In Five Years...

My daughter said the other night that, so far, 2010 has not been a very good year. I think she gave it a "3" on a scale of 1 - 10. That being said, no one is sick, no one has died, we have all have a roof over our heads and food a plenty. A bunch of little, crummy things have happened that really can make life feel messy, annoying and less than great. This messiness came to mind when I read this sentence today. Through all of life's situations, you must always ask yourself ~ "In five years, will this matter?"
If we continue to ask ourselves if this, whatever "this" is for us today, will matter in five years, it forces us to put it in perspective and and not let it consume us. I remember back when my son wore his pants so low you could see most of his boxers. It made me annoyed every time I looked at him. My husband, old soul that he has always been, would continually say, "Does it really matter?" I thought his sloppy appearance reflected on my mothering skills and I was embarrassed. Today, he wears his pants like any other grown up. He is neat and tidy about his appearance. Does THIS reflect on my mothering skills any more than the low pants did? Probably not. It reflects to what was cool and fashionable to a young teenager versus a twenty something adult.
The next time you feel weighed down by something going on in your life, remember to ask yourself the question, "In five years, will this matter?" Kind of takes the steam out of many arguments and the anxiety out of many situations. Just breathe!

Compliments

I am a great giver. I am a lousy receiver. I would rather give the party than be the guest. I would rather give the gift than receive one. I would rather give the compliment than receive one. My family accuses me of ruining every compliment they have ever tried to give me. They are probably right. Where a gracious "Thank You" is enough of a response, I tend to tear apart what they've just said and therefore ruin the spirit in which it was given. I spoil the gift they just gave me because, for some reason, I don't feel worthy of receiving it.
Deflecting a compliment is like returning a gift and you wouldn't return a gift to the sender, would you? Why do I feel that is okay to do with a compliment? From now on, I am going to strive to both give AND receive compliments graciously. So, for any of you readers out there, if you want to leave a comment (compliment), I will practice on you. For taking the time to read the things I reflect upon and write, I graciously say THANK YOU!

Dinners Out

Last night, we went out for pizza with all the kids. We met, who we lovingly refer to as, "The Other Svobodas". All in all, the kids were really good. Amber and I scored it an 8 out of 10. This is not to say that Jack's favorite part of the evening was showing everyone his awesome burping ability. Abbey spent much of the time shaking the Parmesan cheese out of the shaker onto the table (hey, it kept her quiet!) Maddy wanted me to cut her pizza very specifically - first piece had to have the pepperoni pulled off but keep the cheese, the second had to have the pepperonis still intact, and the third piece (yes, she ate 3!) was not to be cut at all.
We got in the car and Amber asked if The Other Svobodas really want to meet us for pizza or do they feel obligated to do so? We worry that what we accept as a normal level of noise and craziness from the kids, may make others cringe with annoyance. There is an element of truth to the fact that we can tune out much of the noise our brood produces. It often becomes apparent to us that getting take out and eating at home is less stressful than worrying about who will have a meltdown, who will we disturb at another table, who will Pa have to take outside for a walk. Knowing all these possibilities exist, now and then, we still take them out for dinner. There are several reasons. One, they do need to learn to behave in a restaurant. Another reason is that we are a family and families eat together. We come together and eat, drink, laugh & share. We hide our smiles behind a napkin when Jack practices his burping. We also teach them manners and respect. We listen to their stories.
We will continue taking them out for dinner in restaurants. Well, we will until Jack learns how to do arm farts!

Love You

People talk about a life changing event that makes them realize how precious and tenuous life really is. It seems to take something big and usually awful (illness, death, accidents) to slap us up the side of the head and remember what really matters. Sad but true. Rushing through our daily lives, trying to just make it another day with all the demands and pressures, we don't stop and appreciate what we have.
I just finished reading a book (true story) about a man who lost his 38 year old daughter and how devastating this was for him and his entire family. He experienced many things from his grief, but one thing he decided was that he wanted to start ending all his phone calls to his family, and even some friends, with "Love you." This may seem like a small thing, but it got me thinking. My daughter and I talk on the phone many times throughout the day. I noticed that she almost always ends our calls with, "Love you." Before, my response ranged from, "Talk to you later." to "Love you." Now I make sure I say it. I am trying to end my calls with all my family by saying it. I'd like to move on to friends, but part of me wonders how it will be received. They are precious and close friends who matter greatly in my life. What if something happened to them and I recall that the last conversation I had with them ended in, "Talk to you later."? We know we all love each other; we just don't say it much. We assume there will always be another time to be together, another phone conversation, another time to say it. And there's the catch - life is tenuous and nothing is guaranteed. I better get in all the "Love yous" that I can. I challenged you to do the same.
Love you,

The Next Generation

So, I pull into a drive thru Starbucks this morning with Abbey (age 2) in the back, and she shouts, "COFFEE!!" Am I the only one that thinks that is both hysterical and ridiculous?! This generation will only know a world with drive thru coffee, instant messaging & texting. What else will they think is common place that once didn't exist?
When our kids began walking we put little plastic thingies in the wall sockets. Today, you hire a specialist to baby proof your entire house for $1200! I can still remember the first time I was babysitting and went to the bathroom at my daughter's after it was "baby proofed". It had some sort of locking devise on the toilet that assured a toddler would not fall in and drown. It almost assured that a grammie would pee her pants trying to figure out how to open it!
Today, schools keep you informed via blogs and emails. We can talk to people on the computer (Skype) and actually see them even if they are thousands of miles away. I can write the silly thoughts I have in my head and think that somebody might actually want to read them.
No matter how far technology has come, I still firmly believe that you can give a kid a big box, a roll of tape or some blankets and they will make cars, houses, tents and anything else their imagine will allow. And, that, will never change from generation to generation. They just may make a car out of a box so they can drive thru Starbucks!

Faces

These three pictures made me laugh out loud yesterday & I couldn't resist sharing them. First, Pa was being very silly with the Dr. Laura head. Something about that woman's tiny head on his big body caused me to run for my camera! Next is Baby Abbey cuddled up with two of her favorite things, Pa & his cell phone. Why do kids LOVE real cell phones so much? I have tried to buy each of the three kids toy, but real looking cell phones, but none hold the fascination of the one in Pa's pocket of his tee shirt. The last picture is one of "the looks" Abbey gives. I mean this girl can give out the "stink eye" look like a pro. She lets you know, in no uncertain terms, that she's not buying whatever it is you are trying to sell her! I laugh every time she does it.

Simple daily pleasures, folks, simple daily pleasures! Don't overlook yours.

New Beginnings

I was that kid that loved the beginning of the school year. The shiny new binder with perfectly sharpened #2 pencils held such promise and excitement of things to come. Now, as an adult, there are no new school years for me. I still like the beginning of things, though. Turning over the calendar this morning to a brand new month made me smile; another beginning that holds promise and, if I'm lucky, a little excitement.
What is beginning in your life? Are you open to new beginnings or do you shy away from them? I sometimes joke that the only thing I have stuck with in my life is my marriage! Everything else tends to become boring and mundane and I crave that feeling of newness that gets my brain juices flowing. I master something and want to move on to the next something. I often wonder if this is a flaw or quality in my personality. Too bad it can no longer be satisfied with a couple of sharp #2 pencils!