Now that it's January, I've been waiting to hear it or see it posted somewhere and then the other day I finally saw it...
my first "I'm tired of cold, where's spring?"ish type comment the other day on Facebook.
I swear, as soon as Christmas is over, many times people are looking for spring/no more snow already.
It's January!!! We haven't even officially been in winter for 1 month yet!!!
They can call me crazy, but I say bring on the SNOW!! Yes, I realize I benefit because I receive a "snow day" from work when it does snow a bunch, but it is also WINTER & I want/like snow. No, it doesn't have to be a lot of snow, just enough to cover the ground.
If it's going to be freezing cold outside, I at least want it to look like it is freezing cold outside! :)
It's also kind of scary fun to get to drive in it too! ;)
So...come on down snow & those of you wishing for spring already~when it's snowing at this point come March...I'll be right there with you, until then you'd better just plan on staying bundled up for awhile longer!
Showing posts with label The Soapbox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Soapbox. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Thursday's Soapbox: Helping Hands
(I know wrong day, but this post has been sitting started in my poor list for such a long time & my brain is quite fried, so pleeeease forgive me! ;)
Toddlers~they bring so much joy & wreak so much havoc at the same time!
My little whirlwind can tear apart our house in minutes if he feels the need to do so, especially if I have just cleaned the floors!
Toys can be strewn throughout the main floor of the house just waiting for their chance to injure big feet within seconds...especially on days when he decided that sleep was not really necessary the night before.
And food can be tossed on the floor when he decides he is done eating it & then left unnoticed to 'petrify' on its own without a care if one of the big people doesn't see it immediately...
So, when the phrase "Lukey help!" entered the vocabulary many months ago, you can bet I went with it!
Now...
When food is thrown on the floor-he has to clean it up, especially if it is a big mess (with lots of supervision of course.)
When evening comes-he must pick up all of those toys strewn across the main floor & hopefully is learning that it is much easier to pick it up once he's done playing with it, which is something we've been working on too.
When the washer is done, he has become a super helper who can push closes in the dryer faster than I can get them out of the washer.
And, last but not least, now dishes are flying out of the dishwasher (& into my hands then to the cabinets) at lightning fast speeds-who knew dishes could be so fun?!
Disclaimer: Just because all of this "help" is very much appreciated & is good most of the time, does not mean that it is always the case. It also doesn't mean that my house remains spotless (far from it actually), but I'll encourage any interest he wants to show in these household tasks & if he ever gets married someday-maybe his wife will be able to thank me someday! ;)
Toddlers~they bring so much joy & wreak so much havoc at the same time!
My little whirlwind can tear apart our house in minutes if he feels the need to do so, especially if I have just cleaned the floors!
Toys can be strewn throughout the main floor of the house just waiting for their chance to injure big feet within seconds...especially on days when he decided that sleep was not really necessary the night before.
And food can be tossed on the floor when he decides he is done eating it & then left unnoticed to 'petrify' on its own without a care if one of the big people doesn't see it immediately...
So, when the phrase "Lukey help!" entered the vocabulary many months ago, you can bet I went with it!
Now...
When food is thrown on the floor-he has to clean it up, especially if it is a big mess (with lots of supervision of course.)
When evening comes-he must pick up all of those toys strewn across the main floor & hopefully is learning that it is much easier to pick it up once he's done playing with it, which is something we've been working on too.
When the washer is done, he has become a super helper who can push closes in the dryer faster than I can get them out of the washer.
And, last but not least, now dishes are flying out of the dishwasher (& into my hands then to the cabinets) at lightning fast speeds-who knew dishes could be so fun?!
