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Meet Amy
I have struggled with the answer when asked, "What do you do?" and it isn't work-related. Ultimately, we settled on that I find things and untangle things. But I also read (a lot), pretend to wake surf, and watch Hallmark films.
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*** Scott thinks the title of this post should be “Swinging Schnauzers”. I may need to start consulting him before I hit post.
This week I am really excited to share some big family news. And although I do not intend on having this blog become a family journal, this is a great time to share a story. After all, it is Photo Story Friday and Give Me Your Best Shot time.
I have always wanted a dog. I grew up with miniature schnauzers (my last one died after Scott and I were married). For a long time, we have told the girls that we couldn’t get a dog until I quit work.
Well, I was having a conversation with my boss about dogs and how much I wanted one but it just wasn’t the right time. He said, “Oh come on, you can put him in a kennel when you are at work. He’ll be fine. Plus the FBI has said that an inside dog is the best alarm system.”
So that night, I told Scott about the FBI. He said, that if I wanted one then I could start looking into it.
Throughout the night, I kept having nightmares that someone was in the house. Then when Ivy woke up at 2:00 wondering if it was morning yet and turned on the light, I was glad to have her in my bed so I had one less girl to worry about. But, she left her light on. While she was cuddling with me, her light switched off. My heart started racing. There are two light bulbs in her room so there was no way they both died at the same time. I laid awake, staring at the hall. Finally I freed myself from Ivy’s cuddle and went to check on Jade. I stopped at Ivy’s light and found that it was only halfway flicked – phew, no one had turned it off.
Then I went back to bed and didn’t sleep. I started thinking about a blogger that I follow. Songberries had miniature schnauzer puppies last year so I got wondering if I should get in touch with her to see when her next litter would be arriving. Saturday, I logged on to my reader and saw this post by Songberries. I immediately sent her an email and we started conversing about it.
Sunday, we made our way up to visit her and we’d now like to introduce the newest member to our family, Zero. Isn’t he adorable?
If you are interested in welcoming a beautiful little boy into your family, Carol at Songberries still has some. They are ready to be adopted and are super sweet and cuddly. Oh, and they have a great tree swing in their front yard!
Check out the other photo stories and GMYBS…
Hosted by Cecily and Momma
**** Please note- I know this is a Canadian Goose- but I liked the picture and didn’t like any of my duck pictures.
All of us have affirmations that we repeat, even though some of us don’t realize we have them.
This week, the prompts for Mama Kat’s Writing Workshop had several that were interesting to me, but I decided in the end to go with “2.) ‘I need all the help I can get and if repeating something healthy and inspiring to myself several times a day helps, then I’m going to do it!’ – What affirmation makes you feel better? WELL THINK OF ONE.”
Ever since I entered the world of full-time employment, I have had to adopt this one phrase and over the years it has been repeated many many times. That affirmation is…
“Like water off a duck’s back.”
A wise older friend advised me with it when I was an assistant to a catering manager at a local resort. I had little, I mean no say in how things were done. My ideas were all brushed off and permanently dismissed. When I would go talk to my director, he would say, “Your time will come, in the mean time just let it go. Think of it as water off a duck’s back.
I continued to do my job and continued to share my ideas. I continued to be rejected and finally I got a new job with a promotion.
My next job welcomed my ideas and way of thinking. Finally many of my suggestions were implemented.
Then I got another job. My affirmation quickly returned. I found out that someone who reported to me and worked part-time was making more than I was. I approached my general manager and was told that of course she was making more than me. He said, and I quote, “She’s married and has kids, so she needs to make more.” I guess that my singleness and childlessness made me worth less.
“Like water off a duck’s back.” I stuck it out and continued to do a great job until I was offered a new and much better job. A job that was thrilled that I wasn’t married and could travel and spend several weeks on the road at a time.
I still repeat my saying to myself any time that life gives me a challenge that I can’t control. There simply are times when you just have to go with it and not let it affect you. Times when you must have confidence that “this too shall pass.” (Another great affirmation).
I feel that if I do all that I can and roll with the punches of life, like water off a duck’s back, then I’ll be able to come up smiling. Smiling and having grown from my challenges.
What is your affirmation when times are tough for you?
 Have you ever wanted to commit suicide? Scott hadn’t either – that is until our family played “TROUBLE”!
Trouble is not a fun family game. It isn’t a game of strategy. Nor does it teach you anything of worth. It is just an obnoxious game of luck.
Trouble has a bubble with a die in it. You have to pop it for your turn. If you get a 6, you can move out of start, plus you get another turn. Problem with this game… the bubble is small and the die can barely move around.
The game started with the three of us gathering around the little tiny board. (Ivy was watching a movie). Jade was first to start: she’s always the first to start.
