The fact is, I'm a Worrier....Wish I wasn't!

Where to begin..... Let's just face it, being a mom has made me a worrier. I was never one of those moms that follows their kid around from the second they start walking to make sure they never fall, or washed their pacifiers off every second to make sure they never got a germ. I'm more the type to look at the world around me and get a pit in my stomach just thinking about the horrible, evil that exists and the challenges it will create for them. I want my kids to be kids, I want their childhood to be relatively worry free, filled with innocence.

Lately my worries have been regarding the influences Liv is getting at school. We have entered a new phase of life where she spends more time away from me than with me. I don't like it one bit. She loves school, we all love her teacher, we have been very impressed with the little friends she has made, and over all it's been great. Still, I worry, is she strong enough to do what is right, even when her friends aren't?? And I've always thought. . . I'm not really sure what she would do. This is the story that she came home with today:

Liv: Mommy, Today on the bus, Katie said she doesn't like Chloe anymore and she isn't her friend anymore. (Katie and Chloe both ride the bus home with Liv and they all usually sit together. Katie is a friend who lives near by and is a year older than Liv.)

Me: Oh really :(. That's too bad, was Chloe sad?

Liv: Yeah.

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Then Katie asked me if Chloe was still my friend. . . and I said, "Of Course she is."

I can't even tell you how proud (and happy) that made me. That may seem like a little thing, but I think it is HUGE. That takes a lot of courage, and a lot of kindness! I told Liv over and over again how proud I was of her and how I thought that took a lot of courage to stand up to her friend and look out for Chloe. What a good girl she is! Really, such a good girl.

I guess I can stop worrying =0).

Nervous

I started my painting of Gwen tonight. I finished phase 1....sketching. I am breaking 2 of my Cardinal rules with this one....1st- I am tweaking the photograph and painting from 2 different pictures that I am putting together, and 2nd- her shoulders are not square to the camera, and her face is at an angle to it. Its one of those things. . . I know better, BUT I'm feeling the urge to paint now, I want to do it this way and REALLY I don't want to wait.... It's also one of those things that sometimes works out and sometimes REALLY doesn't. I guess we'll see. Hopefully I'll figure it out before I've spent too much time with it. I'll post pictures soon. And, yes I did finish my painting of Liv (Last Spring). I'll post a picture of the finished product, as promised, as soon as I take one =0).

gWen'sday

Oh how I love 3. THREE has proven to be a fun, funny, happy, enthusiastic, giggly, big-girl year for our little Gwen. One of my favorite things about living with Children is seeing the world through their eyes. I love the words they use to describe what we see as everyday things that we don't think twice about. Like when Liv at age 3 couldn't come up with the word boat, and called it a "tubby truck." (smile).

Yesterday, Gwen said one of my favorites. "Mama, is today Gwen'sday?. . .not Tuesday or Thursday, It's Gwen'sday, right, Mama?" I told her, I was pretty sure she was right =0).

Some other things she says lately are:

• Lasterday instead of yesterday.
• While listening to the a song with the words, "I am special there's no one else like me." She got a confused little expression on her face, and said, "But Mamma's like me."
• The girls were having a Talent show, and after stating her name was going to be Corinne, Liv asked Gwen what her name was going to be. Gwen thought for a second and then said, " Um....Sally Rosie Popsicle?"

(This picture makes me laugh because it is so typical. Winter attire, MUST ALWAYS include a hat, scarf, gloves, boots, skirt or dress, and coat zipped all the way up to her chin, but anything covering her legs, and socks are both optional =0). . . .)

Happy gWen'sday!

A New Year

A few things always happen to me in January: I feel inspired to Prioritize (which always leads to a New Year's resolution), I decide I want to organize my whole house, and I turn one year older =0).

