Forgive me, I have been a bit reflective these past few weeks. I guess since the weather is not conducive for outside spring cleaning I am doing a bit of spring cleaning of the soul.
Three years ago I would have been counting down the days to Spring Break and then to the end of the school year. I worked, took care of what Maddy needed and then basically did nothing. That "nothing" was my time and I was very protective of it. I wanted to do nothing and sadly that is how I spent that time. My wants not my needs controlled my time management.
Now my life is considerably different and significantly better. I stay at home with Maddy full time and take care of her education, provide her with an appropriate social life, run the house, make sure the hubby has what he needs for his jobs, enjoy the dog, spend time with friends, etc. Each day is filled with so many opportunities I have shifted and now I manage my time and decide how my day will be spent.
The same opportunities were there three years ago, but I was so trapped in myself and "my time" that I could not or would not spend my time that way. I am a happier and healthier person than I was three years ago.
Even though I am busier than I was back in my working days, I continue to find ways to volunteer for church and Special Olympics. This year I have already spent more time with friends in two months than I did that last year of my working. I exercise at least 5 days a week.
We all have reasons or excuses for not doing things we should and we all need downtime, but if you take some of "your" time and give it to others it will be so much more rewarding. Take and hour or two a week and spend it with a friend in need, volunteer in the community or just take care of yourself by exercising. Time spend this way will leave you much more satisfied than if you had just vegged on the couch or in front of the computer.
I continue to look at my day and how I will spend my time and hopefully I can continue to improve my life and the life of those around me. Hopefully you will do the same and share your experiences with me.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Friendship
I have been thinking about friendships a lot lately and how they change over the years. What qualifies as a friendship? When does an acquaintance become a friend and why do friends fade out of your life?
Is friendship like a garden that needs constant care and attention? I don't think so, but there is definite work in keep a friendship active. More recently I have seen the relationships I have with friends change due to changes in their personal lives. I have recently become more distant with one friend and an old friend has come back into my life.
The hubby and I are the sanctuary for our friends. We are a place to come for a meal, an evening or to live with us if they need. Some of these people are in our lives for most of the time and others we only hear from when they are in need. Are some friends better than others? I don't think so...
Can you be friends with people you have never met? I used to think this could be, but have recently changed my view on this. With the internet you can now communicate and become a blip in peoples lives, but I don't think that qualifies for true friendship. I think the face to face is important to grow and nurture the relationship.
What about the person you might only see once or twice a year, but you know you could call on them for anything. Are they less of a friend than the person you see every week/month? I don't think so, but which relationship is stronger?
There seem to be more questions than answers for me when it comes to friendship. I have decided that friendship lives in the heart. As things change in our lives the world finds a way to put the right people at the front of the heart when they need you or you need them the most.
Is friendship like a garden that needs constant care and attention? I don't think so, but there is definite work in keep a friendship active. More recently I have seen the relationships I have with friends change due to changes in their personal lives. I have recently become more distant with one friend and an old friend has come back into my life.
The hubby and I are the sanctuary for our friends. We are a place to come for a meal, an evening or to live with us if they need. Some of these people are in our lives for most of the time and others we only hear from when they are in need. Are some friends better than others? I don't think so...
Can you be friends with people you have never met? I used to think this could be, but have recently changed my view on this. With the internet you can now communicate and become a blip in peoples lives, but I don't think that qualifies for true friendship. I think the face to face is important to grow and nurture the relationship.
What about the person you might only see once or twice a year, but you know you could call on them for anything. Are they less of a friend than the person you see every week/month? I don't think so, but which relationship is stronger?
There seem to be more questions than answers for me when it comes to friendship. I have decided that friendship lives in the heart. As things change in our lives the world finds a way to put the right people at the front of the heart when they need you or you need them the most.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Moments of normalcy
When you have a special needs child you have a whole different set of worries than other parents. We have taught Maddy to be herself and to love life. She is such a sweet girl that people are always kind to her, but in reality they are doing just that being kind.
