VOTE PLEASE!

Good Mood Gig from SAM-e


Would you vote for me please?? And tell all your friends to vote, too?!

One vote per day, per IP address til Nov 6th...so use all your 'puters every day ;) I want to make it to the second round and I need THOUSANDS of votes to get into the top 20 (what in the heck are they people doing to get so many votes?) so I'm looking to go VIRAL!

Thanks so much for helping me become the "Good Mood Blogger" lol

Lego Mama...

I never intended to take up Lego building in my mid-thirties (and yes, 37 is still mid-thirties). I never did Legos as a kid and quite honestly, I don't remember ever being introduced to them (whether too expensive, or what, I don't know....). My brother never had an interest, that I recall.

As my boys got to be 6 and 9, I thought we'd skipped the "Lego phase"...they have friends that have been Lego-obsessed for YEARS and it never rubbed off. I had a castle set in THE CLOSET (which has now been decluttered and converted into Torin's closet, with space for my crafts, WOO HOO!) and one morning I woke up to a quiet house (things that make you go "hmmmmm") and the boys were in the living room floor playing with it! (Unfortunately, this just re-enforces the pack rat tendencies that I need to boot....and I'm having a sense of deja vu here- I musta blogged about this already, lol)

And that was the end of life as I knew it..... Webkinz are now not so cool. All the boys' spending money ( including the Disneyland spending money they were given!) is spent on Legos kits. We spend time on legos.com and ebay searching for piece and parts and mini-figs (I didn't even know wtf a "mini-fig" was until my sweet hubby let me in on it.)

The boys really haven't been building like they did that first morning anymore... they buy the sets (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Spy somethingoranother...), put the sets together, and put them up on the shelves. They PLAY with them- all sorts of wonderful inventive play :) And my role of Lego Mama has evolved because Torin really loves putting the sets together, but gets overwhelmed if he has to sit there with the booklet and put the whole thing together by himself...you know, one little row off and nothing fits together right!! So we're like a Lego-building team :) one of us finds the pieces we need next, and the other puts them in place. Sometimes he gets too tired and just wants me to do the whole thing for him...and that's when the voices, the tapes-in-my-head, start whining..."you have other stuff to do", "if you do it for him he'll never learn how himself", etc, etc. The same voices that sometimes bother me when I'm picking up shoes and pillow cushions for the millionth time, lol. And the truth is, those voice can kiss my ass! Every moment is a choice...and I choose to do things that make me happy. Putting together Legos for my son is no big thang ;) and it makes him happy. And what's he going to "learn"? He's going to learn how good it feels to do things for other people, because he sees that in my face...

and you know what? I've discovered that I L-O-V-E building Lego sets! How f'n cool is that? :)

Never get it all done...

I've been getting the message from the Universe...that I'm never gonna "get it all done". I love it when messages come at me from various sources, all at once =)

All is well, and you will never get it done. Life is supposed to be fun. No one is taking score of any kind, and if you will stop taking score so much, you will feel a whole lot better -- and as you feel a whole lot better, more of the things that you want right now will flow to you. You will never be in a place where all of the things that you are wanting will be satisfied right now, or then you could be complete -- and you never can be. This incomplete place that you stand is the best place that you could be. You are right on track, right on schedule. Everything is unfolding perfectly. All is really well. Have fun. Have fun. Have fun!

Excerpted from a workshop in Tucson, AZ on Tuesday, February 20th, 2001

All Is Well

Each time I set aside a weekend to "GET IT DONE" (which mostly means tackle some of the organization projects that have been needing to be done for awhile) something comes up!!

Most recently, my brother's truck broke down (18wheeler) in Fresno on a Friday, giving him the whole weekend to stay with us and visit! So I set aside well-made plans and enjoyed his company...we don't get to see him often. Oh, and then there was Easter weekend when, in addition to the festivities of Easter, we were planning on gutting my closet, laying bamboo flooring and building new shelves, rods, etc. with the help of Home Depot product and hubby sweat...and then got a short-notice invite to celebrate my cousin's birthday (on Easter Day this year) in Phoenix...see the trend here?

