Cleaning Up

All's good in mommy land again.  Yesterday I was feeling so frazzled.  The holidays can be so fun but also  overwhelming and filled with anxiety.  Today is so much better.  I put away all the Christmas stuff and cleaned the house a little.

We had our Christmas stuff up since the day after Thanksgiving and we had family in town for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I was ready to get everything back in order before the kids go back to school and our lives are back to their regular schedule.

I can breath again.  Ahhhhhh!  :)

Run Away!

Sometimes the kids drive me so crazy that I want to just walk out the front door and run away to the nearest coffee shop.

Seriously.  It's tough sometimes.

Holiday Parties!

I sometimes dread going to parties.  Even though I appear on the outside to be a very social person and anyone that meets me would categorize me as an extrovert, I definitely have hermit-like tendencies.

When it comes down to the actual leaving the house part, I always want to bag it and stay home in my comfy pajamas and watch a little TV in bed with my husband.

But thank God I don't because nine times out of ten, when I actually drag my sorry bum out the door and go to the party or night out I end up having a blast.  

This is especially true during the holiday season.  I'm already exhausted and anxious with the holiday to-do list and then to get dressed up and make it out in the freezing cold just seems like too much sometimes.  But then you get there and it's warm and yummy and everyone's in a great mood.  And I wonder how I could have wanted to say home instead of coming.

So next time you want to cuddle up on your couch instead of going out to that friend's holiday party, I say put on your best duds and go!

To Do or Not To Do Kindergarten Work

Here's my question.  When is it appropriate to do your child's homework?

My son is in kindergarten and I make him do all his own stuff.  Then I volunteer at the school and I see the other kids' projects and over half of them are clearly not done by the child.  And the mothers openly admit that they did the whole thing.  One mother said something like "he did help me a little with it."

To me that seems nuts but maybe it's OK or even better to help them along.  I just don't know.

Part of me is just lazy but the bigger part doesn't want to do the special projects for my 5 year old because I think it's seriously ridiculous.  My mother didn't help me with anything.  I'm not kidding.  I can't remember her helping with any school project.  She admits it today.  She barely even went to the school.  We went to school and came home and the only things she looked at were our report cards.  She did tell me that with my youngest brother she got more involved because he needed more help but with me there was nothing really to do.  I did it all myself.

I was standing in the classroom today looking at these projects that were clearly done by an adult and I wondered how these moms could think that is a good thing to do.  How are they helping their children get ahead in kindergarten by making the best "stuffed bear?"

It's not a big deal now but what am I going to do when they're graded on their projects?  Am I going to settle for my son getting a C or B on a project that he did totally himself when his peers are getting an A on something that was a parent-child collaboration (probably more parent than child)?

I'm not sure if I can stand aside and not help in that situation.

Personality To Do List

1. Stop worrying about whether people like you or not.

2. Relax.  Be calm. Life is not that serious.

3. Remember that you're enough.

4. Be in the moment.  It goes by so fast and wasting it worried or angry is a shame.

5. Be more grateful for everything.

6. Spend a few moments in silence each day.  Even ten minutes with no noise, no distractions, nothing to do but just breath in and out.  Deep breaths.

7. Write more often.  It helps.

More soon....

Small Steps Matter

I heard a great quote today.  "When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion."  I just love that.  Small steps matter.  Small kindnesses, thoughtful gestures, helping hands, they all matter because together they can move mountains.

Here is where I heard it.  This guy's book, Getting to Yes, is one of the landmark books in negotiations.  At first I thought his talk was pretty Pollyannish but by the end I really saw the picture he was trying to paint and really liked it.