Quote: Interruptions

“My whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered the interruptions were my work.”
~ Henri Nouwen


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My 2 Year Old & The Stream of Toilet Paper

My 2 year old is really good at going to the potty. He even prefers to “wipe” himself now after pooping. This is great except when he doesn’t do a thorough job, but he’s getting better.

But like most things two year olds do, it always has a comical side. Today one of the comical episodes was after pooping and wiping he came out to tell me what a good job he had done, like he always does. This time however he must have forgotten that he had the end of the toilet paper roll still in his hand. Strung out of the bathroom, all the way down the hall and into the living room was a great big long stream of toilet paper.

I couldn’t get mad. All I did was gasp, then giggled, then asked him, “Jake. Good job on going potty, but did you forget something?” He looked at me with a puzzled look. I said, “Well, you need to wash your hands.” He started to turn to go back to the bathroom when I said, “Jake. Did you forget you’re holding the end of the toilet paper roll?” He looked down, looked surprised and said, “Uh-Oh. I’ll fix it!” He proceeded to run back into the bathroom and started gathering up all the toilet paper. Luckily for me and our pipes, I managed to stop him before he stuffed it all into the toilet!

I just love this age.



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If you don’t live in this area, check with your local electric company or local government for any other programs out there that might be giving away free light bulbs.

Parenting’s Top Ten Reasons You Fell in Love With Your Baby (and Out of Love With Your Old Boyfriend)

I had to share this with you all. Parenting magazine has their Top Ten on the last page every month. This one was great and is hilarious, so I wanted to share it with you. Any ladies out there with old boyfriends I’m sure will relate.
Here they are:

Parenting’s Top Ten Reasons You Fell in Love With Your Baby (and Out of Love With Your Old Boyfriend)

1. His endless babbling
2. He loved snuggling in your bed – but always wanted to go back to his own crib afterwards
3. His way of spending hours roaming around the house naked, his poochy belly hanging out
4. The wet, sloppy kisses
5. He was content to lie quietly and gaze at his navel as you did all the housework
6. His birthday gift to you was simply a wilted flower
7. His idea of dancing was to bend his legs and bob up and down with a goofy, self-congratulatory grin
8. His smell
9. You could always count on him burping right after he finished a meal
10. The fact that he’ll never, ever love anyone as much as he loves his mommy

~Deborah Skolnik

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The Way CPR is Performed Has Changed

The methods used to perform CPR are constantly changing. Be sure you are current on the latest procedure. You can read about this new CPR procedure here: Do CPR the right way: 5 things everyone needs to know

If you are not trained in CPR or have let your certification expire you can contact the Red Cross to find classes in your area. For more information on classes click here: American Red Cross CPR Classes

The article points out that ninety percent of incidents requiring CPR occur at home. This means that it is very likely that someone who love is going to need your help. Make sure you’re prepared.


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The Secret to Having a Good Day at Work

On this Monday morning, as many of you are dragging yourselves to your job, wouldn’t it be nice if you had the secret to making sure that most days would be good days? Well, I found that secret.

To make sure that most of your days are good you have to be grateful to be there. Now, I can see you rolling your eyes and thinking that you were hoping it would be some miracle answer that would solve all your problems. You may now feel disappointed that the secret to having a good day at work is simply being grateful, but don’t be disappointed, be grateful for the reminder.

At the risk of sounding preachy, gratitude really is something that most of us, myself included, need to practice more. I will use myself as an example. Not long ago I had a good job that paid fairly well, had good benefits and I worked with mostly good people. Then out of the blue with no warning, I was laid off along with other people. The shock of that never has completely worn off yet and I still feel the sting of it from time to time. The thing is, like you I often complained about my job. The work I did, the clients we serviced, the people I had to work with, management, etc. I even complained about the long drive to work and the traffic I faced everyday. If I had only known.

I think back about all those days I wasted complaining. If I had just changed my attitude about work I would have had a lot better days. I also would have improved the days of my coworkers. See, when you are happy, you are pleasant to be around. You help lift up those around you and people enjoy having you around. On an other note, if you are dreading going to work, are constantly complaining about your job, your boss and your coworkers, then you start to not only poison yourself, but everyone around you. You become one of those people that others dread to see coming. You not only make sure your day goes bad, but you also make others have a bad day just by your very presence. No one wants to be that person.

Funny how such a simple shift in the way you think can have such a powerful impact on not only your day to day life, but it even significantly impacts the ones around you. You see, there are so many people who would love to face that drive to work, put up with your boss and tolerate the people you’re stuck with in the next cubicle just to have a job. When you are wishing to get out of that place, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. I did.

So, now that you know the secret to having a good day, what kind of day are you going to have?


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I Enjoyed the Day

I took today off. I had one doctor appointment late morning. Since the person who was going to watch my 2 year old became ill, I ended up having to take him with me. It turned out alright as the doctor I had to see was my OB and he says he likes to see the kids. Kind of like seeing “the finished product” so to speak.

