the IMPORTANCE of being KIND

On Monday morning, I volunteered at my daughter's school to help with reading.  When I arrived at the school, I was told to check-in at the office.  As I was checking in, which was all done on a computer in the corner of the main office, I heard my daughter's voice.  I glanced behind me and saw her speaking to the school secretary.  She explained that her friend, who was standing next to her, had hurt herself during recess and needed ice for her cheek.

It wasn't until then that she turned and saw me sitting at the nearby computer.  We said hi to each other as the secretary told the girls that ice was available outside with the recess duty.  I motioned for her to follow the instructions, so she and her friend dashed out of the office on to their next destination.

In that moment, I couldn't help but be proud of my little girl for a few reasons.  I was proud she took the initiative to take her friend to the office and was confident enough to talk to the secretary.  But, mostly I was proud that she was being a good friend and that she showed concern and kindness towards one of her classmates.

It is easy for me to overlook the more gentle attributes my daughter displays.  I encourage her to do things on her own and for herself, and I know I put too much stock in her becoming independent and strong.  

This experience reminded me to reinforce the importance of kindness, thoughtfulness and courtesy to my children.  And I'm grateful for my daughter's example because if she can do it, I can do it!

THANKFUL thursday: my JOB

A few months ago, I started a new, part-time job, and I absolutely love it.  It is probably the best job I've ever had.  The work, the environment, the people are great.  I feel so incredibly lucky to have a job that I not only enjoy, but that works well around my busy schedule of being a mom.

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Even though I'm not actually alone, this job gives me what I consider alone time.  Or even me time.  I guess any time away from my children feels like alone time.  And because I get a few hours a week away from the craziness of motherhood, I feel like I am a better mother overall.

And anything that helps me be a better mom {which is, after all, my real job} is something I will always be grateful for.

What things are you grateful for?

LOADS of LAUNDRY

I literally don't know the last time I bought laundry detergent.  

And I do laundry multiple times a week. 

Every time I go to use it, I keep thinking I'm reaching the end.  But, always to my surprise, the measuring cup fills without any reservation.

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There's no logical explanation as to why I haven't had to buy laundry detergent in the last little while. 

But, there is a spiritual one.

I contribute 10% of all of my earnings to my church.  It is something I have been asked to do, and I do so willing.  As a result, I have been blessed immensely.  Not blessed in that I wear only the most stylish clothes or go on frequent, lavish vacations, but blessed in smaller, simpler ways.

And there is no doubt it is a blessing from paying my tithing.

I am currently dealing with a baby that adores spitting up.  I swear she is trying to make it into an olympic event.  Between the two of us, we go through at least 5 wardrobe changes a day.  I used to do laundry once a week.  Those days are long gone.

I'm thankful for the little things in life, like a seemingly limitless supply of laundry detergent, that help remind me that God is real.  He loves me.  And He blesses me even in the most mundane ways.

{day THIRTY} i MADE IT!

As much fun as November has been writing a post per day {in theory} about the things I'm grateful for, today I'm very glad that I'm done.  It definitely gave me the boost I've needed to blog more often, and I think it gave my creative juices a jumpstart.

Thanks to everyone who followed along with my posts.  You helped me keep going!

{day TWENTY-NINE} BLOG nominations

I'm grateful today that my humble little blog was nominated over at At Peek at Karen's World.  This is the second time "someone" {I'm pretty sure I know who it is} has nominated by blog, and it sure is nice.

I'm nominated in three different categories:  Best Kept Secret, Most Inspiring Post and Most Thought-Provoking post.

Last year, this post won and I was so happy because it is something that is very dear to my heart and a major issue that people need to be more aware of.

Go ahead and check out Karen's blog and vote for your favorite blogs and posts.

{day TWENTY-EIGHT} a HEALTHY BABY

I went to a doctor appointment today, and at 29 weeks things are looking just as they should at this point during my pregnancy.

