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Browsing Tag: holidays
So I spent the day out with my son yesterday and met with a friend I have not seen in a while, it was great fun and very much needed. We are also in full baptism planning mode, invitations are made by yours truly and addressed and ready to send. Dress is purchased, decorations purchased (some, most I am making myself) I can’t wait for everyone to be able to meet my little princess. Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend, mine was busy just like I like them to be.
I hated Valentine’s Day when I was a teenager. I never had a boyfriend, and was often reminded by family members that I would never have a boyfriend unless I lost weight first, but that’s a whole other blog post. Anyway I remember being in High School and someone making me believe that a boy actually liked me, ME? REALLY? I remember her giving me chocolate and a flower from this said “boy,” and telling me that he was going to ask me out, blah, blah, blah. Anyway I was always very leary of people and was always waiting for the other shoe to drop because I had been hurt many times before. Anyway, I started to actually believe it, she was very convincing I must say, she even got other people in on it. On Valentine’s Day of Freshman year I found out it was a big ol lie, I was crushed, crushed because someone who was supposed to be my friend lied to me and hurt because of course he didn’t like me, boys didn’t like girls like me.
When I was 21 I met my husband and he started doing the most wonderful things for me on Valentine’s Day. He always makes me feel so loved. So I guess as a young girl I didn’t know how nice Valentine’s Day could be when you share it with someone you love. As a mom I also love sharing Valentine’s Day with my kid, giving them valentines and extra hugs and kisses.
2011 was a cruel and blissful year all tied up in a neat little bow. Life came to an end, life was renewed, love was regained, trust and capabilities were tested. 2011 will always be one of the years that I remember most, the year that helped me to realize the person I am, and the person I want to become. I have never been one to make resolutions, or if I did make one, I never kept it. Well this year it is simple for me, it just seems so effortless. Be a better mom, be a better wife, a better daughter, a better niece, a better aunt, a better cousin, a better friend, just be a better me. This year is 2012, I will be turning 35 in about 1 week, and I want to do all I can this year to be a better me, 365 days worth of discovering who I am and what the rest of this life has in store for me.
I carry with me the scars of years past but only as a rememberance of who I have become because of those scars and what this life will enable me to become because of the bruises and the battles I have endured.
I am humbled by 2011, only to stand my ground in 2012 and not let the bitterness, the hatred, the unhappieness of others taint my world. I will move on to a better tomorrow, not letting in any of the negativity or misery. I will make time for me, make time for the people I love, make time for friends, for having fun and enjoying life and all it has yet to show me.
I will continue to watch my children grow and learn and play and love, I will submerge myself in all the good, crazy, creative, fun, things that this year will bring. I will make a conscious effort to be silly and to play and to go away and experience things. I will break out of my comfort zone, I will do things I have never done before. Why is this year different? I know for sure that my daughter has given me a new outlook, a new horizon, a new life to behold and I will not waste it, I will enjoy it and thrive on all the new experiences we have to look forward to. So here is to a better me in 2012, may I be all that I can be, physically, emotionally, and mentally. To 2011, thank you for humbling me, thank you for giving me my beautiful baby and showing me how to be a better mother to my children.
So it is that time of year that I love so much. The lights, the decorations, the presents all wrapped, the cards, the music, I have so much in my life to be thankful for wonderful husband who loves me and takes care of me, two wonderful children, parents that would do anything for me, and family and friends who are always there for me and love me. Really what more could a girl ask for?
I think that this year it is safe to say that I am madly, deeply, hopelessly in love with Christmas. The surprise, excitement and glee in my son’s eyes make me so happy inside I could melt and those little bright baby eyes, staring at the Christmas lights and ornaments, and that little baby mouth smiling at me is enough to make me swoon. They are my gift this Christmas, and I wish that gift for everyone, I wish everyone could have one day, just one where they can feel the love I feel for my family and friends. I am so blessed that my baby girl is here with us today, and she is doing so well, and she will be celebrating her First Christmas. I am so happy to have all the worry, sadness and fright behind us, so glad that she will be sharing all the fun times with us, so glad she has a wonderful, fabulous, beautiful life ahead of her and I can’t wait to share it all with her and my son. This weekend we will partake in some of my most favorite activities, last minute Christmas Shopping, gingerbread house creating, crafting, just fun, and good times. Can’t wait.
My little girl amazes me each and every day. Today we had to go to the hospital for an x-ray to find out if the chylothorax has emerged its ugly head. There were about 25 people waiting there when we arrived and I thought “Oh no we are going to be here all day.” but we no sooner gave our name to the lady at the desk and our name was called. The people must have been upset because the tech who came to get us said “she’s a baby and can’t be exposed to germs.” Thank you God for kind people, and I am sorry we aggrivated a few people but I was so happy that we were in and out.
We waited all day and 5 minutes ago got the phone call that the x-ray looks great and she has no restrictions. The cardiologist likes to tallk to the baby on the phone it’s very funny, I held the phone to her ear and she let out a laugh and a big smile, she loves her doctor. He then said the words I have been longing to hear since the moment she was born, “It is the holidays and your baby is happy and healthy, enjoy her, enjoy your family and have a wonderful holiday.” I could have kissed him. I am so happy I might just burst, I honestly do not remember ever feeling this happy, or at least I have not felt happieness to this magnitude for a very long time. This is the best Christmas gift that anyone can ever give me, I have my 2 children, they are happy and healthy and no matter how much I will worry about hospital bills and whether she is okay or not, I will enjoy my family this holiday because I am so blessed to have them all in my life. I am truly, deeply blessed.
