Laughter

I copied this from an old blog of mine and entered it into a writing contest for a spot on a "Dear Reader" column and actually won! I thought I would repost it here...

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." ee Cummings

Lately I tend to get too busy rushing through all the steps of mylife. The movements of going here and there, making this and fixing that, "Hurry comb your hair, brush your teeth, get your shoes on..."and the list goes on. In all this busyness, I sometimes lose sight of what is really important. I get irritable and stressed, and I tend to see those traits rubbing off on those around me.

Yesterday, amidst the rushing around and hurrying to do the littlethings, I was stopped cold in my tracks by...LAUGHTER! While trying to get three kids ready for bed and trying to finish dishes so that I can unwind and go to bed; I hear it--hysterical laughing. Myolder son is "mocking" me (using an overly stern, funny voice) andtelling the youngest "hurry and brush your teeth." Of course, of all funny things in the world, this voice is one my youngest finds hilarious, and of course, his belly laugh is completely contagious. So, my oldest, keeps going, and every time the youngest gets a louder and longer belly laugh.

Laughter begins to spread...my daughter is laughing, my husband is laughing, I think I even hear the goldfish laughing...I try to gain control, which I should have realized was a lost cause once the hilarity had set in, but I try... "come on, it's time for bed..." The only answer I receive is more laughing. A smirk at first, then a smile, next a giggle, and finally a true laugh as I break free from these bonds of time and control and slip back into enjoyment of the little things that life gives me. It's these moments in life, which are brief, too often forgotten and occur over a simple thing--like "lets mock mommy"--that keep me sane. In this world of schedules and deadlines, workloads and volunteer workloads (that become more work than the regular workloads), the light that breaks through the grayness of day to day mundane "stuff" is the laughter. The joy and laughter that my children share with each other and pass on to me is my sanity. Laughter really is the best medicine!

Superwoman...

I always wanted to be in her shoes for one day. Who? Superwoman. I could hop in my invisible jet and take off to another side of the world, take care of business and jet back in time to feed my family a full-course, healthy meal. I could use the super powers to take care of work (regular job 40 hour a week work), housework, and volunteer work in warp speed. I would look fabulous in that little tiny superhero costume and snap together those nifty little bracelets. Yes, I would like to be Superwoman for a day, or two, or three…

But, I’m not her. I’m not capable of using warp speed and my invisible jet. I just have the good reliable minivan that holds all the football league “stuff”, the kids backpacks, extra clothes, jackets, balls, some camping equipment leftover from the summer months in those lovely stow-n-go areas under the floor of my van, lots of miscellaneous paperwork, bills, and altogether “Junk.” And believe me, it is NOT invisible. Any poor person that is stuck riding in the minivan is subject to it. I wish it could be invisible. I wish I could be invisible. When those little hands are begging and pleading for one more snack, or one more video game, just one more… I wish I could disappear and not be the “mean” mom for making them be responsible young kids by eating healthy and going to bed at a normal time (or as close as humanly possible for those nights after practice, dinner, homework, baths and showers, when there isn’t much normal left). But, back to Superwoman, I am not her, nor am I invisible.

So, I will deal with this life of mine, and these kids that I love “more than the whole wide world,” as my youngest says. I will deal with my busy, overly busy, life. How? I’m not sure yet. For me it’s a daily challenge to balance it all. Right now as I type this I am “multitasking,” which means, typing, pushing play on the DVD player, checking homework, making dinner, sending out football emails, answering my phone, and listening to music, because I cannot multitask without music. As I finish this blog, I look at the clock and realize I started it about 2 1/2 hours ago. I deal and cope and as they say, I’m alive and still kickin’ and haven’t given up on it yet. Being like Superwoman would be nice and like a little vacation from it all. But knowing I am not superwoman just shows me that life isn't about super powers, It’s about coping, or the lack of coping sometimes.

Life is this series of non-super moments that teach me how to juggle and balance. They teach me about taking a deep breathe when I close my eyes and hope that invisible jet appears, then when I open them and see not a jet, but the spilled dinner plate on my floor that the youngest managed to drop and get on every square inch of surface area in my kitchen (rice and corn can sure fly when bounced off a plate on wood floors). So I will deal. I'll clean up that dinner plate.. since I can't leave the computer and go to the rest of the house without walking over it. And, I will yell at the kids to stop fighting because my head is pounding and I will go to bed and dream of that invisible jet to carry me away!

