#Gratitude365 Day 25

#Gratitude365 January 12 2014

 Fireplaces. Yes, that is something that I take for granted. We don't use it often, but when we do, I just love how it adds to the warmth, figuratively, of the room. It is a wonderful mood setter. Bow chika wow wow.

Despite the Chargers loss to the Denver Broncos, I enjoy the spirit that Owen has in sharing a love of sports with his dad. It brings an air of joy to the house to hear him running around chanting "Let's go, Chargers! Let's go, Chargers!"

I got to nap. This is the second nap this month. I am not sure why I felt so incredibly tired, but it feels so good to be at a point where one of us can handle the kids for a couple hours and give the other one a break. It is as if our bodies are catching up on all the years of less than quality sleep with our babies so close in age and taking FOREVER to sleep through the night. I will be posting about every single nap I am gifted because I so appreciate them!


We tuned into the Golden Globes, mostly because my husband loves Tina Fey and I admit that she and Amy Poehler make a great team. My favorite acceptance speech was Matthew McConaughey's. Ever since he exclaimed "Gentlemen, start your engines!" at a NASCAR race, I've always teased that he's on my "list."  I haven't seen the movie he was nominated for, but now of course I MUST see it. I had started to get a little disappointed with how scraggly he will go for a role... did you see him in Magic Mike? Ick. And this coming from a girl who is a big fan. Anyway, the part I loved about his acceptance speech was when he thanked his mother:

"A time like this, makes me want to say thank you to my mother, for this reason: when we were growing up, we weren't movie kids, we weren't TV kids, we weren't even media kids. If it was daylight, you had to be outside playing, and we were like, 'Why mom, why can't we watch 30 minutes of TV?' and she was like 'Don't watch somebody on TV, do it for you, get out there and do it for yourself.' And now, this many years later, I'm like, 'That's a pretty good recipe for an actor, to go be the subject of whatever you're doing.' So thank you mom for that."

I just have gratitude for people who thank their mother. It is the kind of thing we say is important, but not necessarily everyone is putting it to practice, and by putting it to practice, I mean teaching our sons to grow up and show gratitude for the lessons their mother taught them. 

I never know what's gonna pop up in my day to be grateful for where we are in kick back and relax mode, but there is plenty when you just  look through the right lens.

#Gratitude365 Day 24

#Gratitude365 January 11 2014

I had such a wonderfully engaged class in the morning... in fact I was so on a high from teaching this class that I posted something very different on my Facebook Page:

This morning's class totally went over the 45 minutes it is scheduled for - but that is what happens when I'm engaged with your sweet babies and the magic of communication is being born! Having no classes since Thanksgiving was a much needed break and I have felt the energy of that refueling myself as I returned to classes this week. I had no idea how much I was missing it in those several weeks off... Thank you for being part of this community!

One of the mamas works at The Childrens School and it is a place I have stated in the past I'd love to teach at and have my children attend. When we were chatting after class, she said she thought of me and how I should be teaching baby sign language to their toddler class. Ummm, yes! You just never know how conversations will steer a way that causes you to find a connection that can be beneficial. So grateful for the universe putting this sweet mama in my class and then creating this post class conversation.

When I got into the car and turned on the radio the song that came on took me right back to my youth
"Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch..... anyone else love that song as much as i do? I still remember it coming out when I was in the 8th grade and when my sister and I would watch MTV (remember that channel?) we'd be dancing along -- my sister would tell me how good a dancer I was and I just loved that compliment. I sort of wish I had a video of me dancing at that age so I could laugh ; ) AND of course when this song was on today I was fully car dancing, singing like I was one of the backup singers. So much fun.... so thank you to Star 94.1 for playing an oldie and putting me in the happy zone. Here's the video in case you want to go back to the early 90s:

I stopped to get gas - grabbed a bottle of water and a banana for a snack - yay me for choosing healthy! I'm really trying to eat right and find it is hard to make those choices when you're on the go.