Disclaimer: Just because all of this "help" is very much appreciated & is good most of the time, does not mean that it is always the case. It also doesn't mean that my house remains spotless (far from it actually), but I'll encourage any interest he wants to show in these household tasks & if he ever gets married someday-maybe his wife will be able to thank me someday! ;)
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday's Soapbox: Family Ties
Disclaimer: "Tuesday's Soapboxes" are not meant to be offensive-Comments I make are not directed at any one person or group, but are just my thoughts on whatever topic I choose for that particular Tuesday. The topics may range from serious in nature to just downright silly. As always, I appreciate hearing what you have to say about them, however, I am not here to start any 'debates'. Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed :)
Oh, that's right, it's back-at least for this week anyway :)
The holiday season is once again upon us & along with it comes the stress of all of the things that need to be done, all of the places to go & all of the people to see. And for me one of the worst parts of it all is the part where we are trying to share our time with all of our families at all of the festivities that will inevitably (most years anyway) conflict with each other...you can believe me when I say that I do truly start stressing out about this in October every single year.
The ultimate problem stems from the terms "extended family" & "immediate family."
These terms lead to questions such as:
"Who should come first?"
"What are the determining factors when trying to decide?"
"What happens if we go here instead of there?"
And on and on and on...
The basic jist of it all comes down to the basic statement that I have heard come out of several people's mouths (including that of my mother's in reference to how one of my sister's decides where to go when her events conflict) year after year..."Immediate family should come before extended family" & that is where it all gets tricky folks!
In our specific circumstance, it takes a little bit of traveling to visit any of my "immediate" family members & both of my "extended" families & Scott's "extended" family, thus we do not see many of these people nearly as often as we would like & so we feel it is very important to attend these functions when they occur. We see Scott's "immediate" family (who when they are all home for any of the holidays) are literally right next door & we see much of them for several days back-to-back-to-back. So, yes, I admit it-we do tend to put more of an emphasis on making sure we attend the other family Christmas events first if there is a conflict with Scott's "immediate" family Christmas event, mostly because we know that we will have many opportunities to see them over the course of a few days & therefore, feel like it could easily be the most flexible one scheduling-wise due to everyone being so close together in regards to location. This, of course, tends to cause a few problems from year to year & loads of guilt on our part because we are putting "extended" family before "immediate" family (i.e. remember the anxiety that begins in October :)
Anyway, the point of all of this is that it all got me to thinking more about it this year & I actually "thought something I hadn't thought before" (that's my own little take on the Grinch there ;)
What are these terms we all use to refer to each other & what do they really mean? The definitions please (taken from dictionary.com)...
Immediate family:
one's parents, step-parents, siblings, spouse, children, step-children, foster children, in-laws, sibling in-laws, grandparents, great grandparents, step-great grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews
Extended family:
So, basically, our "immediate" family members are exactly the same as our "extended" family members, except for maybe 'cousins', but then aren't Luke's cousins (who would be considered his extended family) actually my nieces & nephew (which makes them my immediate family, but not his)...
CLEAR AS MUD, huh!!! :)
All I really can tell you that I know for sure is that each & every single one of our family members is very important to us no matter whether they are "immediate" or "extended", thus, it is very important to us that Luke get to know ALL of his family (immediate & extended!) Therefore, we will continue to do our very best to make that possible as long as all of these families continue to get together because in my humble opinion-family is family and they are all equally important to have around! :)
Oh, that's right, it's back-at least for this week anyway :)
The holiday season is once again upon us & along with it comes the stress of all of the things that need to be done, all of the places to go & all of the people to see. And for me one of the worst parts of it all is the part where we are trying to share our time with all of our families at all of the festivities that will inevitably (most years anyway) conflict with each other...you can believe me when I say that I do truly start stressing out about this in October every single year.
The ultimate problem stems from the terms "extended family" & "immediate family."
These terms lead to questions such as:
"Who should come first?"
"What are the determining factors when trying to decide?"
"What happens if we go here instead of there?"
And on and on and on...
The basic jist of it all comes down to the basic statement that I have heard come out of several people's mouths (including that of my mother's in reference to how one of my sister's decides where to go when her events conflict) year after year..."Immediate family should come before extended family" & that is where it all gets tricky folks!