And it's joyful substitutions I'm making, so I know it's a gentle nudge to ENJOY LIFE! So I'm complying ;) but wondering when all the other stuff is going to fit in to my life...I hope at some point, because I'm looking forward to a beautiful closet!

amazing and inspirational...

Susan Boyle knocked my socks off. I am humbled...truly inspired and open to all possibilities after watching this...I'd seen a you tube video of her singing last week, but the opening to this one (the rolling of eyes in the audience, etc.) really hit home.

Luteal phase...

may just be the lesson for this evening. all day I've been bitchy, cranky and generally unpleasant to be around. D was able to "escape" a majority of this, as he slept til 11 and went to work (and is working overnight). My poor, sweet boys, however, are another story. They've had to listen to me kvetch and micromanage...complain and cry. For fucksake!! Does it help to know that I'm luteal, and that the progesterone surging in my body is making me crazy like this? What would following the Law of Attraction do for me... can I just decide that my body is perfectly designed and I don't have to suffer (and make others suffer) through this time of the month?

good grief.

I am so happy, on days like this, that the boys and I are so connected that we will make it through unscathed. I've apologized at least 10 times today, and called "do-overs" a few times too :) I guess it's going to be okay...

my daily Om

September 20, 2008
Cautious with Commitments
Gemini Daily Horoscope

A sense of caution today may have you weighing many possible outcomes before making a commitment. This tentative feeling is a valuable guide in making the best possible decisions for you and everyone involved. When we remember to use mind, heart, and spirit in making decisions, our choices are infused with wisdom. The universe helps us to bring about what we create in our minds, but if we are vague, the universe cannot give us exactly what we want. If we evaluate each prospective offer in the light of our goals and weigh them with the wisdom of our hearts and our intuition, we become specific about the most beneficial choices we can make. Today we let caution be our guide in making our best decisions.

When we spend time tuning in to our inner guidance, we learn the difference between the sensible caution that we’'ve been taught and the intuitive cause for concern. Our intuition can guide us around those things that are not visible on the surface, such as the sincerity or ulterior motives of those with whom we are dealing, or even an unforeseeable outcome. We cannot know every detail that needs to be orchestrated in order for our ideas to become reality, but when we attune ourselves to the universe by connecting to our center, we have access to that knowledge. Today, we can let an air of caution guide us to make the best possible decisions using all the tools at our disposal.

Okay, well I've got a number of things I'm looking at juggling in the future and they all seem to fall on the same weekend! Then I have the pre-emptive mommy guilt about doing so many things without the boys. I need to get over that...because when I do things that make me happy, I'm a better mom :)

another good Om

September 17, 2008
Capture Your Passion
Gemini Daily Horoscope
The initial results of your projects could make you feel optimistic about their outcome today. Your upbeat mood might be the result of your excitement about all the possibilities that await you and the journey your projects may take you on. While this enthusiasm may be present now, you might notice that as you progress in a project your eagerness can wane. Writing a journal entry, a letter to yourself, or even drawing a picture detailing the jubilation you feel today can go a long way toward keeping you motivated for the long term. Not only can this make you even more earnest about diving into your project but it can also serve as a reminder of the passion that inspired you to begin it.

Sometimes we need to have tangible evidence of our passion, particularly when we are caught up in the excitement of the moment. The beauty of our passion is that it a driving force, motivating us to move forward in our lives, taking risks and seeking out new opportunities and potential outlets for our talents. As with everything, though, the zeal with which we start something will eventually change once it becomes routine. Capturing our feelings allows us to preserve the spirit of our passion so that we can revisit it whenever we need to and reignite the spark that set our hearts and minds on fire. Noting what delights you about your projects today will keep you interested and engaged for a long time to follow.

Blessings...