I heard the baby's heartbeat and it sounded so strong and fast.  Since I've only been able to hear it once a month so far {I'm not at the point where I go to my doctor every two weeks instead of four}, there's always a part of me that is worried that something might be wrong.

In two weeks I get to go to another appointment, and because I raised some concerns about my lack of weight gain {I don't have anything to worry about.  I just thought I'd be bigger at this point than I am}, my doctor is going to do an ultrasound.  At this point, the baby will be much more recognizable and it will be so much fun to see her face.

Having a baby is always risky.  In my situation, it's a little more risky because of my epilepsy, so I am so grateful that our newest addition is healthy and, by all accounts, happy.

{day TWENTY-SEVEN} deJUNKING

In preparation for Baby #2, I am dejunking and reorganizing my house.  Specifically all of Isabelle's toys and clothes.  I've been meaning to do this ever since I stopped working over a month ago, but never had the motivation.

Well, now I have my motivation and it's great.  Getting rid of stuff is such a great feeling, and I'm constantly amazed at how many things we acquire over time.  I don't know where everything comes from, but I do know consolidating and only keeping what we really need makes a huge difference.

If you've been meaning to do some dejunking, get to it!  You'll be grateful for all the extra space.

{day TWENTY-SIX} SLEEPING in the MIDDLE

Dustin is on a business trip this entire week, which means it's just us at home.  

It also means I get the entire bed to myself, and sometimes I just love when I can sleep in the middle of the bed.  It feels like such a special treat to lay in the center of the bed when most nights I'm confined to my own little side.

I told Dustin how excited I was about this, and he whole-heartedly agreed that he was excited to do the same thing in his hotel.

I love that we can talk about how excited we are about certain things and be okay with it, especially when those things involve the other person being gone.

That's just the kind of marriage I have, I guess.

Anyway, so yay for an entire week of sleeping in the middle.

{day TWENTY-FIVE} the DOGS

Dustin asked me when I was going to do a grateful post about our dogs, Sammie {L} and Tod {R}.  And since I'm very grateful for Dustin, I decided to follow through with his request.

I'm not a die-hard dog lover, but I don't loathe them like some people.

There are elements to being a dog owner that I can't stand.  But, there are things that I enjoy too.  Particularly, when Dustin is on business trips and I'm home alone with Isabelle.  I'm grateful that the dogs are there to bark their brains out if someone comes to the door.

I don't consider myself a paranoid person by any means; however, I do feel a sense of security when I go to bed at night knowing that Sammie and Tod will lose all control should they hear anyone near or in our house.  These creatures bark at the wind, so they'd certainly bark at a strange person coming into our house.

They've even comforted me one time after I watched an episode of Medium when I was home alone.

So, yes, in some small way I am grateful for Sammie and Tod.  They may look harmless, but when it comes to people in the house they are fearless.  :)

{day TWENTY-FOUR} PRAYER

I try not to get uber religious on my blog.  I'm not ashamed or shy to talk about my faith, but religion in general is not what my goal is for this blog.

But, I can't put together a grateful list without mentioning a few aspects of my faith that mean the most to me.  And one of them is prayer.

I pray daily to my Heavenly Father.  I pray by myself and with my family.  I pray about everything and anything.  Whenever I feel our of sorts, scared or just need to feel peace and comfort I pray.

I have no doubts that my prayers are heard.  I have no doubts that my prayers are answered, according to God's will.

I can't imagine a life without prayer.  The comfort I get from prayer is unlike anything else, and I'm so grateful for that avenue of communication I have with my creator. 

{day TWENTY-THREE} ALONE time

Dustin and I rarely go out alone.  We spend most of our time together with our daughter, which is great, but having a date night or alone time outside of the house is something that I rarely make time for.

Today, on Black Friday, we left our daughter with her grandparents to do some shopping.  We usually leave in the early afternoon and come home in the evening.  We are able to get all of Isabelle's Christmas shopping done, then we grab a bite to eat and catch a movie before heading home.