As for New Year's resolutions, two years ago I started a new personal tradition of coming up with one word I want to focus on for the year. 2 years ago, my word was Cherish, last year it was Childhood, and this year the word I have decided on is "Listen." What does "listen" mean to me? It means really listening to Brad, really listening to Liv, really listening to Gwen, and really listening to Beckham, so that I can really know them and really perceive their needs, and not just assume them. Really listening to my kids so that they will always want to talk to me. Really listening to my friends so that I can be a good friend to them. And taking the time, and humbling myself enough to listen to the Spirit, and learning about the many ways it prompts me, and directs me. Even, taking time to listen to nature around me. Maybe the word listen signifies slowing down, and taking it all in and learning about and from my surroundings.

As for organizing, I've caught the bug. If only I had more time =0). It may take me a while to get it all done, but I'm ready to purge and regain control of all my closets, drawers and hiding places. As proof of my urges, I'm reading the first book I have read in a long time, "Organizing from the inside out." Order, and cleanliness, Aahhh (That's my dream).

And for Turning a year older, As of Wednesday, I am 29. I take my birthday very seriously. I really look forward to it, and I love every bit of it. I had a really wonderful birthday this year. Starting with birthday wishes from my family, leaving a clean house =0), lunch with good friends, ice skating with my girls, and dinner with Brad and the kids. Brad proved his talent of gift giving once again. He got me an outdoor fireplace, I've been dreaming of roasting hotdogs and marshmallows ever since. Thank you to everyone who did something little or something big for me that day. You really made me happy =0).

And lastly, I have started a project for the year, I plan to take 12 pictures to document my day on the 12th day of every month this year. Here's the first one:


12 of 12|January 2010|Tuesday|

• Woke up at 6:30(I always feel tired waking up when it's dark outside)
• Helped Liv get ready for School.
• Sent Liv off to School and cleaned up the house
• Bathed and dressed Beckham, and then put him down for a nap so I could-->
  
• Showered and got ready for the day, Gwen (as always) came upstairs as soon as she heard the shower, took her clothes off and hopped right in the shower with me.
  
• Went over to Amy's house and enjoyed her light filled house, and had fun talking as we organized a closet.
• Went to Target still in a good mood, and got sucked in by the heart shaped measuring cups and spoons in the dollar section.
• Played *Play*Dough*, I must have been in a good mood, because I dread Playdough messes =0).
  
• Brought Gwen home to meet play with Nana.
  
• Did a bit of organizing and catching up
• Liv came home to play too.
• Took the girls to the gym to meet Brad
• Went to the church for a Young Woman's activity.
• Hung out with the 12-18 year old girls from church and talked about our theme for this year, Joshua 1:9, "Be strong and of a good courage."
• Came home to Brad.
• Looked through Liv's back pack and was taken by this homework assignment......was amazed that Kindergartners can do story problems that include multiplication...
• Got into my cozy warm bed next to my personal heater (BR) and enjoyed Beckham sleeping through the night =0).
  

Our newest family hobby

Nana and Pugga came with us for our first outing. By the end Liv could do it all by herself!

Both of the girls got ice skates for Christmas, Gwen's were originally worn by Brad's sister in the 80's.

This is what Beckham looked like the whole time...asleep =0).

Mr. Mom

Before I plow ahead into the new year, I have to document at least this one major happening in our December 2009. Two weeks before Christmas I went in for surgery to have my belly button repaired. When the doctor told me that it was going to be a lot easier than I thought, he was talking to the wrong two people. Because Brad and I already had expectations of ease. I'm talking I thought I'd go in, come out, and be up and running in a few hours.... Our house looked a little something like this:

• Two sick with the flu/needy girls, one 3 month old (nursing) baby boy.
• One needy/loopy, in-bed mom who can't remember anything for more than 30 seconds, says crazy things, and can't lift anything (including before mentioned baby) for 6 days and nights.
• One Mr. Mom.

Brad pulled it off incredibly well, and without complaint, I can't imagine it was easy.

Don't worry, I'm up and running again.....but this time it is without the umbillical hernia!