This YouTube video, and a beautiful article appropriately titled "Blessings Come in Many Sizes", tells the story of my dear friend, Andrea's, youngest child and only son, AJ.

Andrea has always been an inspiration to me...when we first met, her fourth child was just two weeks old. Andie is so much fun- she's a great mom and a joy to be around...she's just one of those people who shines their Light everywhere they go :) and to this day, despite a crazily hectic schedule with all her kids' classes and activities, she's still the same. She brings joy to her own life and anyone she comes in contact with!! She always makes time for her friends...driving the 5 hours with her 5 kids (AJ was about 6mo old at the time) to visit us in Clovis. And she's human :) and sweet enough to share stories that show her in that light (I'm thinking of the time an ENTIRE jug of Kool-Aid got spilled in the fridge and onto the floor. And she yelled!) Like I said, she's an inspiration. Oh, and her lucky hubby Phil is a great guy, too ;)

Try it On Everything....

I am approximately 5 minutes into this movie and I'm already teary-eyed and touched by the personal stories.

Try It On Me!! Try It On Everything! It feels like my life is about to change in a big way...I already feel more empowered :)

oh, my GOSH...LIFE is Good :)

I cannot begin to describe the feeling that I have, walking around here (here being the Red Lion Hotel in Vancouver, WA...the location of the LIFE is Good Unschooling conference) other similar-minded folks. I've met IN PERSON, people I've only met online before....either through Imagination Tribe or on unschooling lists...Barbara, Robyn, Pam (the mama of my doll Lola!), delicious Diana, Marys (King, Gold, Lewis...) and so many other inspiring people! People whose books I've read! Scott of the Daily Groove! AAAAAHHHH! and to top THAT off-

AMY STEINBERG SANG IN CONCERT LAST NIGHT AND I GOT TO HANG OUT WITH HER! Which seems so funny to scream right now because I already consider her a dear friend, lol. She's one of those amazing people that you connect with and feel like you've known each other forever....[happy sigh] and she's an amazing singer, songwriter and musician...and she lives what she sings. And how f'n cool is that?





My fun-meter is pegged (in a good way)...I'm overwhelmed with all the good in my life and OH MY GOSH I ALMOST FORGOT! There is a Joe's F'N Crab Shack w/in walking distance...AND they have a new spicy boil for their crab legs :) I'm in heaven. And all my favorite people are here with me.




We've had amazing family bonding time (and how could we not, all of us in a hotel room together for days, LMAO. I may just blog more on that part later...


Dirk went to a presentation on unschooling and math that he really enjoyed (that one was a Godsend, seriously). I spoke with Mary Lewis, the speaker, and she said that she'd prayed before she went on, that she would say what someone needed to hear and that they would be open to hear it... well, she said some stuff that he really heard :) Thank you, Mary!!



This is a pic of Dirk trying to wrap his head around the idea of RU, lol :) the real look was better, this one was a re-inactment so I could take a pic!

My Crap Detox so far...

What I've done with the crap detox thusfar: made a list of all the expenditures I have that are not truly necessity, and decided which are almost-necessity and which are not :) ummmmm, let me think of an example... I have our home cleaned once a week. I started doing that after the same disc in my back had ruptured twice in a one and a half year period. Necessity? Not *really*, but for me it's an almost-necessity. I can't chance something like cleaning the toilets causing me problems (and my hubby's schedule is not "normal" by any means, so I'm unable to delegate that to him...my boys aren't old enough that I can ask that of them.) On the other hand, getting a pedicure every two weeks because it's hard to paint my own toenails is something I can give up (and just do once a month, lol). Starbucks and Jamba Juice are luxuries that I'm giving up right now. I want to DETOX to the point where those things are not a normal purchase for me...right now I'm on a self-imposed spending freeze. Besides for items that are: necessary to live (food,) can't be worked around (car payment,) or predetermined "almost-necessities," I'm not spending my money! I haven't figured out how to work in the "greenifying" of my current stuff (cleaners, etc.) but I'm probably going to deem that necessary.