So our doorbell rang last night. My son and I opened the door and we could hear jingle bells ringing in the distance. My son gasped and said “Santa!” On the ground was a little elf and a storybook accompanying him. My son grabbed the book ran to his room and said “come on mom let’s read the book and see what Santa wants us to do with him.” We read the book and my son decided to name his elf Frisbee.
Frisbee caused a little bit of mischief last night and we are so excited to see what he is going to do next.
So we are having serious Christmas memory making here. The snowflakes are hung in my son’s bedroom, he told me he wished it could snow in his bedroom so Mom made it happen while he was at school. When he got home and ran to his room, he said “Mom you are so awsome.” Love it.
So with the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, the getting the perfect gift for everyone, it is easy to lose sight of who you are and how much you matter to other people. What about you, what can you do for yourself and for others while your at it, this Christmas season.
Be present in your life, sounds easy right? Actually not so much, between kids, and errands and chores and cleaning, and laundry, and the list goes on and on and on. By the end of the day when it is all said and done, who wants to think about buying gifts, wrapping presents, getting it all done in time. Okay so truth be told I love this, I love the hustle and bustle, the running out the last minute to get a few last things and stocking stuffers, or the ingredients for the bake from scratch cookies I just thought of on Christmas Eve at 7 pm. I love it all the Christmas rush, but my wish is always to have this Norman Rockwell like Christmas, you know the kind I am thinking of , the decorations, the pies right out of Martha Stewarts Magazine, the logs on the fire, the warm apple cider, the scent of pine and cinnamon in the air and the Carpenters Christmas album playing in the backround. The living room bustling with family, telling stories of Christmases past. But fast forward to reality, none of that ever happens no matter how hard I try. First of all my family that is present on Christmas consists of my mom, dad, husband and 2 kids, so our gatherings are not very big. Anyway back to the tinsel and the holiday guffaw. I realize that it is too much to expect to have a Holiday that is like those you see in the movies, so instead I throw in the towel and try to have a Christmas my kids will remember, I try to create traditions that they will remember when they are 30 and want to do with their kids. So this holiday season, I will try to go that extra mile to do things that are fun and festive well because I love it. Tis the season to be merry.
So I am going off topic, back to the being present in your own life, well that is the million dollar question right? How do you do that? I am here doesn’t that make me present? I am trying to be more present in my life this year,I am trying to acknowledge each moment, to appreciate all the things my son says that crack me up, to take in all the laughs and smiles my daughter gives, to smile and laugh at all my husband’s corny jokes. I guess I am trying to live in this moment instead of looking ahead to the next 100 moments. So I hope I leave you with sugar plums dancing in your head or just a thought or two of enjoying this very moment and how to be your own present at Christmas by being present.
Traditions, I am all about them, especially at Christmas time.I love Christmas, the music, the egg nog, the presents, the decorations, the wrapping paper, the chill in the air, all of it, I love it all. I am a crafter, so I like making the ornaments and the paper chains and all kinds of decorations. I love a real tree, with green, red and white deocorations. I want to make traditions with my children, things that we will do every year, that they will get excited for as the season arrives each year.
After we got married and had children my husband and I started the tradition of going out to dinner on Christmas Eve, it is so much fun and Danny loves it, now we can’t wait until we can have that tradition with both of our children.
On Christmas morning I like to make Breakfast, which usually consists of monkey bread. It is so yummy and I try to make it every year.
Everyyear we treck up to what I like to refer to as God’s Country to help my inlaws cut down their Christmas tree. We take the long drive up the taconic usually the Saturday after Thanksgiving in search of the perfect, huggable tree. (my husband is in charge of the hug test and the cutting) As you drive up to the the Christmas tree farm you can see trees and trees in rows and rows cascading down the hills as far as the eye can see. It is quite a breathtaking sight.
So I am all about making memories this year, memories I will cherish and my children will cherish for years to come.
It is the simple things we remember most in life, the walks in the park, the cutting of the christmas tree, the shopping, the lunch dates with family and friends. I want to start living my life in search of these moments, I want to make these memorable moment in my life a reality.
So I will look foward to this Holiday Season with much joy in my heart, so thankful that my baby girl has been given a second chance at life and will be there to experience all of these wonderful moments and together we will make the most wonderful memories.
As the weather is getting cooler here in New York, I can’t help but start to feel wonderful, Fall has always felt like my “New Year” my time for renewal, time to make changes, time to enjoy. Maybe it is because I am a teacher and in Septmeber I would always begin a new year, a new class, new supplies, a fresh new start.
So as the weather starts to feel like fall I become totally submerged in it, I want to indulge in all things that speak fall to me. I love all things pumpkin, coffee, pancakes, muffins, pie, if it’s made of pumpkin I will try it.
So as we enter fall my baby girl is about to have a renewal of her own so to speak. She will receive her surgery sometime in October or November. I am dreading it and looking to get it over with at the same time, sort of like pulling off a band-aid, you know it is going to hurt like hell but it has to be done. During this time of pumpkins and cool crisp breezes I have a heavy feeling in my heart, knowing that my baby will be going through so much. But I will still try and make traditions for her and my son, although this year we couldn’t go apple picking like we used to I know that next year we will be there and she will be a healthy and happy little girl and I can’t wait for all our the adventures we are going to have. But for now we can make our own fun at home with her and my son.
