"Do You Need Privacy??"

As my daughter nears her due date, the logistics of frequent doctor visits, cross country meets that her husband coaches, parent-teacher conferences, and all other kinds of things in a young family's life, it gets a little more difficult to fit everything in.  So I was fortunate (wouldn't feel any other way) to babysit Cormick for a few hours on Wednesday while Mommy went for her weekly prenatal visit.  He truly amazes me with his command of the English language, given that he's only 2 1/2 years old.  Although this could easily turn into a braggin' Grandma post, I do have a story to tell.

I was actually reminded of a post that my blog buddy Leanne shared with us a while back when I had the following exchange with Cormick: 

(Let me preface this by saying that those who have been alone with a 2 1/2 year old know that you never close the bathroom door when it's just the two of you in the house).  So I need to go potty, leaving said door open and Cormick, standing with one hand on the door jamb and one hand on the bathroom door handle, says to me, "Do you need privacy?"  (Did I just hear that correctly, I ask myself).  Yes, honey, I need privacy.  To which he closes the bathroom door, staying outside the bathroom.  Then immediately opens the door, again one hand on door jamb and one on handle and asks, "Do you want a little or a lot?"  (Seriously, the kid is 2 1/2 and he's asking me this!?!).  Just a little, I say.  To which he then closes the door halfway.  If I had been fully clothed, I'd have wet my britches!!!!

This is when I realize that my life is incredibly blessed with this little guy.  He brightens my day beyond my ability to verbalize.  My heart dances when I'm around him.  So, my questions to you today are: 

What makes your heart dance? 

And what was so funny this week that you nearly wet your britches??

Serenity All Around

I tend to lean toward nature to look for my serenity.  It's always been that way.  A garden just gives me that "Ahhhhhhh" feeling.  But this weekend, I was lucky enough to watch Amanda Hein, photog extraordinaire, at work.  And as she worked, I was in the background taking photos of the process. 

When I got home and uploaded the pics I took, it was apparent that it's not just a garden that brings serenity into my life.  I get the same "Ahhhhhhh" feeling when I look at this picture of my daughter and grandson.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Amanda saw in her lens. 

Whale or Mermaid??

Although this post is not personal in nature, I was quite entertained by the story I received in an email recently and thought I'd share it...

Recently, in a large city in France, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said, "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern,

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. 

Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist.
If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Just look at them ... where is IT? Therefore, they don't have kids either.  Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me: I want to be a whale.

P..S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.

With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.  Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think,

“Good grief, look how smart I am!”

Little Mermaid picture courtesy of:  http://top-10-list.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/The-Little-Mermaid.jpg

Whale picture courtesy of:  http://fallengirl.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/killer-whale.jpg

Gettin' Real!!!

I just spent part of my Saturday cleaning out my closet.  Packing up clothes that no longer fit me.  I wish I could say they were too big!!  But talk about REALITY!!  I must say it was a slap in the face for me to go thru and pack all these clothes up, talking to myself the entire time. 

You see, five years ago, I made it my mission to watch what I eat and exercise every day.  My good friend, Murph, who lived in New York at the time, would call me every morning as she was out walking as part of HER workout.  I'd be on the treadmill and we would chat for 30 minutes or so and before I knew it, my walking was done and I was running up to get ready for work.  It was awesome!!  By the time my daughter got married in June, I was lookin' goooooood!! 

Then life got a little complicated.  And since I eat when I'm happy, eat when I'm stressed, eat when I'm sad, (well, let's just say I use food to get me thru the trials & tribulations we all experience), the results are pretty easy to predict!.  And that wouldn't be so bad, but when you add to the equation the inability to get those walks in, it just compounds everything.  As a result, I put the weight back on and had to get a new wardrobe.  But my closet cleaning venture on Saturday has allowed me to give myself a talkin' to!!!! 

And my REALITY is that I care enough about myself to not allow this to continue.  I really do like me.  And I really want to live a very long life, enjoying every little blessing that comes my way.  And to do that, I must get back into shape.  Because the next time I clean out clothes from the closet, it will be to make room for the newer, smaller clothes that I'll be wearing!!!  So, I'm on a mission.  And the mission starts on the treadmill.  I'll keep you posted, my dear friends.  Who knows...maybe that walk each day will inspire me in ways I hadn't imagined!  I do know it will help me find more serenity in my life!
And if you're feeling the same way I am, just leave me a comment and let me know what your plans are!!

So...What's YOUR Reality?

A

Winter

Rainbow

Heard a great comment from a co-worker today...
"We make our own reality." 
Isn't that the truth!?!!

So....what's your reality??