Author's Night- Another Eye Opener

Look at our published author! Haley had been so excited for her Author's night at school (and so were we). I expected to go and be proud and relish in her joy of it all. The night became much more for me. It reminded me of a few important aspects of my life...

1. I am grateful for my healthy family. As different as my children are, they are both healthy. I try not to take this for granted. They both love to learn and I am thankful they have well functioning brains that allow them to be curious and soak things in.

2. I am grateful for a husband that shares my set of values. He had a work event last night that he arrived to late (and got someone to cover his part of the presentation) so that he would not miss the event. When he was there, he was present and not preoccupied with where he needed to be next.

3.. I am grateful to have our family here. We are so lucky to live in the same area as our families. It is a blessed thing to be raising a family with the support of grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins.

4. I am grateful that my children are choosing friends that I would choose for them. Haley is at the age where she is making friends completely on her own and not through my mommy connections. She is choosing boys and girls who are kind, respectful to adults, playful and inclusive of others.

4. I am grateful that I am a mom. This may be obvious by the other reasons of gratitude, but it is something I am thankful for every day. I have felt everything from overjoyed to overwhelmed as a mother. The job is awesome in the true sense of the word. I am thrilled to be given this role in my life.

5. I am grateful that we live in the community we do. We love our neighborhood, our schools, and the people we are meeting through our children. I am excited that my kids will grow up surrounded by a variety of cultures

6. I am grateful for her teachers. She has had OUTSTANDING teachers that have helped her grow tremendously each year.

I am a PROUD mom.Last night I expected to feel proud. I didn't expect the flood of emotions I felt. Who knew that a first grade event could mean so much? It did to Haley too. As I tucked her in last night she said, "I wish Author's Night was every night."
I'd be just fine with that.

This post is linked up with Learn With Jenny. See what others are grateful for.

Just Say It

A couple of years ago we were outside at Santana Row with some friends. My friend pointed out a BEAUTIFUL woman sitting across the courtyard. We looked at her and admired all of her perfect features. KC then said, "I am going to go tell her." I was honestly surprised that she got up from her seat and walked across the grass to tell a complete stranger how gorgeous she was. I watched as the woman received the news, blushed and accepted the compliment. I noticed that once KC walked away, the woman's group awed over the fact that this had just happened. I totally admired KC for doing that and decided that I was going to be better at giving people compliments and praise.

If it's positive, why not just say it?

Fast forward to this last Saturday evening. Josh and I were enjoying a swirl (if you don't know what this is, you are missing out. Visit Aqui immediately!). I walked up to the bar to order and the bartender cam over to take my order. I looked her in the eye and said, "You are striking." She was. She was a natural beauty. her hair was pulled back, she had little make up on and her skin was flawless. The young lady blushed and said thank you and then made our drinks.

I heard the two people next to me whisper about what had just happened.
The man said, "Wow. That was really cool. I can't believe you just did that."
I replied, " Why not just say it if you have something nice to say?"
The man, who had consumed a few, put his hand on his heart and answered, "You're right. Why not? I have a little more faith in the world."

Why had I never thought to do this before? What risk is there in telling someone something kind? It only makes people feel good. Even those who witness it.

Haley has referred to a book that they read at school about "filling people's buckets." You always want to fill buckets and never empty them. When you fill someone else's bucket, you are also filling yours.
It's satisfying to fill someone's bucket, especially with a swirl in hand.

Jenny's Sunday Feature

I am featured on Jenny's blog! Your know the one I always talk about?
Check it out here!
Happy Mother's Day!

Holi

Last month Josh took the kids to a Holi festival. Holi is a Hindu holiday celebrating the coming of spring. It is often referred to as "the Festival of Colors."

 Josh was invited through a work friend and the invitation warned to bring old clothes and be ready to get painted! When they got to the house they were welcome with a hug and a smear of what can best be described as powder paint. Haley LOVED it and ran straight to the yard where kids were running around. Ryan...skeptical. He did not like the greeting and stayed a bit hesitant of the free for all.

As you can see, he warmed up and enjoyed himself. They all did! I love that we live in a place where we can all be exposed to so many cultures and traditions. I feel sorry for people who reside in places that don't have the same luxury.
Happy Holi (belated)!

Our Newest Thrill Seeker

 Haley and Camryn zipping around!

For the last year Haley has been loving faster rides. Except for the spinning rides (Those are all Josh. She loves them- I will throw up), I see my new partner on coasters in the near future (about 3 inches from now). It is so fun to hear her cracking up and see her running off a ride yelling, "AGAIN! AGAIN!"

Validation

As human beings we all need validation. Validation can come through words, actions and other signs.

When we were younger we got feedback all of the time. I knew when I made my parents proud (reward/celebration/conversation). I also knew when I disappointed them (grounded/silence/conversation).

As a student I got validation through 21 years of schooling through grades and reactions of teachers, through coaches and winning/losing games, through performing and competing.

It seems like now, when I have the most important roles I have ever had, the validation is a bit void. I had not been thinking about this until yesterday, when I got validated in 3 areas of my life. I wasn't looking for it. I wasn't particularly needing it. It just happened.

A complete stranger stopped what he was doing and commented on the way I was interacting with my children. That was nice.

A friend made a commment on Facebook that something I did a year earlier had a positive impact. That was nice.

A new teacher I have worked with for the last 2 years expressed how she felt working together.

In one day I got positive feedback about being a mom, a friend, and a professional. It felt good. It will stay with me. It was unexpected yet VERY welcomed.

I was telling Josh about this while eating dinner and he replied, "Yes. And you are an amazing wife! See? Validation for that too." Hmmm...not so natural, but I'll take it. :)

I won't go into the fact that this morning, when we woke up, Ryan showed us that he colored all over his wall last night...no, I want to hold onto my little gems.

My Happy Place

As I have written before, my friend Jenny has a blog that I love. I love it for so many reasons. If you visit it, you will see why. A few posts ago, she wrote about her favorite places. It made me think about my happy places and this is what I came up with. In order:

1. The first thing that came to mind was being in a tent with my family. There are many reasons why this would be my favorite place. First, it means that we are camping. I grew up camping and when I camp it brings back a flood of wonderful memories. I am so happy to be making more memories with a family of my own. Second, it means that we are all sleeping snuggled in our tent, all together. It means that we are breathing fresh air. It means that we are unplugged. It means that we are with friends. Being in the tent means that the kids will snuggle in the morning before we get dressed and unzip the door. Must I continue or aren't these the best things?

2. My second favorite place is our bed. Get your minds out of the gutter. I love being in our bed because it means our kids are tucked in and peaceful. I love being in "our" bed because it reminds me that I chose the perfect person to share it with. It means that we have finished a day and will start a new one soon. It means I will rest. It also has an awesome mattress and mattress pad making it the most comfortable bed on the planet.

3. Las Vegas. Yes. I love Las Vegas. I have so many pictures in Las Vegas, but this was the first I could find that had the strip behind it. Being in Las Vegas means it will be a mix of high energy and pure relaxation. If you have not been to the lazy river at the MGM Grand, you are missing out. It means the best people watching in the world. It means enjoying cocktails. It means dancing and anyone who knows me knows I can dance for hours on end and be extremely happy about it. Las Vegas means fun clothes and make up. It means laughing. Hard. Being in Las Vegas means the possibility of hitting it big and that fantasy of walking away with major cash is just so fun to play out. Being in Las Vegas means I am with some of my favorite people on the planet. Time means nothing. It's outrageous and it's a glamorous time.

Where's your happy place?