In our specific circumstance, it takes a little bit of traveling to visit any of my "immediate" family members & both of my "extended" families & Scott's "extended" family, thus we do not see many of these people nearly as often as we would like & so we feel it is very important to attend these functions when they occur. We see Scott's "immediate" family (who when they are all home for any of the holidays) are literally right next door & we see much of them for several days back-to-back-to-back. So, yes, I admit it-we do tend to put more of an emphasis on making sure we attend the other family Christmas events first if there is a conflict with Scott's "immediate" family Christmas event, mostly because we know that we will have many opportunities to see them over the course of a few days & therefore, feel like it could easily be the most flexible one scheduling-wise due to everyone being so close together in regards to location. This, of course, tends to cause a few problems from year to year & loads of guilt on our part because we are putting "extended" family before "immediate" family (i.e. remember the anxiety that begins in October :)
Anyway, the point of all of this is that it all got me to thinking more about it this year & I actually "thought something I hadn't thought before" (that's my own little take on the Grinch there ;)
What are these terms we all use to refer to each other & what do they really mean? The definitions please (taken from dictionary.com)...
Immediate family:
one's parents, step-parents, siblings, spouse, children, step-children, foster children, in-laws, sibling in-laws, grandparents, great grandparents, step-great grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews
Extended family:
| 1. | a kinship group consisting of a family nucleus and various relatives, as grandparents, usually living in one household and functioning as a larger unit. Compare nuclear family. |
| 2. | (loosely) one's family conceived of as including aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and sometimes close friends and colleagues. |
So, basically, our "immediate" family members are exactly the same as our "extended" family members, except for maybe 'cousins', but then aren't Luke's cousins (who would be considered his extended family) actually my nieces & nephew (which makes them my immediate family, but not his)...
CLEAR AS MUD, huh!!! :)
All I really can tell you that I know for sure is that each & every single one of our family members is very important to us no matter whether they are "immediate" or "extended", thus, it is very important to us that Luke get to know ALL of his family (immediate & extended!) Therefore, we will continue to do our very best to make that possible as long as all of these families continue to get together because in my humble opinion-family is family and they are all equally important to have around! :)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday's Soapbox: Facebook, Friend or Foe?
I admit it...I love Facebook and I hate Facebook.
WHAT?! I don't really think this is anything new, since I have heard this from several other people, but here is my take on it.
I love the ability to connect with long lost friends & to stay "updated" on their lives. On the other hand, I am terrible about keeping my own status updated so if anyone is sitting out there trying to keep tabs on me...they don't really ever hear too much. It seems kind of unfair that I should get to know all about them & they get nothing in return...
I love the games, especially the word games, that are all right there at my fingertips just waiting to be played, but then when I begin to play them somehow time is sucked right out of the universe & a whole evening has been wasted doing nothing but playing games (of course this is all after the child has been taken care of~no worries about neglect here).
I love "Facebook stalking" or in other words-hopping around to check different peoples' profiles, but never acknowledging the fact that I was ever there...hmmm...sounds sinister doesn't it ;)
I love that you can write on someone's "wall", but I hate that sometimes it seems that the things people write may have been better off in an email (which is available on Facebook for any of you FB novices out there) & not published for the whole world to read & participate in.
As I said above, I love the ability to be able to connect with others, but I hate not knowing what to do if I don't want to connect with someone who wants to connect with me (this really hasn't happened to me but once or twice, but you know how I like to think about the "what if's" in life :)
And a final word...
PICTURES~truly some things should NOT be shared for the whole world to see unless you truly don't care if people think less of you or you don't care if prospective/current employers are checking it out & some profile pics always leave me wishing that I could control the world & what pictures people decide to post to "represent" themselves.
If only I could control the world... :D
Anyway, please feel free to leave your own thoughts below~I always love visits from/with my readers! :)
Disclaimer: "Tuesday's Soapboxes" are not meant to be offensive-Comments I make are not directed at any one person or group, but are just my thoughts on whatever topic I choose for that particular Tuesday. The topics may range from serious in nature to just downright silly. As always, I appreciate hearing what you have to say about them, however, I am not here to start any 'debates'. Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed :)
WHAT?! I don't really think this is anything new, since I have heard this from several other people, but here is my take on it.
