Just be nice

Be nice to yourself.
It's hard to be happy when someone's mean to you all the time.

A good mantra for 2013.

(Text from a friend who knows me so well and has impeccable timing.)

The Soapbox

The other day I was up at the school and a mom acquaintance stopped to talk to me.
The conversation turned into how tough her life is because she works.
I listened.
Nodded.
Smiled.
And never said an ugly word.  (yaye me)

It makes me wonder what people think about our life.
Do they assume that because we have all of these kids and live in the expensive neighborhood so we must be rich?
Do they think that we are rolling in it because our kids play soccer, and do swim team, and art lessons, and take school trips?!?!?
Do they think I just stay home and volunteer at the school and take our youngest to preschool so I can have pedicures and stuff?

I rarely go down this road in public.
I keep my trap shut about our life because it is no one's business.

BUT WTF?!?!?!
I am working 3 jobs.
My sweetie works what seems like 8 million hours a week.

And these are our choices.
We don't complain.  (much)
We don't judge you.

Did you ever once stop to think that I might look like dogshit at the school because I have worked all night and I am trying my hardest to keep doing things during the day for our kids?
Just because I don't show up at pick-up wearing my 'work' clothes doesn't mean that I haven't been working too.
Just because you don't hear me blabbing about racing to the office or to a meeting doesn't mean that I am not just as frantic or tired as you.

Do what you want with your stoopid buckets of money.
And we will keep using our empty buckets to pick up the trash of all of the people that don't give a shit.

But just once, ONCE - stop and listen to what you are saying or complaining about.
Consider who you are talking to.

Every once in a while, take a moment to remember that things aren't always what they seem.
Everyone has problems.
Some more than others.
And some have loads of problems and just choose not to put a billboard on the highway about it.

Have compassion.
Show kindness.

Because it is the right thing to do.

The end.

(wow -where'd that come from?!?!)

The JOY

There are so many things that bring me joy on a daily basis.

The little things.

I often find myself looking at the pictures in my phone and smiling because of the happy things that have been captured.

parking at middle school - oopsie, i'm on the sidewalk

beautiful morning views on the way to school captured by my kids

a woman so moved by both of our presidential candidates that she named her unborn babies after them

neighborly neighbors

chicken on the soccer field

our neighbor dog watching me walk our dogs

clean plates

marquees that call people out

double digitz.

proudly wearing his golden eagle that he earned for integrity

this kid turned ten on sept 26.
can you even believe it?
we have four double digitz kids.
wah.
we had our normal family party.
and since it was a special birthday, he also got to have a party with a few friends.

i took him and his buddies to the real movies - as opposed to the $1 show - and then we went for ice cream at our favorite ice cream store.

mr. jay has been scooping this kid ice cream since he was a baby

i feel so darn thankful that he is such a happy kid.

and especially thankful that he has such good friends.

 



peas and carrots

YAYE FOR TEN!

how i feel as seen through the faces of wyatt

how i feel about cleaning the garage tomorrow to get ready for our big ass garage sale.

how i feel about working long hours this fall to pay for all of the stuff.

how i feel about the thought of doing so many fun things with our family and friends.

how i feel about halloween, thanksgiving and christmas!

how i feel about my life.

50 years

i wish i knew what this young girl thought her life would be

this weekend was my parent's 50th wedding anniversary.
50 years - that is a loooonnnnngggggg time.

even at the end, she still found a way to smile

we decided to go home and celebrate their marriage with her.  she wanted to go to the salsa fest at the miller outdoor theatre.
it was a lot of fun.

although she is alone, she won't ever be alone

i think she liked our attempt to remember the good times.  no matter what the situation, 50 years with the same person deserves to be recognized.
even if it was just 49 years and 10 months.

celebrating the good times

i guess when people get married, we all believe it will be forever.  we want it to be forever.
even though his death was no surprise, i think she had been thinking about her 50th wedding party just like a young girl dreams of their wedding day.

so when she says she wants to spend the morning at the cemetary alone, who am i to question?

just weird

P.S.  feel i should point out, don't think it is weird momma sat at the cemetary.  just weird that he is in the ground.  still hard to believe.

wah

i miss summer.
6:01am.
leaving to take one to run cross country.
then will come back and take the next one to volleyball at 6:40am.
then 7:20 elementary.
then 8:00 high school.
then 9:00 preschool.
then dishes, laundry, bill paying, eating breakfast with my friends, and so on and so on.
then the afternoon shuffle.
then soccer.
then vball game.
then open house.

wah
wah wah
wah wah wah

this fit brought to you by pop-tarts.