We were both very much looking forward to our day out together, and everything went the way we planned.  Whenever it's just the two of us out and about, it's so nice and stress free.  We can actually have a conversation, eat our food at a normal speed, and basically just enjoy each other's company without the need to worry about anything else.

Even though it's hard for me to ask for baby-sitters, I've decided I really do need to make time for a once a month date night with Dustin.  I think it'll be one of my goals for next  year.  It's an important thing to make a priority and it really does help me with my overall well-being.

{day TWENTY-TWO} FAMILY

Today, on Thanksgiving, it seems like the best time to be thankful for my family.  I tried to be creative with my thankful list, but at one point you have express your feelings for the people that are the most important.

I come from a great family and I married into a great family.  Both my parents, all my in-laws, siblings, nieces and nephews bring happiness and joy to my life.  They help and teach me so much.

And, of course, my sweet husband and our little ball of fire, otherwise known as our daughter, are constant reminders to me of what is most important in life.  Life as a wife is very rewarding and it's not something I take lightly.  I'm grateful for my marriage and all the ups and downs that come along with it.  

Motherhood rocks my world.  My dear Isabelle can entice practically every emotion imaginable inside me.  I can go from so frustrated to complete happiness within minutes.  It's the most difficult role I've ever played, and probably ever will play.  It's constant work with never ending changes, but at the same time very rewarding and satisfying.

I love my family.

{day TWENTY-ONE} dollar MENUS

Last night, my little crew and I went to McDonald's for some treats.  We were all craving {okay, mostly me} some ice cream, and what's better than a yummy vanilla ice cream cone for only $1?

Of course, whenever you go to McDonald's, you have to get a large drink because, hello, they are only $1 too.  The only thing that would've made our little outing better is if I could have ordered a Dr. Pepper instead of my usual caffeine free Sprite.

So, the next time you have a little craving, hop on over to your nearest fast food joint and enjoy a little treat for only $1.  It really is something we should all take advantage of.

{day TWENTY} my HOUSE

I really love my house.  It's not the biggest house on the block, nor is it the most updated with fancy features.  Heck, it's not even decorated with the latest and greatest furniture and gadgets {example:  our TV is 8 years old}, but I still love it.

Two years ago, we were living in a different state and had a completely different house.  While our home now is a townhouse with a small yard, our home back then was a single family home with a generous yard.  We had more space than we needed in that house.  In fact, we had to sell or put into storage many of our belongings after we moved because we simply didn't have the space.

But, despite having to sacrifice space, I love our new home because it's so much closer to the things that matter.  We're closer to family, we're closer to friends and we're in an area that suits us so much better in terms of opportunities for our daughter{s} like better schools, more cultural experiences and so forth.

As I find myself sitting in my house, often wishing I had one more bedroom, I'm reminded of the importance of not being greedy or envious of other people.  I feel satisfied that, when all is said and done, this house represents that we are living within our means while working towards something more grand.

I'm excited for the day when we are one step closer to our dream home, but in the meantime I'm grateful for the house we have and the security and comfort it provides.

{day NINETEEN} MONDAYS

I feel like I pretty much bombed last week.  

It started out with me being sick and basically unproductive until Thursday.  I couldn't cook or clean and had to lay around all day.  Even though it wasn't my choice to get sick, it still made me feel guilty knowing I wasn't pulling my weight around the house.  And I had to keep reminding myself that the only way I'd start to feel better is by resting; otherwise, recovery would take that much longer.

Today is a much better Monday.  I'm back on track with going about my usual activities and it feels so good to start the week off on the right foot.

For some reason, Mondays are always something I look forward to.  I like the feeling of "getting back to normal," and Mondays represent that for me.  It always seems like when Mondays roll around you get the chance at having a better or more productive week.

And that is something I'm grateful for today because I really, really needed it.

{day EIGHTEEN} SCHEDULES

I guess I'm the type of person you'd categorize as "A" or "Red" when it comes to certain things.  I really like to be as prepared as possible.  My husband and I disagree about my level of worrying when it comes to certain things, but I will admit that I'm not a very "fly by the seat of your pants" type person.

