#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 16

#Gratitude365 January 3 2014

Three days in a row we've been out to a park/playground and the feeling of fresh air feels so good! Pretty much when the kids ask "What are we going to do today?" and our response is an offer to take them to the park, the kids often poo-poo on the idea. Not today. We bumped into some friends there yesterday and planned to meet them there again today. It was on their mind all the rest of yesterday and all of this morning:

"When are we going to the park?"

"Did we get everything for our picnic?"

"Are we riding our bikes to the park?"

I think we're like most parents, we go through slumps of not getting the kids outside to "just play" and every year it is one of the things I re-visit when contemplating my resolutions or goals. Speaking of goals, I want to make a "family goals" sheet to put up on the refrigerator... something that we've never done before and can keep us all accountable for our follow through (points finger at me!).

Living in southern California we know we pay a sunshine tax, and we take it for granted most of the time how amazing our weather really is. This winter break we've had beautiful blue skies just about everyday and it has been warm enough that shorts are an option. Since I grew up in Minnesota, I absolutely appreciate this gem of a place to live. Some of my local friends have even been posting photos of "beach days" during winter break. That is how fortunate we are.

Today I'm incredibly grateful for fresh air and friends to play with at the park. 

OH, and naps. My husband mentioned he needed a nap and then I suddenly realized how groggy I felt (worn out from the park? my body still fighting this cold? going to bed at 2 a.m. last night?) and he told ME to go ahead and take a nap. A random afternoon nap is such a treat!  When I woke up I could hear the kids asking where I was, he lied and told them I went to the store - cuz otherwise they'd barge into my room to wake me. I didn't have to worry about dinner, he had already made dinner, fed the kids and cleaned up! Man, that was a 4-in-1 delight. Maybe it's because it's my birthday tomorrow. I'll take it! My bucket is full and tomorrow starts a new year around the sun!

When's the last time your partner let you take a nap?