"If I were a mermaid.." and Daddy's Little Fire Engine

I am so incredibly blessed to have two beautiful girls who continue to crack me up! They each had their own funny moments today....

"If I were a mermaid.."

Eva loves to share all of her stories all day long to anyone who will listen. Night time has proved to offer the most moving and humorous stories of them all. Being mom, I'm the lucky one who gets to hear them every night. Tonight was not lacking....

While clipping Eva's nails before bed she said, "Mommy, If I were a mermaid I would travel the whole world under the ocean. I would learn all about the human world. I would have my own special cave for my collection."(Disney buff or not, we all can see where this is going) "Then, I would hear a boom. I'd swim to find him and I'd carry him to dry land. To the beach. And then I'd give him wake up medicine."

Oh, if medicine could cure all! How easy life would be. It's amazing how their minds work. :)


Daddy's Little Fire Engine

Today we made a family shopping trip to the mall. Definitely a special treat. We usually don't have Daddy along for the shopping. While walking through one store we were turning all heads in sight(or at least Adelina was). There was not a single person in the store that couldn't hear us coming with Adelina's repetitious "wwhoooa. wwhoooa. wwhoooa." And the volume on that girl! She might as well have been on her way to an emergency. This continued for about five minutes. There was no stopping her! Fortunately, all the turning heads were laughing as they watched her roll by. She certainly had Mommy and Daddy laughing too.

Does life make things hard for us? Or do we make life hard on ourselves?

Today started out kinda rough. I hit a few hiccups and wasn't feeling very happy about myself, or things in general. I even broke down a bit on the phone with a good friend of mine(full knowing there really was nothing to be so upset about). It was she who offered up the above question. I quickly agreed that it was a mix of both. But, after reflecting on her question the rest of the day, I am in full belief that we make life hard on ourselves.

We all see the shining examples of those that have major ailments or handicaps and still seem to embrace each moment, good or bad. We all are in awe of their strength and want that for ourselves. The reality is, we already have it. We're just choosing not to embrace our own moments. Each moment is a test, a lesson, another step in our journey. Weather we want it or not, it's ours. Each moment defines us. It's as easy as flipping that switch in our head to hopeful from hopeless.

So what in the world is wrong with me!?! I am ashamed that it has been so hard for me to flip that switch and instead I've chosen to wallow in self pity. Granted, I have good moments as well as bad. Lately the bad have clearly been winning out though. This simple question was really the kick in the pants I needed. For the first time in a long time I felt like I enjoyed my day(what was left of it at least). I was present with my girls instead of consumed with less important things. I took time appreciate my life. Why can't I do this everyday? I can. I must do it for my own sanity and that of my family. I'm tired of feeling like everyday is a race to get things accomplished. By the time the kids are in bed I feel like I didn't get anything done anyway.

My goal is to be present everyday. To be living my life instead of watching as each day slips by in chaos. I have the strength to embrace each moment as it comes, and to be happy knowing it is making me into me. Most of all, I can't afford to set a bad example to the two girls I hope to mold into some of the strongest women this world has ever seen. We are reflected in the attitudes and actions of those around us. Not only do I not want to be surrounded by grumpy people, I want to know that my impact on this world, however small, is a positive one.

This is why we surround ourselves with great friends. :)

It has been awhile.....

Well, I am quite the blogger. Amazing that it took almost four months to get back on here. I missed the most important part of the year, Halloween, Eva's birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, I'm back for Valentines Day! Yay! This year(maybe because it was my first with two children) the busyness of the holidays and everything else really kicked me in the butt. I'm still trying to catch up and get back on top of everything here at home. Fortunately, my loving husband and beautiful daughters have been patient with me.

Truth be told I have been spending so much time reading other peoples blogs that I have neglected my own. Thanks to my wonderful friend Jen, I have taken up the art of couponing. What a beautiful thing it is!! Any day you can get something for free or super duper cheep, is an exciting day. If anyone has any questions on how to start, please ask. Eventually when I get this blog going I'll have some great links to the blogs I've been spending all my time reading.

All that being said, I'm officially back. Goodbye neglected blog, hello happy blogger!