Jade pops the little bubble and gets a 6 so she goes again. Next, I go and get a 2. Scott gets a 2. Back to Jade’s turn – she gets a 6 and goes again. Several – maybe 10 turns go by and Jade has all 4 of her guys out of start while I have 0 and Scott finally has 1.
At this point, Ivy decides she wants to join in. She played with our same luck and it took forever to got a 6.
The game went on FOREVER!
Oh, and there are these little holes that your pieces stand in. If you ask a 7-year-old not to go into each hole while she is counting, don’t expect her to EVER stop doing it. Apparently it isn’t within their power to count without going in EVERY SINGLE HOLE. But do expect the 4-year-old to lightly touch each hole and then chime in with, “did you notice how I just gently touch the side of each hole?”
By the end of the game, Ivy is doing Scott’s turns and we’re doing all that we can to avoid sending someone back to start. By everything I mean CHEATING.
The game ended – finally – with groans and sighs. Three of us sighed relief that the game was over and the 4th moaned that she lost and just couldn’t get that last all important 6.
If you like games of complete luck, you will love Trouble. We don’t.
I have to believe that spring is here- finally. Although the snow on the ground this morning makes me question that belief.
So this week as I participate in Seven Clown Circus‘ Wordful Wednesday I am sharing my favorite signs of spring.
PLAYING OUTSIDE!
Jade was excited to get to try her pogo stick that she got for her birthday. The most hops she was able to do was 4, but she’ll get it. But she was only willing to do it for a little while before she decided it was time to ride her bike.
 She had been really nervous about riding her bike again. She said that she was afraid she wouldn’t remember how. Scott told her that there is a saying about riding a bike and that you don’t forget. Apparently, saying that was enough to give her the confidence that she needed. She took off on her bike and was off for as long as we would let her.
 Ivy, on the other hand, just got on her bike and pushed it around a little. It ended up at the end of the driveway until Scott brought Jade in for the night.
Spring may or may not be here, but for now we’ll relish any moment of sun and warmth we get.
Go join in the fun.
Every mom or dad needs to do something for themselves sometimes. It is the only way that they can truly be happy. You might be armed and ready to argue with me right about now, but just wait – I have my reasoning.
I’ve been one to “sacrifice” many activities that once defined me. I made those sacrifices because I thought that was what a mother did. She gave up stuff from her pre-kid life that made her happy, kept her active, challenged her mind and stretched her emotionally. A mom is supposed to center everything about her life around her children and her husband. So, as soon as Jade was born, I gave up dance. I tried to do it for the first 4 months after she was born, and I’d take her with me, but then I would feel guilty. Guilty that I was taking time away from playing with her just to do something that I loved. For me there was extra guilt because I also had to work. Scott was in graduate school and was not allowed to work; me working was the only option.
When we moved away from family and friends, I would do everything I could to spend time with my daughter. I would take her with me to do my service for the church in the middle of the week. I’d schedule play dates when I needed to be working. Each day was dedicated to my daughter and my husband.
There were days the Scott would call and say he wanted to bring his work group over to the house for lunch. I’d sacrifice quiet time with Jade or I’d rearrange plans so that I could tidy up the house and prepare a hot lunch for Scott and his friends.
Does it sound like I’m complaining? I’m NOT. I loved every single thing that I did for them. But I was losing me. I quit having anything to talk about with friends, Scott or my parents. All that I could do was tell stories about Jade and her play date, or what happened that day for Scott.
Scott was frustrated because I was grumpy and lacked energy to do anything at all by the time he got home. He thought if I had a job, that would help.
I started contracting. Which meant I was in a dark tunnel of guilt that only seemed to get darker the longer I did it. Contracting is tough to juggle. For example, if I was working then I was feeling guilty that I wasn’t playing with Jade and that I was just half watching her play with her Fisher Price Little People. Then when I was playing with her or hanging out with the her at the park, I was always watching the clock because time is money. Contracting was not the answer.
Finally, I started to remember the things that I used to do that made me happy. I danced. I took pictures. I hiked. I camped. I did theater. I swam. I worked out. I realized that in order to feel happy, I needed to start doing one or two of those things again.
Does it stress me out to leave the family for an hour and a half to do my thing once in a while? YES. I stress about what are they going to have for dinner, are they going to behave for Scott, are they going to do something fun that I’m going to feel bad for missing. But, every single time I go, when I come home I am a happier wife and mom. I feel rejuvenated. I feel renewed. I feel like me. ME with 2 beautiful girls and a wonderful husband.
Right now, my thing is belly dancing. Next week, I’ll start swimming again (because belly dancing is over). I am always taking pictures and trying to capture the happiness in everything the family does together. I am truly truly happy.
What do you do for yourself?
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