On my way to teach another class I was pulled over.... for not wearing my seat belt. The gratitude I'm going to give in there is that the CHP officer was very kind and didn't cite me for not having my current insurance paperwork. He stated that the night before a 3 person car accident resulted in 2 fatalities because they were not wearing their seat belts. Last year I made a resolution to not text and drive. This year my resolution as it relates to driving is wearing my seat belt. Once upon a time I was really good about wearing my seat belt and then with my first pregnancy they were becoming increasingly uncomfortable to use and I've had a bad habit ever since. Bless my kids though because they tell me often to buckle my seat belt, which I do. My husband used to say "Buckle up, buttercup." He was not happy about this ticket. My thoughts to the families who lost someone last night and a promise to wear my seat belt, because it is true what my friend replied with on Facebook "You don't want your kids to be told mommy is gone because no seat belt." Grateful that it was a ticket and not an accident.

Do you ever have a day full of good that when even something like a traffic ticket happens, you're able to shift your thinking and see "the good?" Be sure to comment and share because sharing your gratitude leads to more gratitude!

#Gratitude365 Day 23

#Gratitude365 January 10 2014

Owen had his first day at a new preschool and when I picked him up he said "Mom, my day was AWESOME!" That is what we want to hear when our child goes into a new environment and doesn't know anyone. His teachers made him feel incredibly welcome and sent me pictures to show what he was involved in during the day. He went on and on about how much he liked his new preschool and made a new friend and what they're doing next week. Because he has been stuck at home the last 3 months after a reprieve from preschool, it was just nice to know he really appreciates being around his peers and learning.  He shared with me that he followed the rules so we went to Jamba Juice to celebrate his first awesome day - I just love his smile here:

And then he wanted to pretend to rock climb -- my boys are little monkeys climbing on anything and everything:

I had picked up my contacts the day before and finally got rid of contacts that were long over due to be thrown out - oh it felt good to have fresh contacts! No more irritated eye!

Watched one of my favorite Hangouts on Air to date - The Mia Connect Power Chat - and one of her guests, Leah Segedie of Mamavation got everyone laughing with her KloutKlaps.... it was legendary! Thank you all for the laughs!

Are you on this #Gratitude365 journey yet? Share with me below because the more gratitude we put out in the universe - the more we end up being thankful for!

#Gratitude365 Day 22

#Gratitude365 January 9 2014

1. People who can make you think differently.

2. The vast amounts of education available at our fingertips due to the internet. And especially now with Google+.

3. Having a moment to be real and push back a little bit with a public post to give people something to think about.

4. Witnessing a father be a good teacher to his son.

5. Songs that come on the radio that make you feel good.


I felt the need to list out the things I found gratitude for before I write about them in depth so I wouldn't forget them. It was a full day and I know there are more than the 5 I listed above, but I'm finding I can write on and on about ALL THINGS so I kind of have to cap it and eventually get to bed!

People who make you think differently. This stems from watching an amazing TED X talk by a 13 year old boy who is wise beyond his years, sharing what he wants to be when he grows up. He breaks down how his ambition will be realized because of the homeschooling experience that he's having. I know some people who homeschool, and I have sort of envied them on one side of the coin and on the flip side of the coin thought they were nuts to take that on. Well, now after watching this video I think if they have the same hackschooling philosophy that Logan and his mom do - then they are brilliant!

The vast amounts of education available at our fingertips due to the internet. And especially now with Google+.... We love learning, well, at least I do. Television is for entertaining and the internet is for connecting and researching and G+ seems to be ALL of it - but most of all inspiring learning. I just love how much I have learned by being on G+ -- and seriously being around people who share their ideas and their knowledge and express their creativity has rubbed off on me because I worked on a couple of infographs - which I'd never considered creating before. I'm still working on them, using the resources online to figure it out.

Now, number 3 above I'm not going to retype - I'm just going to copy straight from my Facebook page:

I have heard this comment on a handful of occasions in reference to what I do "it's not rocket science."

Yep.