The next phase is getting rid of the clutter. I have a "full" home...it's amazing how much stuff can be crammed into 1450 sq ft!! I've been a fan of the Fly Lady for MANY years! I was a very active member of a Fly Lady group in Riverside before we moved back to the central valley. There are some things about her system that don't work for me, so I don't use them (I don't enjoy lace-up shoes, so I stay barefoot or wear slip-ons in the house...I understand her reasoning, but it doesn't work for me)...BUT there are many gems I've gleaned from Marla...the 27 Fling Boogie is one of them. Also, keeping my sink "shiny" is a motivation to keep other things picked up :) I've gotten into a rhythm with my "daily" home-blessing (aka chores) that works for me and makes it easier to get on to the REAL living of each day!

I also used to love the show Clean Sweep on TLC. I did something similar this last weekend, on a smaller level. I took *everything* that didn't have a home (things that used to clutter up "hot spots" like the kitchen and bathroom counters...my craft stuff that never got a place of it's own...the PAPER mess on my desk that drives me crazy...) and put it on two 2x4 tables in the garage. I took the weekend and went through all the stuff, donating and trashing LOTS. The stuff I decided to keep (like 1/4 of the original pile) needs to have a *real* place that each item belongs. I want to have a home with things that are useful or loved. Period. Of course, I share this place with others...so I can only make decisions about my things. But it's getting better. I wanted to make it stick this time...so I didn't kill myself to get finished on Sunday. I took the "keepers" and divided them into 4 Trader Joe's bags (one with bathroom stuff, one with closet stuff...the jewelry I've decided to keep from my Cookie Lee business, and two of desk/organization items). I've been putting away one bag at a time and should be done tomorrow :) In the end, I hope to have less stuff and more time to do the things I love with the people I love!




Aren't these the cutest lil dirty piggies you've ever seen?!

I'm starting a...

CRAP DETOX!!

Mother's Day...

The boys made some beautiful frames with Mimi (our awesome sitter) that they were so excited to give me first thing this morning :) I can't believe that neither one of them let it slip that they had a secret! I'll post a picture soon :)

We had a great day, the 3 of us (D is working down south this weekend). A kick-back kinda day filled with cuddles and laughter (and boy-fighting and all other "normal" day things). We watched the Survivor finale :) and now I'm sitting at my computer and got the neatest e-card from my friend Shari (who is going in next week to have melanomas removed...please hold her in your light and prayers!) and I wanted to put it here...it's from the Tony Robbins website- I love that guy :)

Here's to all the Moms out there, who are nothing short of magical...

Which side of the brain do YOU choose, and when?

My dear friend, Shaylah, had a (very small) stroke last week. Talk about a shock to us all (including her)...her father-in-law shared this video with her, and she shared it with me. It's beautiful.

oh, so much to blog on...

and so little time. I'll get back to our trip happenings soon (maybe during one of our flights?) but for now, I have to mention a conversation I just had with Torin:

we're in the car (my dad's... that I had to ask to use the keys for, just like in high school...but I digress) on the way home from GameStop and I told Torin that he'll probably need to turn his shirt right-side out before we go out to dinner. (He's my creative dresser...which I *love* about him) He asks why. I say "for Papa...he'll feel more comfortable." He asks, "why does it have to be about Papa. Why isn't it about me?" I sheepishly answered, "that's an awesome question, T." SCHOOLED BY MY 5 YEAR OLD. shit, what's the matter with me??????? I agreed with Torin that sometimes, he's smarter than I am, by far.





update on dinner.....Torin wore his shirt just the way it was (inside out, tag showing on the back) and not a word was said ;) all that silliness on my part for nothing...

What Weight Watchers had to say...

about my miserable weight loss last week...

If you're feeling neutral about your weight-loss result, here's a little fact to make you smile: A safe rate of weight loss is up to two pounds per week. So you're seeing success! You're doing the right thing.

