My word for 2007 is Simplify.
Every time I pause and take a breath, life looks more complicated.
I shouldn't be surprised.
If I took a Minti poll, I bet a lot of us feel that way.
In the midst of all the busyness, I keep thinking, "I have a lot to be thankful for."
I am, by nature, a glass half empty kind of gal. But, I am by choice, a glass half full kind of gal. I am choosing to be grateful.
Yes, my flu lingers on.
But it is just the flu.
Yes, my son is getting married in 8 weeks. How crazy is that?!
But, he is in love and his fiancee is his best friend and they registered at REI of all places--an outdoor/hiking/camping store of all places! You have to laugh! What about dishes and sheets?
And there is lots to do and never enough time...but I'd rather be busy than bored.
Wouldn't you?

I believe all moms should be exempt from colds and viruses and fevers and any other illnesses. To read more, check out my Mommy Musings blog. (I never did figure out the RSS feed.)

I'm down with the flu, having to ignore all the things I have to do. It will all be waiting for me when I'm up and at 'em again. I'm ready to be back to normal.

 

My son is engaged.

The wedding is planned for May 6th--a few short months from now.

I love Jenelle, his future wife, and know that she will bring new beauty to our family.

Big changes are coming.

Even as I write those words, I realize I have no idea--no idea--of just what those changes are.

Funny story:

When Josh was about nine years old, he told me he couldn't have a girlfriend yet. I asked him why.

"Well, I know I have to have at least a hundred dollars in the bank before I have a girlfriend," he replied.

I'm not sure how he figured out girlfriends cost money.

 

Sent Christa off to school today loaded down with Valentines for her classmates and cookies for her class party and goodies for her teachers.

Last night she sat at the kitchen counter and colored her unicorn Valentines and wrote her name in red.

Back when I was in school you addressed each Valentine to each individual classmate. Not anymore. It's easier to leave the cards unaddressed so the child can hand them out without having to match the right card to the right child. Easier, yes. But it seemed like it was cheating a little to me.

Oh, well. It's the thought that counts, right?

This is one of the fun things about going around the mommy-block again--enjoying Valentine's Day with a six-year old. I wonder if she'll share any of her candy with me?

 

Lots to do.

You, too, I imagine.

But, no complaining for me.

I'm off to a writers conference this week--so it's okay if the early part of the week is a bit crazy. I want to make sure everything else is settled before I give everyone a hug and a kiss goodbye and head out the door to go soak up a lot of knowledge and encouragement from those farther along the writing road than I am.

Truth be told, the conference is right here in town at the stellar Broadmoor hotel, so I'll be coming back home to sleep in my own bed. But. for the most part, I'll be an extremely part-time mom this week.

But, before that, I'll be doing laundry and running errands and getting life in order so I can play hooky!! All the extra effort will be worth it.

Now, I'll just keep repeating that to myself as I head out the door to go to the library and to the dry cleaners and to one of those "big box" stores and, oh, maybe I'll have time to find a blouse I'm looking for to complete an outfit I want to wear...

 

Who sat down one day and said, "I know! Let's take a bunch of kindergarteners outside the classroom. Let's load them up on a bus and take them to the zoo or the circus or some place educational like a dinosaur museum. Better yet, let's ask parents to drive, so the kids to fight about who they are going to ride with!"

Okay, I'm griping.

I apologize.

I just got back from a field trip with my daughter's kindergarten class. One teacher. Five moms. Seventeen kids. We had a wonderful time watching an ice skating competition. How do people dance on ice skates? I can't even skate on ice skates!

But I am worn out. The kiddos were great. I think it is just the sum of driving through highway construction and keeping track of a very active bunch of five and six year olds and telling two little boys it was okay to use the girls bathroom just this once...and then making it back to the school when it was all over.

I need a nap.

I think I'm finally learning.

Normal for moms is not normal.

Let me rephrase that.

If I had a spreadsheet of all my days as a mom--somebody do the math of how many days there are in 23 years of mothering or else I can ask my husband later--I think I would find that I had very few normal days. Very few days that looked alike. Very few days that were repeats.

So why is it I spend so much of my time wishing for them?

It's a waste of my time. It causes frustration. Major frustration.

Sure, I can plan ahead. Sure, I can try to establish routines and habits.

But if I am the mom of toddlers or tweens or teens or twentysomethings--then I should know that my life is going to be interrupted by them.

Today my To Do list was up-ended by my six-year-old's totally unplanned ear infection and, consequently, her irritableness.

Then my eighteen-year-old stood in front of me while I was on the phone having a nice chat with a friend--and I noticed she looked kind of teary-eyed. So, time to say, "Can I call you back?" to my friend, and spend some time with my daughter, listening to her, giving her some TLC, and praying for her.

I'm a mom. It's what I do.

Who cares about normal?!

The day's rushed by so fast that I haven't had time to think what I'm thankful for.

Give me a minute to catch my breath...

I'm thankful:

for the chance to duck in the local Goodwill store and find some inexpensive books to read

for a good night's sleep last night (since Christa has woken up once--sometimes twice--during the night for the past week)

I've lost 10 pounds!!! (But losing it because of a dental disaster and migraines is a rough way to do it)

a midweek lunch date with my three daughters (Kate, 20, Amy, 18, and Christa, 6) where we laughed so much that the two hostesses laughed at us/with us. Priceless.

May your day be anchored in gratefulness.