I love the ability to connect with long lost friends & to stay "updated" on their lives. On the other hand, I am terrible about keeping my own status updated so if anyone is sitting out there trying to keep tabs on me...they don't really ever hear too much. It seems kind of unfair that I should get to know all about them & they get nothing in return...
I love the games, especially the word games, that are all right there at my fingertips just waiting to be played, but then when I begin to play them somehow time is sucked right out of the universe & a whole evening has been wasted doing nothing but playing games (of course this is all after the child has been taken care of~no worries about neglect here).
I love "Facebook stalking" or in other words-hopping around to check different peoples' profiles, but never acknowledging the fact that I was ever there...hmmm...sounds sinister doesn't it ;)
I love that you can write on someone's "wall", but I hate that sometimes it seems that the things people write may have been better off in an email (which is available on Facebook for any of you FB novices out there) & not published for the whole world to read & participate in.
As I said above, I love the ability to be able to connect with others, but I hate not knowing what to do if I don't want to connect with someone who wants to connect with me (this really hasn't happened to me but once or twice, but you know how I like to think about the "what if's" in life :)
And a final word...
PICTURES~truly some things should NOT be shared for the whole world to see unless you truly don't care if people think less of you or you don't care if prospective/current employers are checking it out & some profile pics always leave me wishing that I could control the world & what pictures people decide to post to "represent" themselves.
If only I could control the world... :D
Anyway, please feel free to leave your own thoughts below~I always love visits from/with my readers! :)
Disclaimer: "Tuesday's Soapboxes" are not meant to be offensive-Comments I make are not directed at any one person or group, but are just my thoughts on whatever topic I choose for that particular Tuesday. The topics may range from serious in nature to just downright silly. As always, I appreciate hearing what you have to say about them, however, I am not here to start any 'debates'. Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed :)
Monday, June 15, 2009
Tuesday's Soapbox: I am More than just "Mom"
My life does not revolve around my kid. (Please refrain from throwing anything at me! :)
Is he a HUGE part of my life? Yes!
Does he have an effect on everything we do & how much sleep we get? Yes!
Is my life so much better because he is in it? Very much so, yes!
But my life does not revolve entirely around him & I don't want it too.
Luke brings me lots of joy & lots of good stories to tell, but if you met me out on the street, you would not automatically know that I was a "mom" unless he was with me. In fact, when meeting new people, I have often been asked "So do you have kids?" after having talked to them for awhile because I don't bring it up immediately. I also love to take pictures, but never seem to have any on me & it makes me feel awkward on the very rare occasions when I do. I am not into "showing him off" just because I have a kid. I definitely don't walk around trying to show people pictures of Scott all of the time just because I have a husband. That idea seems silly to me "Yes, I have a husband! Here wait let me get out his pictures for you to see!" & it carries over into how I feel about Luke's pictures too I guess.
If someone asks, of course, I could tell them all kinds of things about Luke's latest antics, but I could also do the same thing about Scott or myself-why are our lives not considered interesting, but that of a 1 1/2 year old's is fascinating?
It is important to me to maintain my life while trying to help Luke develop his own life. I do not want to be the center of his universe, even though that might be fantastic, I want him to know that it is okay to be your own person & to have your own interests even after children enter the picture. In fact, my own mom & dad made this very clear while we were growing up, yet none of us ever felt less loved because of it. Mom bowled every Tuesday night just so she could have some time away to he herself with friends. Mom & Dad rarely turned down the opportunity to spend time with friends on the weekends sans kids-calling in one of the local babysitters so that they could enjoy an evening without us in tow was done without hesitation (we always thought it was great too because it was fun play with 'new' people who most of the time were our older cousins or neighbors!)
In the same respect, I don't usually hesitate when one of my friends calls & says "Hey, do you want to get together on...?" I find someone to watch Luke & I/we go without guilt. I feel lucky that some of my closest friends are the exact same way. When we talk on the phone, the conversations are not always about the kids, in fact, many times we forget to even mention the kids during the phone calls & any get together in our minds is usually better without the children in tow :) Do we love our kids? Yes, of course! Do we enjoy each other's kids? Yes to that one too, but we also know that one day our kids will move out & leave us behind so we had better still be able to have fun together without them & be able to talk about something else besides them or we might just end up sitting around looking at each other twiddling our thumbs someday!