Since my son was exceptionally good I asked him where he would like to take me to lunch. Without taking any time to think, he answered, “Manwhich and fwries”. His interpretation of a hamburger and fries at McDonald’s. So off we went to pick up lunch, then to the park for a picnic and playtime.

Today was one of those nice fall days, where the sun is shining, the skies are a pretty blue and the leaves are turning their beautiful golden and auburn colors. The only thing slightly annoying was the wind. It was a little stronger than usual, the kind that makes for bad hair days. All the wind did though is making a long sleeve shirt necessary is all. Not too bad.

After our stint at the park we came home and rather than go inside to do some task that always needs done, we decided to stay out and play. So I ran in and grabbed my book. I didn’t bother to get the mail or listen to the messages on the answering machine. I didn’t take the wet clothes out of the washer and I didn’t even clear the kitchen sink of dirty dishes – something I almost always do before leaving the house in the morning. I just decided to let it all go.

Maybe the book I’m reading, The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison may have something to do with my laid back attitude. Maybe it’s the feeling of I’d better enjoy these last few warm days before the dreaded winter cold sets in or maybe it’s just God saying to me, “Take a break, enjoy what I have created and all that I have blessed you with, you deserve it.” Either way, I’m taking that advice.

While watching my son ride his bike, push his wagon and playing with balls on a slide, I am reminded of how blessed I am to be able to be here in this moment with him. I am not at all concerned of how knotted my hair is getting in the wind, I just enjoy the freshness it brings. I am not concerned with a house full of work waiting to be tackled, a long to do list or even what I’m going to make for dinner. I just enjoy being in the moment. I see my dog sniff the air earnestly as he filters through all the different smells and comically I try, too, wishing I had his sense of smell and wondering all that I’m missing out on. Then I rethink that wish and am grateful for my lack of that ability.

I take time to take in the sky, something I haven’t done much at all lately, maybe not even this year. I sit amazed at how beautiful the color blue it is, how the few wispy clouds look so brilliantly white. I gaze at a vulture and wonder what he sees from his lofty position dancing on air currents. Though they may not be the most beautiful looking birds up close, when watching them expertly navigate the wind currents and soar like no other, you can’t help but be a little envious.

I believe every morning we are given the gift of another day to, “Get it right” so to speak. I believe that this day was given to me to remind me of the simple things in life – the laughter of a child, the chatter of a squirrel searching for that nut he buried, the warmth of the sun on your face and not worrying if you have enough sunscreen on, the sound of a tricycle bell being rung by a little boy and the wind in your hair. My batteries are recharged, my soul refreshed. I feel I can handle the rest of the evening with a lightness I didn’t have the previous day.

So, the total cost for the day - $20 copay for the doctor; $8 for a lunch that gave me indigestion; taking time to enjoy the day, you guessed it – priceless.




~Begin to Dream Again

Quote:If Life Knocks You To Your Knees....

"If life knocks you to your knees, you might as well pray while you're down there."
~Julie

When We See Children Acting Up in Public, Do We Judge?

When you see a child acting up in public are you quick to judge? Do you judge the parents for raising an unruly, selfish child? I used to.

I don’t so much anymore and it isn’t all just because I now have a child who is a toddler and I am entering into my own danger zone of public tantrums. It is more because I have read a story about a little boy with autism and how proud his mother was when they had a whole day out in public without much incident. They ran what appeared to be ordinary errands, completed ordinary tasks and went ordinary places. They accomplished something most of us do every day and this mother was so excited about her son’s accomplishments that she decided to share their day in a post.

I felt happy for her and sad for her as well as a little guilt all at the same time as I read about their long day. Things I take for granted were made important and my prejudice and misunderstanding melted away as I read her words.

When we see other children’s odd behaviors or children acting out we jump to conclusions about why they are behaving that way. We judge without knowing the real reason that public display of behavior is taking a turn for the worse. We judge harshly and unfairly. Rarely do most of us ever get a glimpse into the world of autism and other behavior issues. We have no idea what those children and their parents have to go through just to get out the door.

I now have a better appreciation for what these parents and their children have accomplished and I hope I will not judge too harshly the next time I see a mom struggling with her child’s misbehavior. Even if that child may not have autism, I may not know the whole story and therefore should never judge.

I only hope that the next mom will extend that same courtesy to me when it’s my turn to handle the public meltdowns my son will have.

You can read her story here: I Wonder If You Can Really See My Son



~The World’s Best Children’s Supplements

Kids Are Brutally Honest

In the kitchen during the early morning rush, my 2 year old reached his little arms up high and said, “Mama, up?”
As I picked him up and hugged him tight I said to him, “I love you so much, Baby.”
I then said, “Who do you love?”
And without missing a beat he said very plainly, “Apple juice!”
I laughed as I begged for a kiss and received a quick peck as he squirmed down.
I couldn’t resist his sweet face as he was asking for a juice box.
His brutal honesty still made me smile almost as big as his smile was while sipping his apple juice.