amazes me, the little things that really make our babies shine. It is so easy, in the every day chaos of life to see how quickly and how effortlessly you can make your child feel like they are on top of the world. We need to remember that more often. It isn't the "stuff" you get them, but the time you spend with them when they are getting said "stuff"
I love learning from my babies!
In the meantime, Daddy and Kaya are repeling off the back porch. Kaya is being such a big girl, listening intently and following daddy's every move. I don't usually get to witness daddy/ daughter time, but tonight I did. And what a beautiful image it was. It was as though the light 's was illuminating from her just having daddy's attention on only her.
Sometimes it amazes me, the little things that really make our babies shine. It is so easy, in the every day chaos of life to see how quickly and how effortlessly you can make your child feel like they are on top of the world. We need to remember that more often. It isn't the "stuff" you get them, but the time you spend with them when they are getting said "stuff"
I love learning from my babies!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Baseball
The fall baseball season is well under way. We got off to a rough start once the season began with Tao getting a 102.9 fever on his first game and having to be "benched" game one AND game two.
Then, games 3 and four were both rained out while a southern monsoon decided to sweep through the ATL
finally, we are back in gear....we have had 3 consecutive games now and the sky was bright blue with not a single cloud representing today!
Today was a slightly different game for us first timers. Today we played a team that really cared about winning...not the love of the or a bunch of kids on the field having a good time, but to win...we were tied at the end of the game and, as we were the last team on the field, coach asked if they wanted to play another round...not realizing how important it was for them to win, the other team jumped at the opportunity and SLAMMED us in the top of the inning.
Our poor boys didn't know what hit them...
After the game ended, coach had to voice his opinion for the way his boys were treated on the field. Needless to say, there was almost a knock down drag out with most everyone just looking and saying, "it's just a game..."
I am so glad Junior was our coach and not the other guy! He even came over to tell them boys he was sorry...
Then gave Tao his SECOND game ball! Tao is just excelling so incredibly at this sport, it is awesome! He just keeps getting better and better every practice and every game. Kaya wants to play so bad! We will definitely have her signed up for Spring season...by that time we will also need to have them both scheduled for soccer as well..
Mommy definitely needs to find a different job, one that will allow me to taxi both of these sports fanatics wherever they need to go while still being able to afford Thrasher tickets every here and there!
Then, games 3 and four were both rained out while a southern monsoon decided to sweep through the ATL
finally, we are back in gear....we have had 3 consecutive games now and the sky was bright blue with not a single cloud representing today!
Today was a slightly different game for us first timers. Today we played a team that really cared about winning...not the love of the or a bunch of kids on the field having a good time, but to win...we were tied at the end of the game and, as we were the last team on the field, coach asked if they wanted to play another round...not realizing how important it was for them to win, the other team jumped at the opportunity and SLAMMED us in the top of the inning.
Our poor boys didn't know what hit them...
After the game ended, coach had to voice his opinion for the way his boys were treated on the field. Needless to say, there was almost a knock down drag out with most everyone just looking and saying, "it's just a game..."
I am so glad Junior was our coach and not the other guy! He even came over to tell them boys he was sorry...
Then gave Tao his SECOND game ball! Tao is just excelling so incredibly at this sport, it is awesome! He just keeps getting better and better every practice and every game. Kaya wants to play so bad! We will definitely have her signed up for Spring season...by that time we will also need to have them both scheduled for soccer as well..
Mommy definitely needs to find a different job, one that will allow me to taxi both of these sports fanatics wherever they need to go while still being able to afford Thrasher tickets every here and there!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
It's Independence Day
WHAT a wonderful holiday! What a wonderful day it was. And lucky for us in Georgia, we had clear skies all day, followed with a much needed rainy day today. (usually it is the clear skies AFTER the 4th and rain to dampen all of the fireworks)
We started the day, finding the cutest little doggie and becoming friends. He took a special liking to Kaya and even was playing fetch with her within 30 minutes! Once Uncle Gav showed up (driving down from Kentucky to spend the weekend with his surrogate fam), we headed down to Midtown to meet up with the rest of the ATL crew.
We stopped at a wonderful restaurant called Steamhouse Lounge. They are a remodeled house with a multi level dining area, outdoor patios, the works. They have a mostly seafood menu with a few burgers, polish dogs and TRIPLE cheese grilled cheese sandwiches. They have a phenominal Shrimp and scallop quesidilla and any place that serves the kids entrees with tator tots is a win-win for us!
Once we were done devouring our meals, half of the crew headed to Lakewood to rock out with Ziggy Marley and 311 while the parents headed up to our house to have a Star Wars (Return of the Jedi) marathon and firworks...
Baby Garvie and Kaya became such good buds, Kaya treater her like she was her own (I hope there is no separation anziety today!) After a few more hours, when the sun finally went down (for our four year old, the anticipation I swear, made him age another 4 yrs!) we headed out to see the fireworks (and light off our own). What fun! Everyone in the neighborhood had their fireworks to show and it made for a wonderful nightcap to the evening.
Maybe it is because I am getting up there in age, maybe it is because I try to look a little deeper at the importance of everything these days so that I don't miss a single opportunity or maybe it is just in trying to make sure I am teaching the kids everything I possibly can every step of the way...I am not sure what exactly it is. I just know that we are so blessed to be able to have a holiday such as the 4th, to celebrate on such a National level and that, the celebration of our freedom is something so many people (myself included) take for advantage on such an idividual level...