You're right, it's not. And neither is what you do. But I offer far more than vocabulary in my classes. I make it fun! I offer you a chance to see what's in your blind spot. I save you a ton of time in tracking down the information online and present it in an organized, easy to learn fashion. Plus, I keep you committed to your goal. I even inspire you to adopt a new goal of why you're bothering to sign with your baby. I don't JUST teach ASL vocabulary. It's NOT rocket science. But, just like any rocket scientist, I have a passion for what I do, continue to hone my skill, and appreciate when someone recognizes my specialty.

Witnessing a father be a good teacher to his son. We were in the family restroom at the mall and a father and son came in, his son about 11 years old. The son looked around at the breastfeeding stalls and asked what it was. His father replied that it was an area for moms to breastfeed their babies. Now we were walking out of the family restroom and I could hear the son asking what that meant or something of the nature. Without skipping a beat the father said while looking directly over at his son "It's when a mother feeds milk to the baby from her breast." Having nursed 3 children over the span of 6 1/2 years I am a big breastfeeding advocate - and Nursing In Public advocate for that matter. I just thought this was such a win. A simple moment to realize that if a man can tell his prepubescent son with great ease what breastfeeding is, then we are making great strides in the stereotypes surrounding breastfeeding.

Oh, and the last one.... Blurred Lines came on the radio when we were driving home and I of course got my car dancing groove on. My kids hate the song, we certainly hate when they yell and scream in the car, but when this song comes on, I turn it up and sing along and the kids just have to wait it out.

Alright. It's your turn. Can you think of something really cool that happened that just made you go "Wow, I'm really grateful for that" --- comment below as I'd love to celebrate your gratitude journey as well.

#Gratitude365 Day 21

#Gratitude365 January 8 2014

Over a month ago I proposed a meetup in real life with some mompreneurs and today we came together. It was awesome to meet some new people and find out what they're up to and not so much have an agenda. We agreed to keep meeting twice a month with no specific purpose. Keeping it casual is super useful so if any of us has a question or need for help on a project it is an open dialogue. Ideas can flow so easily too in the discussion. I'm so grateful for having a group of moms who are business owners that are all connecting to support one another in our learning and expanding.

Bonus was that I got to chat with Amy from Hippilongstockings for a little bit afterwards. She happens to be one of my newer friends who I started following on twitter and have fallen in love with what they do in their "Gift of Good" mission. It is awesome to surround yourself with REAL people striving to be good people, really conscientious of their actions and existence. People who influence us to be and do better ourselves are like that angel on the shoulder telling you what you should do - come to life and just SHOWING you what you CAN DO. Much love to you Amy for being that kind of mama sister.

Do you have someone in your life who is an amazing mama sister that you want to acknowledge?

I have several and I will certainly be sharing my gratitude for each of them in future posts.

#Gratitude365 Day 20

#Gratitude365 January 7 2014

One of the crazy benefits of these posts? I know what the date is every day. That may seem funny, but really I lose track of the date all the time!

My husband must love me. He tells me about my hair clogging the drain and messing with the vacuum all the time. He's been hinting at me for the last few weeks to give snaking the drain a try. Today he must have reached his threshold of tolerance because he decided around dinner time to clean it out. I was tempted to take a picture to share - but honestly, it was just too gross. The pipe had become corroded and needed to be replaced, so his quick little drain cleaning turned into a bigger project. He got it done though after a trip to Home Depot. I put the kids to bed in trade (tonight was his night). Two things I'm grateful for in this experience:

1. My husband is handy around the house and can do these things. It was never part of my wish-list in finding Mr. Right that he be a good fixer, good with tools and that kind of thing, but I certainly ended up with that kind of guy. Usually it is when my mama friends on facebook are complaining about stuff not getting fixed that I remember to appreciate that about my husband, but today his actually doing it made me appreciate it and not take it for granted.

2. He did not complain while he was doing this. He teased me a little and had me take the bucket outside, but in all honestly if he had complained I would not have faulted him for it.... SHIT, I didn't have any desire to get under the sink and figure out how to open up the drain/pipe and get the gunk out - and he did it. He must love me.

