Favorite song on the radio right now: Paradise by Coldplay and Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine and Someone like You by Adele
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Today I'm grateful for
Today I'm grateful for: time at the park with my niece, two nephews, and my three kids!
Life Begins at the end of your comfort zone
This year is about not being afraid. This year is about becoming who we want to be. This year is about losing sight of the shore so that we can cross an ocean. This year is about cutting ties with things that might have been right once so that we can get where we need to be.
It's never too late to become who you want to be.
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone - and let's face it, the last few years have been anything BUT comfortable. It's time to take chances, make changes, and make things happen.
Yes, change is scary. You lose the comfort of a routine, but if that routine isn't working, what are you really losing? If what you are doing isn't making you happy, why are you still doing it?
Let's do this thing!!
-k
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Latest Milestone
Latest Milestone: In touch with a friend I thought I couldn't be friends with again. It's a different friendship now, but I'm very happy about that too.
A Beautiful Day
It has been a beautiful day of family and togetherness. A celebration of gratitude for what we have been able to do for each other and how well we know each other, by the gifts we selected and the joy shown as they were received. A celebration of abundance, especially in food!
Now, my thoughts shift to the new year. I will be coming up with a "new theme/new look" for the blog, as I do once a year. I will be putting together my 12in2012 knitting projects (I'll explain briefly. I plan at least 12 projects a year from yarn I already own. This celebrates the yarn I have, makes projects I planned to do, and encourages me to stretch myself in my skills and learning new things.) I will be considering our family's nutrition and exercise goals and how to help all of us be in a healthier place by this time next year.
I don't do "resolutions". A good friend told me that we have to be kind and gentle with ourselves. We should come up with tangible, achievable goals. Instead of saying "lose weight", it would be something like "eat 40% vegetables/fruits at most meals" or "fit comfortably into clothes of a certain size". So, I am looking at a reasonable list of goals for the upcoming year.
I had 10 goals in 2011, and I did five of them. I'd rather have done all of them, but I'm trying to be grateful about the five I did manage to do or make significant progress towards.
This time of year finds me feeling very introspective and reflective. And I am trying to give myself the same kind of tender, loving acceptance that I give so freely to my friends. I deserve it too!
-k
Reading right now
Reading right now: Septimus Heap: Syren by Angie Sage (Book Five) and the Chronicles of Harris Burdick!!
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is one of my favorite books of all time and this is the expansion of the idea including stories written by some awesome authors!
Today I'm grateful for
Today I'm grateful for: Christmas Day with my brother Jim and our beautiful family!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
How to annoy me
How to annoy me: The toys people so THOUGHTFULLY get for my children. I often find myself wanting to return these gifts in places that would make it hard for them to sit for a while.
Today I'm grateful for
Today I'm grateful for: Christmas Eve traditions, past and present. In the past, we went to a BEAUTIFUL candlelight service in Pasadena. Now, we spend Christmas Eve with my brother and his family and we watch The Polar Express, complete with hot chocolate.
How to make me laugh
How to make me laugh: Ian has always called the instructions on toys for him "the destructions" - which in his case has always been appropriate.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
How to annoy me
How to annoy me: My kids have so little imagination in how to entertain themselves without screens. And when they finally figure out how to play, it is often punctuated with screams and always accompanied by HUGE PILES of MESS that never get cleaned up without an argument. I see how people succumb to allowing too much screen time. But I persist.
Favorite song on the radio right now
Favorite song on the radio right now: Paradise by Coldplay and Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine
Quiet lately
The Polaseks have been here for a few days (hence my relative radio silence). As always, we are so grateful for the chance to spend some time with them. The kids have already grown a TON from last year. Our two girls are more social and much more independent than they were a year ago. For one thing, they both enjoy sliding on slides this year whereas last year, Katie liked climbing UP to the slide but never actually slid down. EVER.
The boys get along fairly well, then spectacularly dislike one another before getting over it quickly. So, I guess they haven't changed that much.
It's never enough time but I'm grateful for the time we DO get together!
-k
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
So, I'll just go get on with that, shall I?
To me, physical discomforts are nearly always the result of some mental discomfort. Case in point, I'm nearly always so healthy that other people can catch it from being around me. And I'm nearly always optimistic, happy, and doing my best to share that same sense of contagious happiness and expectancy of good with others.
And when I'm not feeling well, it can nearly always be traced back to have a lapse in that mental optimism, a dip in happiness, and not expecting good or seeing it expressed in my life.
For a while now, we've gotten a series of setbacks. Whether it's bad news financially (and there's been lots of that), unpleasant news related to my job prospects (and there's been lots of that), discord with family members (sadly there has been some of that), or even just pessimism at being able to achieve goals or provide the sort of holidays we hoped for the kids, there have been lots of things that chip away at my happiness. And my health is showing it.