We spend so much of our lives and our enegry making sure we conform to what we 'think' others expect of us. Spend so much time worrying if we will make the grade with this person or that. We stress over so many minor details that truly have nothing to do with the sheer bliss of being alive and free and we let every day pass forgetting that we are here to be ourselves. That combined, every single one of us, staying true to the freedom to let our soul ring live with the truth of who we are inside, that we create this wonderful world we exist in, combined, one unified element creating the reality we wake up into every day.
Ultimately, though we do reside in a country in which we have our "freedom", I believe that we, as humans, are denying ourselves the true freedoms we have as a being with a heart, soul and mind to make all of our dreams come true, all of our ideas facts and all of our fears obstacles we overcame...we need to reach within, find the reality within every breath we take and soar on the happiness that is being alive...free to breathe and free to be.
And make every day Independence Day, never conforming from who we really are and what we really should be.
We started the day, finding the cutest little doggie and becoming friends. He took a special liking to Kaya and even was playing fetch with her within 30 minutes! Once Uncle Gav showed up (driving down from Kentucky to spend the weekend with his surrogate fam), we headed down to Midtown to meet up with the rest of the ATL crew.
We stopped at a wonderful restaurant called Steamhouse Lounge. They are a remodeled house with a multi level dining area, outdoor patios, the works. They have a mostly seafood menu with a few burgers, polish dogs and TRIPLE cheese grilled cheese sandwiches. They have a phenominal Shrimp and scallop quesidilla and any place that serves the kids entrees with tator tots is a win-win for us!
Once we were done devouring our meals, half of the crew headed to Lakewood to rock out with Ziggy Marley and 311 while the parents headed up to our house to have a Star Wars (Return of the Jedi) marathon and firworks...
Baby Garvie and Kaya became such good buds, Kaya treater her like she was her own (I hope there is no separation anziety today!) After a few more hours, when the sun finally went down (for our four year old, the anticipation I swear, made him age another 4 yrs!) we headed out to see the fireworks (and light off our own). What fun! Everyone in the neighborhood had their fireworks to show and it made for a wonderful nightcap to the evening.
Maybe it is because I am getting up there in age, maybe it is because I try to look a little deeper at the importance of everything these days so that I don't miss a single opportunity or maybe it is just in trying to make sure I am teaching the kids everything I possibly can every step of the way...I am not sure what exactly it is. I just know that we are so blessed to be able to have a holiday such as the 4th, to celebrate on such a National level and that, the celebration of our freedom is something so many people (myself included) take for advantage on such an idividual level...
We spend so much of our lives and our enegry making sure we conform to what we 'think' others expect of us. Spend so much time worrying if we will make the grade with this person or that. We stress over so many minor details that truly have nothing to do with the sheer bliss of being alive and free and we let every day pass forgetting that we are here to be ourselves. That combined, every single one of us, staying true to the freedom to let our soul ring live with the truth of who we are inside, that we create this wonderful world we exist in, combined, one unified element creating the reality we wake up into every day.
Ultimately, though we do reside in a country in which we have our "freedom", I believe that we, as humans, are denying ourselves the true freedoms we have as a being with a heart, soul and mind to make all of our dreams come true, all of our ideas facts and all of our fears obstacles we overcame...we need to reach within, find the reality within every breath we take and soar on the happiness that is being alive...free to breathe and free to be.
And make every day Independence Day, never conforming from who we really are and what we really should be.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Baby steps
Today I start the next chapter of my life. Today I begin to incorporate my dreams with my heart. I need to make more time for me and my family and progress towards a greater learning and living of life itself!
Today I start with baby steps. Today I made sure to take the extra trip to school to make sure that the kids had their sunscreen. Today I looked up important details necessary to establish my own studio as well as to begin my career as a writer.
Today I told my husband that I loved him, my friends they inspire me.
Today I write my first blog.
It is scary. My heart hasn't stopped beating a mile a minute. I have a little bit of the sweats, I guess I could pretend those are from the lingering strep throat keeping me home today, or the fact that I just charged $2.24 on the credit card to read "$39.99 IF you choose to continue, $9.95 IF you choose to continue..." followed by 3 or 4 other "optional free trails I inadvertently signed up for that I now have to remember to watch out for, but maybe, all the excitement and sweating and jittery feelings are all because I am taking a step in the right direction. Finally...and I didn't sit around and wait for myself to talk myself out of it.
Today I start with baby steps. Today I made sure to take the extra trip to school to make sure that the kids had their sunscreen. Today I looked up important details necessary to establish my own studio as well as to begin my career as a writer.
Today I told my husband that I loved him, my friends they inspire me.
Today I write my first blog.
It is scary. My heart hasn't stopped beating a mile a minute. I have a little bit of the sweats, I guess I could pretend those are from the lingering strep throat keeping me home today, or the fact that I just charged $2.24 on the credit card to read "$39.99 IF you choose to continue, $9.95 IF you choose to continue..." followed by 3 or 4 other "optional free trails I inadvertently signed up for that I now have to remember to watch out for, but maybe, all the excitement and sweating and jittery feelings are all because I am taking a step in the right direction. Finally...and I didn't sit around and wait for myself to talk myself out of it.
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