You know when you are walking alone outside and your mind begins to smack you in the face with all that has happened up until this point. Good and bad all of it just right there in front of you. Your head gets heavy and the weight of it all just brings tears to your eyes. Not knowing you crying. tears just stream down your face and you are in the moment. All of the sudden as you are wiping tears from your cheeks, not knowing when they began to fall or how, you see a familiar face that makes that moment just break. The smile and kind words just bring comfort to anything you were feeling. The heaviness just slowly lifts and you are back to the present. You appreciate the smiles and words and take it in to remember what a beautiful gift you have. It’s life. It’s love. It’s family. It’s friendship. Keep the faith and hope alive. Enjoy your Friday!
Welcome the reminders
The kids are calmly playing in the kitchen until I hear some loud noises. I begin to make my way in that direction and hear Isa yelling at Gio then she calls him a baby aggressively. I was just about to walk in there and immediately let Isannah know that we do not talk to people in that manner but something stopped me. I think the expression on Gio’s face made me just stop, pull back and listen from a distance. As I began to listen and see what was going on I noticed they were reenacting scenes from Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus. It was the part where the mean girl “Charlotte” was calling Virginia names and pulled a special Christmas book she made out of her hands and threw it to the ground. Charlotte then called Virginia a baby stating there was NO Santa. Giovanni and Isannah said and did everything the way it was played in the movie without missing a beat. The expressions on their faces were exactly the way they needed to be in each roll they played. After it was over the other would say it was their turn, and then they started up all over again. From pulling and slamming the book, to the sad faces and mean words. It was as though I was watching my very own show starring Giovanni and Isannah as Charlotte and Virginia. I couldn’t help but smile the entire time. Then after about 3 times each they began to giggle and hug each other. It was the most amazing thing to watch.
How can these two kids already know all the emotions and show them so clearly? The love and kindness floating around the room filled my heart with so much hope. It’s moments like these that no matter the hard times you experience this brings you back to a hope that things are truly good and we just need to open our eyes to it. Faith that love conquers all, and trust that you are right where you need to be. I have two little teachers in my life that remind me every day how great life is and how much we should appreciate every moment. What better reminders than children.
Keep your buckets full
I can’t help but smile and maybe shed a tear every time I read “How full is your bucket” to my kids. No matter how many times a day I read it, the reaction on the kids face makes my entire body smile. It also makes me think of every persons invisible bucket and try to be cautious and caring with my words. My wish for all of you is that your bucket stays full for all your days.
Happy Friday!
Love…it’s unconditional
I don’t understand why people who claim to truly care for you only want to hurt you. If you truly care for someone and you are unhappy or your life is on a low, it doesn’t give you the right to hurt, manipulate, or cause pain and suffering to the one that has helped you because you want others to suffer right along with you. We all go through ups and downs, that’s just life. It’s how we react to each event that makes us who we are. Love is unconditional…you feel it with all you have and give it with all you know. Conditional love is not love at all. We all need to look within ourselves to find who we are. The bad will rise and be carried away as the good will too. It’s up to us to be able to let it go so that something else can come along. Be kind even when it hurts. The world keeps going let’s jump on and enjoy the ride, good or bad.
Yes, Virginia
We decided to treat the kids with a movie on the TV. It’s a HUGE treat as they only watch TV during breakfast in the morning. I thought I would play Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus. Once I turned it on they sat so quietly. Their eyes glued to the screen with concern and then happiness throughout the movie. As soon as the movie was over, Giovanni immediately came over to me and said, “that was nice mommy.” He had the softest sweetest look on his face. He understood exactly what it was about. Right when I was about to cry I heard clapping. I turned to see Isannah clapping at the TV. These two truly have my heart.
http://www.amazon.com/Yes-Virginia-Neil-Patrick-Harris/dp/B003X3BYG0/ref=pd_bxgy_mov_img_y
“We are surrounded by beauty every day. All we have to do is open our eyes to see it.”
It’s all about the sirens
Kids are in their cribs and I turn on the nursery monitor to watch Gio toss and turn like he does every night. All of the sudden I hear loud noises coming from upstairs. I look back at the monitor to see Gio sitting up in his crib while flailing his arms. I turn on the monitor sound to hear Gio loudly singing, “I woke up in a firetruck” while making the siren sounds. In the background I hear Isa yelling, TOO LOUD. I can’t help but giggle. Then I laugh hysterically because this continues for another 15 minutes. This was the laughter my entire body needed today. Thank goodness for this pair. They definitely closed the night with something I was missing all day. A smile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNHkGVfRqjo
Clique
As I walked home from a sweet coffee break I began to look around at all the people walking around the neighborhood. They were all going in different directions and each had a group. I felt like I was invisible and just floating through each group conversation. No matter where I turned I saw a clique. Each had their own personality, dress, and language. There were even those that fell behind in a group with a sadness on their face just trying to catch up. Whatever the clique, it caused me to go back and reflect on my younger years and then frantically to now as I thought of my children and where their journey would take them. I prayed at that moment that Gio and Isa would be themselves no matter the clique. That they would be kind not only to the person they are but to others. That they respect themselves and those around them and no matter what others say that they will be strong in their own opinion. My mind came back to the present and I picked up more conversations within cliques that I floated around and heard laughter towards a group of girls just trying to fit in. I saw discomfort and concern on the face of one of the girls that was pretending to agree. She seemed bothered by what the rest of the group was saying but yet she said nothing. I looked at her and tried to force a soft smile as to tell her what she feels is ok and she should voice her opinion. Instead she turned away and pretended to laugh at the horrible jokes the group was saying.
I felt my mood change slightly and a heavy weight fell upon my shoulders. I slowly made my way home but not before that same girl grabbed my wrist and said, “I know you heard what we were saying but know that I told my friends that we should stop making fun of people we didn’t know.” She said that this is why I’m here and no longer there. She continued by saying, “I guess standing up for what you believe doesn’t always keep your friends.” I told her when you stand up for what you believe, your friends are the one’s standing right along with you for support. If they aren’t there they were never your friends to begin with. That doesn’t mean you can’t disagree and have difference of opinions, it just means that your true friend will always support you or catch you when you fall. She actually said, thank you and ran to catch the train. I felt the heaviness on my shoulders lift and carry away. I stopped for a moment to take in what just happened and then giggled to myself. I guess it was my way of releasing all the emotions I felt when she grabbed my wrist. I definitely could of turned swinging from the wrist grab but there was something calming that kept me grounded. I began walking home smiling the entire way.
When I got home, I opened the front door to find Gio and Isa matching the smile on my face. What a way to walk in a home. May the smiles that surround us creep into your home and heart. Happy Friday!
Sometimes a conversation is all you need to calm the memories that come fluttering in. It’s your way of understanding and respecting your hearts feelings to continue on your life’s journey.
Apples and peanut butter
My parents are over and eating dinner with the kids. Gio is not feeling so well as he’s had the sniffles all day and really no appetite . He decides that apples and peanut butter would make him feel better. He looks at me and asks me so sweetly if he can have some. Before running to get them for him (which is really what I wanted to do) I told him he would need to eat one more rice in order to get the apples and peanut butter. My little cutie picked up one grain of rice, held it between his two fingers to be sure we all saw it, and with a huge smile on his face placed it in his mouth. He immediately told me he ate ONE rice. We all looked at each other and began laughing. It really was my fault. He did exactly what I asked even though I meant another fork full of rice and not just one. He was still smiling as everyone continued laughing. I wanted to just eat him all up. My clever little man. He sure did receive apples and peanut butter along with a bunch of kisses and a little cheek squeeze too.