50 Loves in my Life...

I LOVE LIFE. There may be regrets, but I choose to enjoy life. I choose to be happy. I choose to move forward and to keep dreaming... I LOVE my children, my family and my friends... I Love photos... I Love being active and having my health... I LOVE TO WRITE AND CREATE... I Love to be inspired and to inspire...I LOVE to learn...I Love a cool breeze after the storm and I Love the smell of rain and watching thunderstorms... I Love flowers in the spring... I Love snow in the winter while enjoying a nice hot mocha... I Love the hot sun in summer and sand between my toes... I Love lemonade and ice tea, diet coke and rum... I Love watching the ocean... I Love to read and curl up with a really good book... I LOVE ALL THINGS ROMANTIC... I Love being touched and holding hands... I LOVE long lingering kisses...I even Love a Good Cry after a nice sad, sappy love story... I Love a good lazy weekend vegging and watching tv... I Love Seinfeld re-runs... I LOVE all kinds of HUMOR and people that make me Laugh... I LOVE TO LAUGH, I Love to watch people laugh, make people laugh, listen to laughter (this is after all the BEST sound in the whole world)... I Love to make people smile... I Love a long conversation with an old friend... I Love a short conversation with a new friend... I Love being near my family... I Love taking afternoon breaks for coffee and a brownie... I LOVE listening to music - any and ALL music... I Love travelling and seeing new things... I LOVE enjoying nature... I Love taking drives to nowhere in particular in no particular hurry... I Love laying in bed and dreaming sweet dreams... I LOVE comforting a crying child... I Love being comforted... I Love dancing... I Love girls night out... I LOVE to sing (even though I don't let anyone hear me)...I Love to play the piano (even though its been awhile)...I Love that "top of the world" feeling you get on a really good day... I Love being able to wonder if I can stop at only 50 things that I love about life... I LOVE listenting to my 90 year old grandmother tell her stories from the early 1900's... I Love listening to my children tell stories about now...I Love listening to my dad tell the same stories to my kids that he used to tell me.. I Love looking back at my life and knowing the mistakes and learning from them - even though it hurts sometimes...I Love a slow dance... I Love to dream about the future and how my life may change...or stay the same... I LOVE the early morning quiet in the house with a cup of coffee... I Love my job (yes I really do...)and, I LOVE watching that 80 yr old couple dance the night away amidst all the "young" people and wonder if I'll be that young at heart... I can only hope to have that love for life that that couple has... What are the 50 Loves of your life?