We need a sink trap. Tomorrow I'll make a stop at Target. That's the least I can do.

In business, I received a call from the Del Mar Library inquiring on having me come present a workshop to their new parents so I'm thrilled about scheduling a quarterly workshop with them and helping more families get an overview on signing with babies and what makes it so special! Oh and I got to make a stop at Lakeshore Learning Store today and found the cutest book by Todd Parr that I can't wait to bring into my Signing Story Time program - this picture says it all:

I have found some really awesome books there! So many great authors and illustrators that teach our kids important lessons in disguise of a story. It is truly remarkable to have talents like that be used for such good.

My daughter was being quite witty today and I was laughing, thinking "Wow, she is really funny." I don't think I was funny at her age. It has been really fun having an 8 year old in the house - on so many levels. I didn't really understand when parents would express how a particular age their kid was, was now their favorite age to parent... but I have to say the conversations and thought provoking statements and questions she poses, extra help with the house and her brothers, coming up with ideas on her own that seem well above her age all have m really appreciating the wonder that she is. Tomorrow I get to take her early to school for her first student council meeting. I think she is excited about this new thing, but doesn't want to let on too much.

Seriously, I do have to stop and pat us on the back for a minute. It is not easy to say YES to the things our kids ask of us to grant them permission. There's more work on the parents' part to allow them to do extra, and more money. I was not afforded those kinds of opportunities, mostly for the sake of my parents not being able to afford extra curricular activities. I'm grateful for the ability to grant her the experience of being in soccer, softball, choir and now student council. It is really fun watching her grow up.

Lots to be grateful for today! Have you considered taking this gratitude journey? I'd love to hear in the comments below what makes you pause and say "Thanks!"

#Graditude365 Day 19

#Gratitude365 January 6 2014

 I actually got up when my alarm went off this morning, which after a 2 week break of sleeping in is pretty worthy of gratitude... especially since I had to be in class at 9am this morning.

Speaking of class - I had such an amazing interaction and witness to another breakthrough for a family this morning - and I shared it here on the Sign4Baby Blog.

We got the very LAST spot in the preschool down the street from us for Owen. I waited til after winter break to go and pick up a registration packet and my heart almost sank when the administrator behind the desk frowned at me with that telling look that says "we're full."

But, then she thought for a moment and said "Let me check something before I give you the final answer."

For his age group there was ONE spot available so I filled out the registration form and nabbed it up!

We've had Owen out of preschool for the last few months since he had some issues that I won't get into here. We had a goal all along to get him enrolled in a new preschool after the winter break and I am so grateful that there was one remaining spot. I think the schedule is going to be much better for him here and I'm glad it's a lot closer to home and know he is eager to make some new friends. It can be pretty lonely for a 4 year old when your brother and sister go to school every day and you're stuck at home with mom and dad mostly working.

Sometimes I think the stars align just right - but keeping you on the edge of your seat - to make sure you're able to more appreciate what you're about to receive. At least that is what it felt like today when I walked out of that preschool office. Thankful to the stars lining up in this case!

Random, but I was totally happy to have such an easy time at Costco today.

We tend to go to Costco when it is overly busy, with all 3 kids in tow - which can stretch all of our patience to a point that it completely evaporates. Yes, sometimes we are those parents yelling at the kids in the parking lot. I'm not proud of it, but I think being honest is better than putting on a facade. Not today though. I went alone and it was so easy to get in and out of there. If I don't want shopping to be stressful I need to work it into my calendar and go when hardly anyone is there (like on a Monday night!). And get it done without a whole family trip. Scheduling these odds and ends is one of my big confronting challenges. I know it is there and that is the way to make it better, but I'm a horse drawn to water. Just drink the damn water, Joann!

AND one more thing! I have been doing great drinking 8 glasses of water everyday. Something I've been working on and it is happening. I'm trying to think whether I wait til it has been successful for 30 full days before I add in any new health/nutrition goal. What do you think?