I have a calendar in my house that I use regularly.  I like to schedule things like birthday parties probably more in advanced than the average person.  And I like to keep a schedule with things that I do around the house, like the laundry.

I spend all day Monday doing the laundry.  And then I fold it on Tuesday.  As I'm writing this I have a whole pile of clothes that need to be folded and put away.

For whatever reason, I like having a schedule when it comes to laundry.  Obviously, I do a few extra loads here and then, but usually I stay on track.  It's something that helps me feel productive at the beginning of a new week.

And I never get tired of the feeling when I've put the last piece of laundry away and am done for the week.

Maybe my love of scheduling and calendaring is weird, but it's who I am.  And for that I am grateful.

{day SEVENTEEN} her little QUIRKS

How surprising is this?  I'm behind and back-dating again!

Today, I'm choosing to be grateful {otherwise I find myself constantly annoyed} by my daughter's little quirks.  I caught myself realizing that one day these will be great memories to talk about when she's older, and possibly things I will miss as she moves on to new and different things.

...

She wears Sunday dresses to bed and PJs during the day.

A few of her favorite excuses:  She's too little, she's too busy or she doesn't feel well.

She refuses to go the bathroom, and usually only ever does after me begging her for hours.

She consumes applesauce like it's going out of style.  I seriously can't keep enough in the house.

...

I could go on and on, but I think it will only make my blood pressure go up.  I'm writing this post just after returning home from a few errands, errands that included exiting Costco with a screaming child and cleaning up a pee accident in Rumbi's.

Yep, her little quirks are always amusing and I'm counting on using them as pay back when she's a teenager.  :)

{day SIXTEEN} GIRLS' nights

There's something very therapeutic about a girls' night out.  I try to get together with two of my friends that I've known for several, several years at least once a month.  We usually find a place to eat that stays open late so we can chat as long as we like.

Tonight, I'm going out with my two sisters-in-law.  We're going to see the last Twilight movie.  Just for the record, I stopped reading the last Twilight book after I learned Bella and Edward named their daughter Renesmee.  Dumbest name ever.

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Anyway, I've seen all the other movies, so it only seems natural that I'd see the last one in the theater just for tradition's sake.  Even though I'm not expecting much from the movie {although, I did enjoy New Moon}, it will be good to get out of the house and have some girl time.

What sorts of things do you do with your girlfriends?

{day FIFTEEN} RANDOMNESS

Last night I received a random text message from my sister-in-law, Brittney.  Our conversation went a little something like this:

...

B:  I can't wait for Baby L to get here!

Me:  Baby hungry?

B:  STARVING!

Me:  Only 13 more weeks and then she'll be here!

B:  I better get shopping.  I need to get to work on being the favorite aunt.

Me:  She's going to love you!

...

It's fun randomness like this that I love.  Random texts, phone conversations, e-mails, Facebook statuses that can sometimes bring people closer together.

Be random today.

{day FOURTEEN} REALITY

A few months ago, Isabelle discovered Tinker Bell and fell in love with her and pretty much all things fairies.

Shortly before Halloween, we found her a Tinker Bell costume, complete with the dress and wings.  Isabelle was SO excited to wear the costume she could hardly contain herself.

The first time she tried on the costume, she was so excited for the wings.  I was at work at the time, but later learned that she genuinely believed once her wings were on she would be able to fly.  Dustin told me it was heartbreaking to see her face as he explained to her that she wouldn't really be able to fly.

This experience struck me because it was the first time reality really set in for Isabelle, and she learned for the first time that what she sees on TV isn't always real.

Why am I grateful for this experience?  Because it was a wake-up call.  While it is difficult to know I'll be spending my life explaining why life is not fair and why some people are mean, I know it's part of being a parent.  And I need to be prepared to know how to handle it the best way possible.

I also know that, as a parent, I can do all I can to encourage Isabelle to be anything she wants to be.

I can support her in whatever endeavor she chooses.

And that may as well be giving her wings.