50 Things that Make Me Who I Am...

Let me introduce myself and tell you about 50 things that make me who I am... 1. Mom of 3 great children - they are my 3 reasons that I say there can be no regrets, no going back, I could never change anything that would change them. They are my life and reason to keep trying to be a better person. 2. Married for almost 12 years - in 12 years I have definitely seen the good, the bad and the ugly, but he has given me those 3 reasons that there are no regrets! 3. Family - my parents, brothers/sisters and grand parents, even lots of my aunts and uncles (and I have a lot of them) and cousins - they are all such a constant and steady presence in my life. I could ask them for anything and rely on them to ask me for the same. 4. Friend - I am very lucky to have many GREAT friends that I can talk to about just about anything, in many different circles of my life - work, school, from my old school days, from church and from family... I also try - I'm not as good as some of my friends are to me - but I do try to be a good listener, a good friend that isn't just someone sucking the life out of another person. As I tell my daughter, "it's not all about you..." 5. Music - I have so much music on my computer and phone (mp3), cd's and wherever I go... How can someone live without listening to music? Any of it? Rock, Pop, Rap, Jazz, Blues, Country, Gospel, ... any of it. I wish I could turn my writing into lyrics... Music can reach so many people and the right lyrics can touch so many hearts. I can't even count the times I've cried while listening to a good song. Now, to take up piano again after not playing for 14 years... 6. Writing - I love to be able to just let the thoughts go. Sometimes they are even good thoughts that make sense! 7. Creative - I love trying new things that challenge me to see something in a "new" way. There's always something out there that needs to be adjusted, altered, changed or just painted... 8. Camera Crazy - you can tell so many stories with pictures. I think in another life I will be a photographer... one day when I can afford the new Canon Rebel... Now, if I could only get those 3,000+ pictures that I have into books. 9. Coffee - I don't think it's so much the caffeine (who am I kidding?) as the auroma. I love that smell first thing in the morning. Flavored coffees and mochas are probably my favorite, although I couldn't name one particular favorite. 10. Chocolate - had to be in the top ten... DARK chocolate at that. My second down fall behind coffee that doesn't make me a "healthy" person. 11. Active - I found running again this year. I love it. I love the mind and energy surge that I feel after draining my body and muscles to the point of over exertion. Sometimes I can't go all out, lack of time usually, and only get in a quickie, but those hour long, I'll be sore for a week workouts are what I love. 12. Beach Babe - I love being at the lake all day, relaxing, swimming, getting tossed off a jet-ski... chatting with a great friend and laying in the sun. In my second next life, I'd love to be a beach bum and learn to surf. 13. Old School - there are days when I look at the way things were 100 years ago, or here my grandmothers stories and I wish I could have lived back then. 14. Procrastinator - yes, I'm terrible at this. If it can wait till tomorrow, it normally will and up to the last minute. Be there at 7:30? Not a problem, but it will be 7:30 and not usually a minute earlier! 15. Optimist - I always try and see the best in people. Normally to a fault. I've been burned plenty of times and lost a few people that I thought were "good friends". But part of me still thinks that they had to have been good at one point or another... My dad said I always see things thru those "rose colored glasses." 16. Adventurous - more so before I had 3 kids - but a 10 day wilderness trip in the middle of Canada, carrying your canoe, backpack, tent and 10 days of food - No problem! I've done it and did it well! The only "two girl" team on a trip with 20 people and we kicked butt! Hiked, climbed mountains, repelled down a cliff... I wish I could try it all and see it all. If I was to win the lotto - world here I come! 17. Sisterly - not just to my siblings but to my cousins and their kids, to a lot of my male friends... I don't know how many of them refer to me as a "sis"... 18. Terrible Organizer - I admit it .. I need to hire a housekeeper. I can keep it "clean" no germs or dust or filth, but I can't keep up with the clutter and toys and games and shoes and backpacks... I need a professional organizer to attack my closets and bedrooms! 19. Romantic - helpless romantic at heart. Stars and love songs and a good sappy love story on tv... 20. Unable to Sit Still - not sure what to do with myself when there is nothing to do... Constantly doodling on paper or my feet have to be tapping or fingers twirling my hair or dancing in my seat... Why can't I sit still? 21. Not a Shopper! My friends (most of them) love to shop, I am NOT a shopper! Never have been... if there's something I need I want to grab it and go. To wander aimlessly around a mall packed with people is mind numbing to me... and I have an all day trip with 3 friends to Ikea this week... We'll see if I can make it! 22. Cheap - usually (unless you are talking coffee, chocolate or peanut butter... a few things have to be brand name). But clothes? I hate spending money on clothes or shoes or the movies... I just think I'd rather be comfy and have that money to save or spend on something really good (college for my kids...). 23. Dancer - not a skilled one (by any means) but I love to have that girls night out and dance. It's a great workout and SO much fun. 24. Singer - again not a skilled one and you should probably plug your ears if I am singing - but I can't listen to all this great music without singing along. I guess I learned by listening to my dad sing in the shower. One of my favorite memories with my kids is dancing around our living room and singing at the top of our lungs! 25. Hugger - I have to say I am a touchy person. Hug, squeeze, kiss, touch... I like being close to the people I care about. 26. Talker - my husband hates it, but I could set some serious phone time records with the calls to my friends and family. Thank goodness for free minutes after 7pm and weekends!! 27. Worker - I love manual labor. I work at a desk in an office everyday, and I love my job, but I grew up helping my dad do construction and working on the farm and those jobs are rewarding at such a different level. Crafting something with your hands and being able to see the finished product.. that's just something you can't get in an office. 