Things I Love Monday for May 21st

It has been a seriously hard week here. The children have never been this sick before. That is the downside of good health, you are spoiled! Also, much of my support network has been unavailable for different reasons. I have been stretched and thinned but we have come through it. My babies are on the mend and for that I am really grateful. So on that note, I thought I would share the things I love this Monday. 1. Recycled sari wrap skirts- I have really become a skirt and dress kind of woman. I am not exactly sure why but there it is. I love the beautiful brightly colored prints. They are so vibrant and feminine. The silk is so deliciously soft and whispers across my body. They make me feel as if I am dancing with every movement. I love the way in look in them. They make me feel very beautiful. 2. Running- I love running. I need running. I was not able to run this past week and it was not a good thing. I carried tension and stress I normally would have dumped out on the pavement. 3. I love my husband understands my need to run, do yoga, and workout in general. I love he saw the problem and immediately devised a solution even though he was tired and stressed himself. 4. I love this weather. Summer is rapidly approaching and I adore it. Today I took some time to just lie in the sun and soak it up. It was wonderful. The sky has been so blue and the clouds float through the sky forming shapes for Hannah to see. Love it. 5.Unschooling or natural learning- Yesterday John was out with the kids and John numbered the stones 1-6 for the kids per usual. Hannah was insisting it was not finished. She then wrote out 7-10. We didn't know she could do that. Then she and Logan amazed us with all of the letters they could write. It was wonderful. 6. I love Hannah's fascination with growing things. She is enthralled with our garden and the seeds she planted herself. It has been a great experience. 7. My garden- It is really coming in well this year. A couple of years ago we began our perennial, English style garden. It is really coming together and quite lovely. Those are just a few things off the top of my head. Truth be told I am still pretty wrecked from this week. But there are always a multitude of things to love and be grateful for each day.

Struggling and Gratitude

Warning, authentic moment ahead. It doesn't portray me in the best light but I think that is the point. We are seriously struggling over here. The kids have been really sick. We have been housebound. John has been super busy at work. We have not had much outside time. I have been fighting off the kids sickness and due to the previous reasons, not working out. Most important, I have not been able to run or do much yoga. This all adds up to some stinky moods and yucky situation. I don't think we all like each other very much right now. But I am determined to focus on gratitude and the bounty of my life. First up, reminders of why I stay home and why I have chose this life.

And this:

Seriously, don't I have the most gorgeous babies??? This week I am sad to say I have lost my temper. I have been irritated to the point of running screaming down the street because of the tired, sick whines of my precious children. In fact, I just had to stop what I was doing because Logan pulled out all the things in the bathroom cabinet and then opened a bunch of band aids. It has not been a parade of my finest moments. But it is life and how it rolls. Bottom line, I am tired, sort of sick myself, and struggling to fall into the shame/ guilt trap of being human rather than a perfect mommy automaton. The best thing I can do is focus on gratitude so here it goes. My Gratitude List for the Moment (by no means complete or in any order) 1.I am grateful I found the mantra, "My child is not giving me a hard time, my child is having a hard time." I have said this often and with increasing vigor. 2. We have good, healthy food in the house to boost our immunity. Let's not get worse. 3. I have the greatest husband evah. He has went above and beyond the call of duty in order to make my life as easy as possible. The man is swamped with trials but has consistently put the needs of me and the children first. So Seriously Overflowing with Abundance 4.Netflix. Hours and hours Caillou, Dora, and Strawberry Shortcake. I may be gibbering after all of it but it has helped the children rest. 5. I am so grateful I have learned the lesson of personal grace, love, and compassion. I am working on giving myself room to make mistakes and see them as learning opportunities rather than chances to beat myself up. 6. I have friends to remind me of the above. 7. The weather is simply gorgeous. We should be able to get outside for a little bit today. The mild weather will be great for fresh air consumption. 8. My homemade yogurt is the bomb. 9. The weekend is almost here and I will get a long break. (Again, best husband evah.) 10.It is almost over and we are still in one piece. In fact, the kids still seem to like me and want to be with me and that is a good thing. Ten seems like a good round number. Oh well, let's throw one more in for good measure. 11. Strangely enough, I am glad I am able to stay at home and deal with all of this. As much as I have wanted to run down the street and hide in a ditch, this is better. That awareness stays firmly implanted in the front of mind. I cannot imagine trying to juggling job responsibilities, coverage, or whatever along with sick kids. All we had to do was stop and stay home. It hasn't been the most fun thing we have ever done but I am still grateful we can did it without any fuss. That is my gratitude list. I am holding on to it and the coming weekend with both hands. I hope they get me through and help me have a better mindset about the whole thing.

Monday And The Things I Love

Monday is the traditional beginning of the week for many people. It is here as well although we enjoy a great deal of flexibility. But daddy returns to work and we miss him so sometimes it can be a bit hard for us. So I think I am going to start writing a post about the things I love right here, right now. Hopefully I will do it most Mondays but you just never know now, do you?

Above and below are two pictures I took last week. We were at the Botanical Gardens when a storm came in fairly fast. Most people ran to their cars. Instead of leaving, we headed to a gazebo and proceeded to have a simply magical experience. We watched the rain while we snuggled. Logan napped in my arms while Hannah shared a bit of what goes on in her beautiful, amazing mind. It was as close to perfection as I could imagine. It made me realize even more how much I love my life.

So here are just a few of the things I am loving right now. 1. Snuggling and talking quietly in the rain. 2. Hooping under the bright blue sky next to a gently babbling creek while listening to the laughter of the rest of my family playing. 3. Sparkles 4. Pink, in general but especially on my daughter. Couple that with sparkles and it is a joy fest. 5. Watching my husband be an amazing father not only in the fun times but even more so in the times of stress and turmoil. 6. Yoga 7. Metta meditation 8. Doggies that are simply positive I want kisses during down dog (or up dog or cobra or well, anytime really) 9. Flowing hippie skirts that makes me feel like I am dancing even when I am just walking. 10. The love of running 11. Best friends 12. The ability to see the divine in all that surrounds me. It is not a complete list. I hope to never have the time or ability to write a complete list. I send out warmth and love to you today. I hope your Monday and your week will be filled with love, kindness, and joy.