Every once in a while Maddy gets moments in time when she is just another teenage girl. In these moments she is not different, she is truly liked by her peers for who she is. She is not a mental, physical or medical label. I love those moments and one of them happened yesterday.
It was after the skills class that I teach at the church. We finished about 10 minutes early and I let the kiddos hang out and listen to music while we waited for parents to arrive. In that 10 minutes they all laughed, discussed their favorite artists, songs, etc. They were all relaxed and very comfortable expressing their opinions. They were having so much fun, one of the kiddos did not tell me their parents where there waiting outside!
I felt honored to be able to stand back and watch them.
Every once in a while Maddy gets moments in time when she is just another teenage girl. In these moments she is not different, she is truly liked by her peers for who she is. She is not a mental, physical or medical label. I love those moments and one of them happened yesterday.
It was after the skills class that I teach at the church. We finished about 10 minutes early and I let the kiddos hang out and listen to music while we waited for parents to arrive. In that 10 minutes they all laughed, discussed their favorite artists, songs, etc. They were all relaxed and very comfortable expressing their opinions. They were having so much fun, one of the kiddos did not tell me their parents where there waiting outside!
I felt honored to be able to stand back and watch them.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
How we met
Happy Valentines Day to everyone. We don't celebrate V-day in our house as we choose to show love to each other every day and we don't need a National Day to tell us to remember to appreciate our spouse.
Having been recently asked this I thought I would share the story of how the hubby and I met. It gets a good reaction from people, mostly me, when the hubby decides to tell the story.
At one of the malls here in town they have an ice rink. I was there skating and my ankles where giving me a difficult time that day. I was more unsteady than usual due to my ankles not wanting to cooperate. The hubby noticed me on the ice and was making his way over to the rink to say hello and introduce himself.
As he arrived at the rink I has just completed a difficult turn and twisted the heck out of my ankle and suffered a hard fall on the ice. He immediately braved the ice in his regular shoes to help me up and guided me off the ice.
Once I was able to hobble/walk he invited me to lunch and the rest is history.
Sweet story...however not a single word is true! The hubby and I met in a bar and decided early on that we needed a better "how we met" story and he came up with the ice skating scenario.
This year we will have been married for 18 years and we still enjoy and laugh about our ice skating story.
Having been recently asked this I thought I would share the story of how the hubby and I met. It gets a good reaction from people, mostly me, when the hubby decides to tell the story.
At one of the malls here in town they have an ice rink. I was there skating and my ankles where giving me a difficult time that day. I was more unsteady than usual due to my ankles not wanting to cooperate. The hubby noticed me on the ice and was making his way over to the rink to say hello and introduce himself.
As he arrived at the rink I has just completed a difficult turn and twisted the heck out of my ankle and suffered a hard fall on the ice. He immediately braved the ice in his regular shoes to help me up and guided me off the ice.
Once I was able to hobble/walk he invited me to lunch and the rest is history.
Sweet story...however not a single word is true! The hubby and I met in a bar and decided early on that we needed a better "how we met" story and he came up with the ice skating scenario.
This year we will have been married for 18 years and we still enjoy and laugh about our ice skating story.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Things I say
I find myself saying a few words or phrases fairly often these days. Listed below are a few of them and what they actually mean.
*Like pushing a rubber band*
This is used in the context of Maddy have an incredibly slow day when we typically need to be somewhere. It means that I am wound up tight and about to snap, but if I do she will crumple like a pushed rubber band and take even longer to get ready.
*Chop Chop*
This means I am past hurry up and my patience is gone and whatever should or needed to be done should have been done 5 minutes ago.
*Blue*
Currently I am asked at least once a day what my favorite color is. I am considering saying a new color every time, for blue is losing its appeal.
