Longest Days Shortest Years

I heard somewhere that these are the longest days and shortest years of my life. I couldn't say it any better. There are some days when I just feel like "it" (substitute whatever bad preschooler behavior or attitude you like) will never end. But then a few months ago by, and I realize that "it" didn't really last all that long.

And then a year goes by...or three years go by.

Jordi is 13 1/2 months old; Ray just turned 3. It's amazing how much has happened in that time, and it's amazing how much you forget. When Ray was born, we were told time and time again...make sure to write everything down because you'll forget. And as a new parent, you honestly believe them to be wrong. It's such a magical time in your life; how could anyone ever forget a single second of it?

But it's true!

As time marches on, more and more happens. The memories begin to fade a little until something or someone reminds you of a specific event. What's even more amazing is how fast it begins to fade. Our girls are only two years apart, and I was shocked at how much I'd forgotten in that time when Jordi was born.

And today, I held in my arms a precious little soul who is only two days old....and again I was shocked at how little he was. My girls were never that little, were they?! The tiny little nose. The tiny little ears. The tiny little hands and feet.

Every once in awhile, I'll call to Ray using the word "baby" to which she always replies, "I not a baby. I Ray." And I tell her the same thing my parents told me when I was little...and yes, I remember hearing this from them..."No matter how old you get, you'll always be my baby."

If I could only put time in a bottle...

The Hostage Crisis (Part Deux)

The phrase "hostage crisis" around our household means potty training Ray. It's been about four months since we began, and it's been an uphill battle. For the most part, she's been resistant and/or lazy, which means she has A LOT of accidents. We've seen various signs in her from the beginning that indicate to us that she understands the process, but we've never gotten to the point where we could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Until now!!

Ray has been dry about 80% of the time in the last week, which is amazing. On Monday, she stayed dry all day without constant prodding from us, so we drew a big star on the calendar for her. We encouraged her to "earn another star" the next day, and she did pretty good. I think she might have had one accident all day. So we decided to see if she'd be ready to work towards a bigger reward...bigger than the M&M she receives after each trip to the potty. We told her that if she got 5 stars, we would reward her with an ice cream cone.

Since ice cream isn't a staple in our house...it's not safe around me...this challenge got her very excited.

She's had a few accidents throughout the week, but we're willing to be somewhat forgiving. We don't expect her to be perfect all the time. Today, she's well on her way to earning star #5...and the coveted ice cream cone.

We plan to continue down this path, and if she does well, we're going to issue the BIG CHALLENGE. We've spotted a cute little bicycle that she can earn. I want to give her another week or two of ice cream rewards to see if she'll stick with us. If she does, then we'll whet her appetite by showing her the bicycle at the store...let her ride around on it...get her excited...and then begin the challenge.

They say it takes only 21 days to form a new habit. If she can continue on this track, we will be able to officially move out of the "training" phase and into "maintenance". What a glorious day that will be!!!

Don't worry, be happy

In looking back on previous posts, I realize that someone might get the impression that I harbor a lot of repressed anger. And where politics and society are concerned, that's probably a fair assessment. But my every day life - although filled with it's own frustrations - is a happy one.

I love it when Jordi flashes her new teeth in a smile that scrunches up her whole face. I love it when Ray gives me a gentle kiss on an "owee"...which is usually a minor scratch of some kind. I love it when Jordi gets so excited about watching "Bear and the Big Blue House" that she falls over from laughing and dancing too hard. I love to watch Ray go from frustrated to proud when she finishes a puzzle all by herself. I love watching my two girls interact with each other...when it doesn't involve fighting or jealousy.

And I can't help but be thankful every night to know I didn't miss any of it.

I love when hubby & I have a few minutes for a meaningful adult conversation that has nothing to do with the girls. I love the time we spend praying together almost every night. I enjoy the friendships that I've been able to rekindle via Facebook. And I enjoy the time I spend every night reading my Bible in order to strengthen my Christian walk and my relationship with my Heavenly Father....who makes all the above possible.

Make no mistake about it. Even though I am angry with what's happening in our government and our society, I am one happy camper. I may not have all the extras. I may not have a ton of time on my hands. I may not live the kind of life that someone else would envy. But what I do have is so sweet that I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I am living a very blessed life....and for that, I am truly happy.

The "What's Next" Generation

Many Americans under the age of 40 could be lumped into one generational label...not The Me Generation, not Generation X or Generation Y. I think we all could be labeled as The "What's Next" Generation.

With each new generation, the attention span seems to be getting shorter and shorter, and we tend to get bored easily. After we buy something new, we tend to look down the road to the next big purchase. After we reach a significant milestone, we tend to look down the road to the next significant milestone. We look around at our neighbors and are envious of what they have or are depressed about what we don't have. The impact of an outrageous news story is forgotten after a few weeks or months. The stock market crashed last year, what's going to happen this year? If our spouse or significant other ticks us off all the time, then it becomes "who's next"?

I do believe those under 40 (and even several over 40) experience that "what's next" syndrome in varying degrees. And make no mistake, I am guilty of it at times too. In fact as I'm writing this, I feel as though I'm writing to myself!

What troubles me is that we (as a society) never seem to experience contentment with our surroundings, possessions or experiences. If you don't take the time...correction, if you don't make the time to be content in your life, the "what's next" syndrome can lead to serious levels of worry, anxiety and depression. That isn't good for you, for your family or anyone else around you.

Let me be the first to encourage you to...no matter what your current circumstances...just exist in the moment. If things are pretty good for you right now, enjoy! You may experience times later on when life isn't so good, so enjoy what you've been blessed with!! And if things aren't that great for you right now, I still encourage you to just exist in this moment. Worry, anxiety and depression will do nothing to change your circumstances. In fact, maybe God wants to teach you something from this bad situation that will make you stronger later on.

My point is this. We need to consciously breed an attitude of contentment and gratitude in our children, friends. And it starts with you.

Be environmentally friendly...save an S.O.S.

If you can't tell by my lack of cleaning tips on this blog, I hate to clean! It's one of those necessary evils in life, and I occasionally pray that a Jetson-style house will be invented within my lifetime. (No, the Roomba or whatever it's called ain't good enough...I'm talking an entire self-cleaning house!)

I'm ashamed to admit it, but there are nights when the dishes are left until the next morning....okay, okay...sometimes they're left a little longer. (shhh!) Instead of waiting for a particularly nasty pot or pan to soak, my husband introduced me to this little trick.

Add a little water to said nasty pot/pan, and heat the water to a boil on the stove. Let it boil for about 5 minutes...longer if you think it's necessary. Drain the water and let the pan cool for a minute or two. But before it's completely cool, start cleaning it. Most of the dried on/burnt on gunk will clean off w/very little effort.

It saves time. It saves an S.O.S. pad from the landfill. It can save your pot/pan, and it saves your sanity. Enjoy!