I've lost my voice, gained a leaky/stuffy nose, coughed a ton, lost my appetite but forced myself to keep eating, and just generally been fairly miserable.
I need to turn it around.
Not only for myself, but for those around me. Like it or not, I am the "dominant" mommy in this household. I am the hub of this particular wheel. The kids need me to be strong and happy. My husband needs me to be cheerful and optimistic. My mom needs me to be patient, strong, and in good spirits. I've been none of the above the last few days.
"Faking it until you feel it" is a viable option. You tell yourself what is really true and valuable and important, and you act accordingly until your body and brain catch up and catch on. "An attitude of gratitude" can work, if you embrace it. Rather than whining about what you don't have, you focus on what you DO have, and as you become more and more aware of the good already in your life, you attract more.
And of course, my own personal favorite "No one and no thing can make you react". I can't choose my circumstances. I can't choose the events that come into my life. I can only choose how I will respond. I can only choose who these events will encourage me to be. Do I have reasons to be depressed and grumpy? Yes, I certainly do. But what will that do for me? Does wallowing help? And we all know that grumpiness spreads to others who are already inclined to grump anyway...
I have to make the conscious choice to be a better me. Partly for others, because they need my good, strong example. But mostly for me, because I'm the one who has to *be* me. No one else has to live in my head. In fact, no one else should. So, by being cheerful, I literally get to be cheerful. By being optimistic, I get the benefits of being the one to believe it can all work out. By being happy, well... I get to be happy.
Not only can that bring out the best in others, it's a lot more pleasant for me.
So, I'll just go get on with that, shall I?
-k
Today I'm grateful for
Today I'm grateful for: Wednesdays mean knit night! Therefore, I'm grateful for Google + Hangouts.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
How to make me laugh
How to make me laugh: Katie's going through a hilarious phase where she likes to sit on Michael's shoulders and brush his hair. She does this regularly, but it's still hilarious.
Current Craving
Current Craving: I wish there *was* a way to make money knitting. I know that if you write and sell successful patterns, you can make supplemental income... but that's about it. Doesn't mean I can't wish for it.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Everything is cooler with blue hair
Have you ever really REALLY wanted to do something? Had an idea of how it would turn out so clearly in your mind and then it turns out even BETTER? Had people caution you that you wouldn't like it if you actually did this crazy thing but then you went ahead and you LOVE IT???
Well I did.
I've always wanted to dye my hair blue. Unarguably bright blue. Always.
And in college, we played with kool-aid and manic panic and all that. But this time, I did it for real. Yup. I did.
AND I LOVE IT.
And let me tell you, and this is a huge deal for me - but I know you’ll understand when I say it:
I. Am. Beautiful.
Totally beautiful. Yesterday morning, I woke up with Blue Velvet hair, my nose ring, and I did some lovely eye make-up like it’s easy now. I put on my hot jeans, and a deep red shirt that says “cougar” on it and I hit up the grocery store in STYLE. Yes, traffic came to a halt and people looked at me like I have two heads. Or, more to the point, like I have one bright gorgeous stunning blue head and a huge smile that clearly shows that I am comfortable in my own skin.
I am radiating happy. People who walk past me have no choice. They catch my happy. I did it at the grocery store. There was an older gentleman shopping in the same pattern as I was, and he wanted to frown at me… but I gave him a HUGE smile and he involuntarily smiled back. And then frowned like he was mad I made him smile… so I tipped my head to the side and smiled really big again. And he sort of gave up and smiled back. It was awesome. Because everything is cooler with bright blue hair and a huge smile.
I want everyone to get to feel like this. Well, all the cool people. Mean people already think too much of themselves, IMHO.
I did it in two stages - and here it is one stage before going the full monty... which I include for the simple fact that this shows the color off the best. As you can clearly see from the upper pictures, I've done my whole head now... and it's all this gorgeous blue/purple color.
This is me. Just me. Happy. Beautiful. Accepting of myself with my flaws, and willing to admire and appreciate that I am beautiful.
And what more could I truly ask for?
And with blue hair, and a new energy and zest for life, I am eagerly expecting more good to follow!
-k
Friday, December 02, 2011
Today I'm grateful for
Today I'm grateful for: RAIN! Today there was a slow soft steady rain all day. The very best possible thing for this area. I'm so grateful!
How to make me laugh
How to make me laugh: It's raining today which is all too unusual for us. So my little Texan daughter says indignantly "The rain is making me new outfit especially wet."
How to make me laugh
How to make me laugh: Katie was walking in front of Grandma in Target. Mom felt Katie got too far away, so she called to her to wait. Katie turned around, put her hands on her hips and said very loudly, "I don't feel liking it."
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