Ridd Quicks vol. 6

Conversion Diary is hosting Quick Takes today. She found an interesting blog that gives loads of ideas for healthy(er) living. Head on over to check it out!

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We started a new month this past week and that has led me to be a bit reflective about my Word of the Year. I’m giving myself a B-, mainly for effort. And yes, that does include an appropriate level of grace bestowed upon myself for the fact that I was ill for the first 2 weeks of the year, had more calendared activities than usual as a family and that I really didn’t have an ultimate “plan” as to what I wanted to achieve in my “purposeful” state. Kind of formulating that as I go along. I’ve got lots of room for improvement and I’m hopeful that some doses of sunshine, good health and regular visits to the gym will make my February a little more successful!

Marooned

You know the feeling of being so excited to go somewhere, see something new, have good conversation, the kids will be happy, they’ll meet some new play pals, the coffee will be yummy, the sun is shining, the car is working, the sleep was bad, the morning was early (again), the older one is melting down, the cough is strong, the nose is running with a tissue not far behind, the kids are screaming, the tears are flowing, the kids are tearing apart library books, the kids know only how to disobey, the sun is still shining, the yelling has started, the “mommy monster” has arrived, the little one refuses to let me take his pj’s off (again), the phone calls have started, the discouragement has set in, the videos are quickly being destroyed, the chicken soup has been started, the final decision has been made, the wishful thinking has begun, the fight to feel hopeless or angry is creeping in at every angle, the request has been made for doing “art” and the lightbulb goes off in your head because 5 hours of being awake has finally led to something peaceful…for 10 minutes anyways?

Got beans?

You know those pictures in magazines of mothers cooking something while their kids are smiling, wearing clean clothes, laughing with each other, doing some kind of craft or coloring or reading? The sun is shining through the big fat windows in the house and you can almost hear the melodious sounds abounding from the experience – sounds that make the meal even more tastier than it smells while it’s cooking. The mother is smiling, of course, because her sweet little cherubs are delighting her very soul while she is crafting, creating, exploring, providing – all in one simple act of cooking a meal.

Um, yeah, that’s NOT what it’s like in my house.

Got the sweet little cherubs. Got the kitchen to cook in. Got the smells of delicious food wafting through the house. But that’s about it.

Tooth fairies and turkey feathers

As I’ve mentioned before, books have always been a love of mine. I still own an original copy of All Kinds of Cats by Arnold Shapiro. It’s a lovely pop-up book I received from my 1st grade teacher. The inscription says, “To Vicki – Congratulations for reading 50 books! I am proud of your reading efforts! Love, Mrs. Drake” and it’s dated 1/4/79. I distinctly remember being told by my 7th grade English teacher (Mr. Knowlton…I think?) that it wasn’t necessary to do a book report on every single book I read. Apparently I had passed the required quota for the year by leaps and bounds. Boredom and a slight case of depression will do that to a pre-teen girl.

While I have a lovely list of “someday” books to read as well as 6 or 7 books I’m currently trying to get through these days, it’s just not been easy for me to find the time to absorb a good read and be able to put my thoughts down about it.

Library adventures

Books are treasures, most of the time. Especially library books. I know I spent a lot of time in the public library as a child, but I only have a few vivid memories of those times. One of my memories involves the beloved story time hour, always a favorite. Another one includes the fun of digging through all the books, looking for the ones I liked most. But the most concrete memory I have of the public library in the town I grew up in involves the library bathroom. There I was, just minding my own business, when someone decided to turn the lights out. Yep – me, in pitch blackness, wondering what the heck I was supposed to do! I can’t remember how long I waited, but I remember I wasn’t very adventurous since I just stayed in there, crying probably, until someone came in and turned the light back on.

Because the majority of my library memories were positive ones, thankfully, it was with anticipation and excitement when I brought my firstborn to story time at our public library. Oh what FUN to be amongst other mommies and their little ones, watching my little guy (8 months at the time) as he took in the words being read from the big, bright pages. It felt almost like a responsibility of mine as a mommy, introducing the ways of the public library to my son.

FAIL.