What a fun group we would be then! :)
So, in conclusion, I am glad that my kid is not the "center" of my universe because I hope that it helps him to develop into a more interesting, well-rounded individual who is not completely dependant upon me or Scott to help him feel good about himself.
Will he know that I am proud of him & that he is loved? YES!
Will I make sure that all of his needs are met? Of course!
Will he know that he is very important to me? YES!
But...will he be the only interesting thing about me? No, most likely not!
Disclaimer: "Tuesday's Soapboxes" are not meant to be offensive-Comments I make are not directed at any one person or group, but are just my thoughts on whatever topic I choose for that particular Tuesday. The topics may range from serious in nature to just downright silly. As always, I appreciate hearing what you have to say about them, however, I am not here to start any 'debates'. Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed :)
Is he a HUGE part of my life? Yes!
Does he have an effect on everything we do & how much sleep we get? Yes!
Is my life so much better because he is in it? Very much so, yes!
But my life does not revolve entirely around him & I don't want it too.
Luke brings me lots of joy & lots of good stories to tell, but if you met me out on the street, you would not automatically know that I was a "mom" unless he was with me. In fact, when meeting new people, I have often been asked "So do you have kids?" after having talked to them for awhile because I don't bring it up immediately. I also love to take pictures, but never seem to have any on me & it makes me feel awkward on the very rare occasions when I do. I am not into "showing him off" just because I have a kid. I definitely don't walk around trying to show people pictures of Scott all of the time just because I have a husband. That idea seems silly to me "Yes, I have a husband! Here wait let me get out his pictures for you to see!" & it carries over into how I feel about Luke's pictures too I guess.
If someone asks, of course, I could tell them all kinds of things about Luke's latest antics, but I could also do the same thing about Scott or myself-why are our lives not considered interesting, but that of a 1 1/2 year old's is fascinating?
It is important to me to maintain my life while trying to help Luke develop his own life. I do not want to be the center of his universe, even though that might be fantastic, I want him to know that it is okay to be your own person & to have your own interests even after children enter the picture. In fact, my own mom & dad made this very clear while we were growing up, yet none of us ever felt less loved because of it. Mom bowled every Tuesday night just so she could have some time away to he herself with friends. Mom & Dad rarely turned down the opportunity to spend time with friends on the weekends sans kids-calling in one of the local babysitters so that they could enjoy an evening without us in tow was done without hesitation (we always thought it was great too because it was fun play with 'new' people who most of the time were our older cousins or neighbors!)
In the same respect, I don't usually hesitate when one of my friends calls & says "Hey, do you want to get together on...?" I find someone to watch Luke & I/we go without guilt. I feel lucky that some of my closest friends are the exact same way. When we talk on the phone, the conversations are not always about the kids, in fact, many times we forget to even mention the kids during the phone calls & any get together in our minds is usually better without the children in tow :) Do we love our kids? Yes, of course! Do we enjoy each other's kids? Yes to that one too, but we also know that one day our kids will move out & leave us behind so we had better still be able to have fun together without them & be able to talk about something else besides them or we might just end up sitting around looking at each other twiddling our thumbs someday!
What a fun group we would be then! :)
So, in conclusion, I am glad that my kid is not the "center" of my universe because I hope that it helps him to develop into a more interesting, well-rounded individual who is not completely dependant upon me or Scott to help him feel good about himself.
Will he know that I am proud of him & that he is loved? YES!
Will I make sure that all of his needs are met? Of course!
Will he know that he is very important to me? YES!
But...will he be the only interesting thing about me? No, most likely not!
Disclaimer: "Tuesday's Soapboxes" are not meant to be offensive-Comments I make are not directed at any one person or group, but are just my thoughts on whatever topic I choose for that particular Tuesday. The topics may range from serious in nature to just downright silly. As always, I appreciate hearing what you have to say about them, however, I am not here to start any 'debates'. Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed :)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tuesday's Soapbox: Adoption & Faith
I am proud to be an adoptive parent!
