among many others, feather is one that i and newly obsessed with for her creativity in all things and her weekly 5 things. i find myself continually inspired by her outlook on life. it's a great way to take inventory and perceptive...mom-life tends to skew my perspective and i rarely take inventory of the status and feel of our week.
so here goes. my dear feather, these are for you. (albeit, a bit too wordy :)
5 things that make any day better:
(1) dark roast iced coffee (cold, very cold)(2) baby chicks
(3) utz natural gourmet medley kettle cooked potato chips, boasting 4 types of potatoes.
(4) a smile, even when you don't feel like it
(5) not having to clean up the kitchen. heaven i tell you, heaven.
top 5 best things we did this week.
(1) beach day with my whole family + boardwalk rides + giant ice cream cones = wonderful.
(2) tackled the ill-lit corridors of the Camden Aquarium sans the husband :(. we love the aquarium and i'm in love with big hippo butts, but seriously, i lost foster 3 times and he was right behind me. i know it's for dramatic effect, but pitch black hallways with glowing fish tanks + my child wearing a black tshirt = crowds of pint sized indistinguishable child silhouettes & major parent paranoia. ok, this should be in the top 5 'stressful yet fun' things we did this week.
(3) 1st time mini golfing with kids. i even brought a 3rd kid with us, and i wasn't stressed out. go me :) ok, it was only for an hour, but i'm chocking up small strides of tri-child practice.
(4) met foster's homeschool co-op preschool teacher...she is amazing. she adopted 4 of her 6 kids. sweet, funny, kind. can't WAIT to soak up more of her wisdom and i love that she will have an influence on my child.
(5) oh, did i mention i decided to homeschool? ok, this should be in the "things that challenged me as a mom" section. i've been going back and forth back and forth on the school issue. i even signed him up for preschool AND a homsechool co-op and lingered long and hard on whether or not i can handle either choice. there are so many opinions and so many ways to sway. at this point, i'm doing what is best for our family...what better way is there than that? i'm not necessarily doing what is most in my comfort zone or what will be the smoothest of ways to choose. but as i think about our family, and what we may look like in the next few years, our family will look different. i LOVE that. i want to hover around people who know and understand our uniqueness until my kids gain the confidence to enter the real world and be proud of who they are and have the skills and knowledge to be creative and thrive in a world that is going to push and push and push them to merge and be just like everyone else. after all, the point of all of this isn't to raise great kids...but to raise up and inspire future great adults. it's what they learn now that is making them into who they will be, and i want to make sure they are grounded before i let them out and into an environment i have no part in. so there it is. that's my reason. not very scientific, but from the heart.
5 things that challenged me as a mom this week:
(1) realizing i hover too much. the more i realize it, the more i notice it. scaling back. letting go. it's hard. but important.
(2) my kids are learning fast. like lightening fast. their appetite for learning is insatiable. i need to catch up and plan ahead.
(3) PLAN AHEAD PLAN AHEAD PLAN AHEAD. when i don't, i regret it. when i do, it's a pain, but i'm always glad i did.
(4) i opened my etsy shop again. while i really enjoy it, it also means i'm up late for days on end...very late = very tired in the morning. and sometimes quite grumpy. need more coffee, and at least 5 more hours in each day...and maybe a personal assistant. one can dream, right??
(5) i've noticed an extreme competitiveness arising in my boys...and in other boys their age. they are ruled by who is first, who is the winner, who is the tallest, etc. i don't always know how to handle it. it comes so effortlessly to them. so innate. so, i'm embracing it. after all, competitiveness can be an asset...a competitive spirit can spur ourselves and others around us into greatness...but it needs to be harnessed by a love and compassion for others...a love that values the feelings and pain of those around us in a greater light than winning the prize. so, each day, as we compete in every little thing, we talk about how to treat each other with love and compassion. we are learning to cheer for our friends when they win or succeed. we are learning how to be gracious 2nd placers. we haven't quite caught on yet. but earlier today, i heard foster tell rowan, "look buddy, i won the race! can you cheer for me and tell me what a great job i did?" at least they are getting the idea....sort of :)
5 things that i want to change about myself:
(1) be less sensitive to criticism, especially when the delivery is blunt, but the truth is true
(2) verbalize frustrations to my husband instead of coping an attitude like a 3 year old :)
(3) let go of what other people think of me. be proud of who i am, just the way i am.
(4) i need to wake up earlier than my kids. i've come to grips with it. now i just need to do it.
(5) stop eating so much ice cream :)
5 or 10 things i want to do in the next year:
(1) get a tatoo
(2) meet my daughter
(3) look back and be proud of what i accomplished...as a mom, wife and friend
(4) get into shape. seriously...long and lanky was cool in college, but now it's just long and flabby. uhg.
(5) eat less sugar. laugh more at myself. be spontanious.
(6) write a book
(7) become a real photographer
(8) invent something new
(9) clip coupons
(10) discover who i am :)
(11) learn how to be less wordy. ha! yea, like that will happen :)
oh, my! i'm blushing...and running to show my husband your kind words! thank you so much.
ReplyDeletei love your five things. i love how you elaborated on them. i love all your pictures. i think tomorrow i will use your 5 things i want to change about myself category.
Ang, don't let go too much of what people think about you. Everyone I know that knows you thinks you're a beautiful woman and fantastic mom.
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun post!