28. Emotional - I have always "worn my heart on my sleeve" as they say. I'm a pretty upbeat person but when I'm sad I cry, when I'm mad I cry, sometimes it seems like I have a fountain in my head that just pours out of my tear ducts... I love emotion though. I love seeing other people that have feelings and passion for something. I love how a good cry makes you feel when you get it all out. 29. Stubborn - Valerie even means "strong" or "stubborn" depending on where you look. My mom actually found one that said "stubborn as a mule" and she framed it for me. Once I decide something - that's what I'm going to do. My mind is set and it's set... 30. Strong - again, as the name says... I think I am very physically strong. I can do a lot for myself and my guy friends are always giving my husband a hard time because I do the "heavy lifting". Sometimes I wish I was that strong emotionally, but then I would miss out on all those good crys... 31. Lightweight - cannot drink a lot of alcohol! Never been drunk to the point of being sick. Never had more than 5 or 6 drinks and that is only in an all day 12 or more hour event... 3 is usually my limit (actually 2 1/2 - rarely finish the 3rd) and most weekends it's just one. 32. Spiritual- I believe in God. I have faith that even though most of my prayers won't be answered in the way I would like that there is someone listening and I'm not just talking to myself! 33. Love to Learn - I miss school. I miss learning new subjects and theories. I love learning new things and stretching my mind. I love trying new things - golf was the latest. I took a diving class in college and was actually pretty good and it was so much fun! 34. Kid at Heart - I love bouncing on the trampoline and playing games with the kids. Running through the sprinkler on a hot summer day and going for ice cream cones and chasing lightning bugs... These are my favorite memories as a kid and I have the same memories as an adult of doing those things with my kids. In some ways I don't want to ever grow up... 35. Nature - Watching nature in all her glory. Thunderstorms, butterflies and bunnies, deers in the field behind our house. Listening to the birds and the bullfrogs and feeling the rain on your skin... It's peaceful and calming. 36. Science fanatic - it was never my favorite subject, but any of the earth and anatomical sciences are SO interesting to me. Maybe in that 3rd next life of mine I could be a doctor... 37. Part of a BIG family - I think this really affected who I am and how I look at life and my family. I love having a HUGE extended family. I may not see/talk to my cousins as much as I should, but they are there and they are still family. I've never been to a small family gathering... or a quiet one! 38. Rich - not in money - but as my dad said "rich in life". I have a people who care and who I care for. I've experienced a lot in my life that others haven't had the chance to do and in those ways I've been very enriched as an individual. 39. Artistic - even though I've lost this along the road of "busy with kids". I used to draw daily just like I journaled. My parents were always buying sketch pads and chalks and pencils and everything else. My oldest son is always drawing, too... maybe I rubbed off a little! 40. Casual - I am not going to be uncomfortable just because fashion says so... if I can wear jeans, tank top and flip flops every day for the rest of my life - life would be good! 41. Cook - I'm usually too busy to really put time and effort into a meal, but when I can, I love to do it. You can do so much to chicken... :-) But baking... that's my favorite! Cookies, cheesecakes, carmel turtle brownies... yummmmmmmmmmmm. Maybe it's just food in general that I like... 42. On the Go - this should be up in the top 10. I've learned a lot about multi-tasking by being on the go all the time. Working full time and carting around 3 kids and trying to a little bit of something for me is a challenge, but I've learned what I really am capable of. 43. Role Model - I like to think that I am a good role model for my children. I'm not perfect (by any stretch of the imagination), but I have good goals, and I want what's best for them. I want them to be influenced by people that will better them and make them want to be a better person. If nothing else, I want my kids to be able to say they are better because of me. 44. Lover - gotta be a lover not a hater. 45. Supportive - I may not agree with you. But if you think it's for the best, I will be the strong friend you need to hold you up and talk you through it. Spending long evenings talking with friends is a great past time and makes for great memories. I will always have an empty shoulder for you to cry on! 46. Open Minded - I've met many people that have affected my views on life and maybe it goes back to being optimistic, but I would never want to be described as close minded about race, religion or stereotypes in general. That little old man driving to slow may be the sweetest man in the world. The cranky lady at the check out line is probably the best mom in the world, just over worked and under paid. And the "scary" guy on the street is probably a great person/dad/husband and just came from the "wrong" side of the tracks. Looks don't describe who you are... 47. Computer Junky - I wouldn't be sitting here with 3 web pages open and downloading music and syncing music to my mp3/phone if I wasn't... What else do you do when the kids are gone/in bed and the husband's at work? Not sure if it's worse or better than being a tv junky... 48. Forgetful - I am VERY forgetful. Thank goodness for this gadget they call a phone that holds EVERYTHING! At least I've upgraded from the endless sticky notes (which I usually forgot where I put them) telling me where I needed to be and what I needed to do, to this gadget that looks better anyway! 49. Sweet & Thoughtful- I used to hate it when people would tell me what a "sweet" person I was. But as I get older it's nice to know that at least I'm not ticking everyone off that I meet! I like doing things for other people... some of my friends get on me for this and tell me I do TOO much, but if it makes you feel good, then it makes me feel good. 50. ME. Being me and being myself. I've gotten pretty good at it finally after 32 years of trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted. Not that I know exactly what those 2 things are, but I've decided I like who I am, and if no one else does then too bad.... I'm no longer going out of my way to be something I'm not! I am me!