Do I feel like I missed out on the whole pregnancy/giving birth thing? Yes, a little at times, but most of the time-no. I have been able to experience it vicariously through several of my family & friends, which isn't the same, but I can say that it is 'enough'.
Do I still have "time" to try to experience all of that? Yes, I am only 28. Scott & I have talked about it, but when it comes right down to it-we enjoy & respect this "ride" that is called adoption & we're just not sure if we want to even enter into that whole IF emotional rollercoaster again.
Adoption has already touched our lives in so many ways & it feels like the natural choice for us, but it can seem like a tough choice at times especially when...
*you feel like you are held under a bit more of a microscope than other parents...
*medical questions arise that you can't answer...
*you try to imagine how you will answer your child's questions in the future & hope that they are not given a harder time because they are adopted...
*you hear the phrase "that must be the [insert any family's name] blood in him/her" directed toward a relative's bio child because you know that this may make your child feel awkward down the road
Adoption can be tough, but it is also oh-so-wonderful & is a true test of faith on many different levels...
*Faith that one day you will receive the phone call that will change your life forever...
*Faith on the part of the birthparents that they are choosing the right home/parents to raise their little one...
*Faith on the part of the adoptive parents that their hearts will not get broken & that they can do the best they can by that little one & the birthparents' wishes...
*Faith on the part of the little one that all of these adults know what is best for him/her.
Our faith is about to be tested, yet again, very soon & we could not be more excited about it. We can't wait to welcome another new little person into the world (whether he ends up coming home with us or not) & we are hopeful for many happy days ahead! Stay tuned...;)
Disclaimer: "Tuesday's Soapboxes" are not meant to be offensive-Comments I make are not meant to be directed at any one person or group, but are just my thoughts on whatever topic I choose for that particular Tuesday. The topics may range from serious in nature to just downright silly. As always, I appreciate hearing what you have to say about them, however, I am not here to start any 'debates'. Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed :)
Do I feel like I missed out on the whole pregnancy/giving birth thing? Yes, a little at times, but most of the time-no. I have been able to experience it vicariously through several of my family & friends, which isn't the same, but I can say that it is 'enough'.
Do I still have "time" to try to experience all of that? Yes, I am only 28. Scott & I have talked about it, but when it comes right down to it-we enjoy & respect this "ride" that is called adoption & we're just not sure if we want to even enter into that whole IF emotional rollercoaster again.
Adoption has already touched our lives in so many ways & it feels like the natural choice for us, but it can seem like a tough choice at times especially when...
*you feel like you are held under a bit more of a microscope than other parents...
*medical questions arise that you can't answer...
*you try to imagine how you will answer your child's questions in the future & hope that they are not given a harder time because they are adopted...
*you hear the phrase "that must be the [insert any family's name] blood in him/her" directed toward a relative's bio child because you know that this may make your child feel awkward down the road
Adoption can be tough, but it is also oh-so-wonderful & is a true test of faith on many different levels...
*Faith that one day you will receive the phone call that will change your life forever...
*Faith on the part of the birthparents that they are choosing the right home/parents to raise their little one...
*Faith on the part of the adoptive parents that their hearts will not get broken & that they can do the best they can by that little one & the birthparents' wishes...
*Faith on the part of the little one that all of these adults know what is best for him/her.
Our faith is about to be tested, yet again, very soon & we could not be more excited about it. We can't wait to welcome another new little person into the world (whether he ends up coming home with us or not) & we are hopeful for many happy days ahead! Stay tuned...;)
Disclaimer: "Tuesday's Soapboxes" are not meant to be offensive-Comments I make are not meant to be directed at any one person or group, but are just my thoughts on whatever topic I choose for that particular Tuesday. The topics may range from serious in nature to just downright silly. As always, I appreciate hearing what you have to say about them, however, I am not here to start any 'debates'. Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed :)
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