Why not pin this anonymous quote up on your fridge or bulletin board: "Feel pride in how far you've come and confidence in where you're going."

Take care this week…

Guess I need to see where I'm not doing great (hmmmm....maybe the Starbucks in place of lunch yesterday?) and make better choices. I feel FANTASTIC after my trip to the gym this morning...boys are NOT loving having the sitter come so I can go tho. Gotta figure that out...anyhoo...don't know if it was the exercise or the HOT shower (uninterrupted, no less) that did it :) but I feel great.

When I appreciate, I feel so very good.

That's what my Well-being card for today says :) and it's oh so true....the back side:

Appreciation is the secret to life

Become a person who appreciates, and you will thrive; you will fulfill your reason for being.

ahhhhh. life is good :)


What I appreciate already today...
having a chance to play the piano this morning,
having an almost-clean house,
deciding today is the day to figure out how I'm going to get it all done (big, fat laugh),
waking up to a sweet kiss from the man, who is off today,
boys jumping on the trampoline together happily,
decaf Irish breakfast iced tea :)
deciding that, though the word "unschool" doesn't bother me, calling us "Life Learners" feels better,
knowing that I will create today, and may even post about it later!!

I love hugs...

God, this video makes me happy :) Now I need to get my ass off the computer and jump in the spa, and then TO BED!!

The Grateful Dance...

I am so grateful that Diana had this posted on her blog!!

Creating...

My Well-Being card for today...

Whatever I give attention to- wanted or unwanted- I am creating.

Backside:

You were born with a magnificent (emotional) guidance system that lets you know, in every moment, exactly what your vibrational content is, which is being matched by the Law of Attraction.

As it is your desire to feel good, and your practice to choose good-feeling thoughts, only good things will come to you.

Okay....this is SO cool. Not just because I've been listening to the audio-book of Esther & Jerry Hicks' Law of Attraction book, and this speaks to me, especially today...but also because I've been trying to slowly integrate the Law into our everyday life. I've been telling Declan and Torin things as I understand them, as they come up (visualizing wellness, and being grateful that we have such great health, and thinking of how much fun they are going to have when they wake up in the morning feeling better, etc.).






For me, this is so evident in my life now...

by focusing on gratitude, I am receiving more to be grateful for! Each one of these things below, the more I focus on my gratitude, the more I'm given.

I'm so grateful for our home coming together...and today I noticed that it took less than an hour to pick up the house. That's the entire house, after being barely touched while we've been focusing on wellness for the last (almost) 2 weeks. Wowza. This is HUGE. There is no way to explain how huge this is. All of our closets are organized. I'm down to just a few cabinets (in the kitchen and under my bathroom sink) that need attention, and a box of sheet music to go through (that I pulled out of storage after we got our piano). This realization is so wonderfully, beautifully awesome that I'm getting teary-eyed.

I am so grateful for our health. Even with our challenges lately, it's so completely obvious that we are so blessed to be healthy in body and mind (well, most of the time, tee hee). My back is feeling great, my relationship with D is better than ever, and I feel so good about who I am and who I am yet to be.

I am so grateful that as we focus on our mantra "We can use money wisely." IT IS HAPPENING! We are using our money wisely, and beginning to live in abundance. Amen, amen.

I am so grateful for the opportunities that I've been getting to create music. Each one brings joy to my life and to others...and it's just beginning. Why did I ever let that go?? I don't know, but now that I'm aware of how much it means to me and who I am, I won't let it fall to the wayside again.

I have really been grateful for all of the great things the boys and I can learn together just by living life. As I've focused on that, and how f'n cool that is, I've had more and more people and resources appear to support it even more! Unschooling has always been our main way of life, but now I'm meeting all the other great REAL PEOPLE (even if I haven't met most IRL) that inspire me and give me strength.

I am so grateful for the friends I have that "get" me...and as I focus on that, they just keep popping up out of nowhere!