*Yep, Sure*
This is the standard response now to if I like a particular song, movie or movie scene. She must ask if I like it 100 times to make sure I am strong in my convictions.
*I can't right now because I am driving*
Maddy is now trained to finish the last part of this phrase as she hears it all the time. For some reason she decides that when I am driving I need to look at, inspect, read whatever it is she is looking at.
*Do you know how I know this?*
This phrase is used at the 10, 20, 25, 30, etc. markers of Maddy telling me something again and again and again and again.
*Like pushing a rubber band*
This is used in the context of Maddy have an incredibly slow day when we typically need to be somewhere. It means that I am wound up tight and about to snap, but if I do she will crumple like a pushed rubber band and take even longer to get ready.
*Chop Chop*
This means I am past hurry up and my patience is gone and whatever should or needed to be done should have been done 5 minutes ago.
*Blue*
Currently I am asked at least once a day what my favorite color is. I am considering saying a new color every time, for blue is losing its appeal.
*Yep, Sure*
This is the standard response now to if I like a particular song, movie or movie scene. She must ask if I like it 100 times to make sure I am strong in my convictions.
*I can't right now because I am driving*
Maddy is now trained to finish the last part of this phrase as she hears it all the time. For some reason she decides that when I am driving I need to look at, inspect, read whatever it is she is looking at.
*Do you know how I know this?*
This phrase is used at the 10, 20, 25, 30, etc. markers of Maddy telling me something again and again and again and again.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Kids and words
When little kids are learning new words funny things can happen.
Maddy used to say never instead of ever. Her favorite thing to say was that we were the best parents she never had.
This weekend we were at the in-laws house and my nephew was explaining to us about a hard part in his video game. He said that the bums eyes always got him. He told us how they would hide in the grass and then jump up and yell BUMS EYES!!
Turns out they were yelling Banzai.
Maddy used to say never instead of ever. Her favorite thing to say was that we were the best parents she never had.
This weekend we were at the in-laws house and my nephew was explaining to us about a hard part in his video game. He said that the bums eyes always got him. He told us how they would hide in the grass and then jump up and yell BUMS EYES!!
Turns out they were yelling Banzai.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Going out
The hubby and I don't get to go out very often. Maddy can not be left alone for very long so even at 16 she has to have someone there in case something happens. This limits how often we can or will go out. If we do go out for an evening it is usually a musical venue.
Music is always on in our house and it is a great variety of music. To hear a band or person sing in a small venue it something we really enjoy. Last night we saw Radney Foster again. We always enjoy his shows and he is such a talented songwriter. If you listen to any country music you have heard a Radney Foster song.
Here is his latest song and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did hearing it live last night.
Music is always on in our house and it is a great variety of music. To hear a band or person sing in a small venue it something we really enjoy. Last night we saw Radney Foster again. We always enjoy his shows and he is such a talented songwriter. If you listen to any country music you have heard a Radney Foster song.
Here is his latest song and I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did hearing it live last night.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Superbowl Weekend
I know quite a few people who are gearing up for big parties this weekend. According to FaceBook some of my friends have begun decorating their houses today for the game on Sunday.
The hubby and I are not big sports people. In our house we have Masters Weekend, that is the big sports day for us. The hubby also enjoys watching baseball, but it is usually on the bottom corner of his computer so he can work while watching/listening to the game.
This year like most years we will go to a friends house for the first half of the game. They always have a big family party that we some how manage to get invited to every year.
My hope is that everyone has a great time, is safe and that the game is good. Don't forget to watch all the commercials as well!!
The hubby and I are not big sports people. In our house we have Masters Weekend, that is the big sports day for us. The hubby also enjoys watching baseball, but it is usually on the bottom corner of his computer so he can work while watching/listening to the game.
This year like most years we will go to a friends house for the first half of the game. They always have a big family party that we some how manage to get invited to every year.
My hope is that everyone has a great time, is safe and that the game is good. Don't forget to watch all the commercials as well!!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)