5 ways to make the next 12 months of your life count!

You know how you get those memories on Facebook that shows posts you posted on that day a year or two ago? (for example july 4th two years ago).  Sometimes it’s a picture, other times something you shared or just typed.  Well last week a memory of mine came up.  It was a selfie I had taken shortly after I cut the remainder of my relaxer off and went completely natural. I was in New York visiting my big brother.  I couldn’t believe how short my hair was and how much it had grown in only a year.  I’m not talking just an inch or so.  I actually took a ruler and measured it.  To my surprise my hair had grown a good 8 inches.  The longest part of my hair was about ten inches and the shortest about 8. 

The Day Wonder Woman had to take off her heels

I am a part of this group of about 8 people. We text one another every single day. Whether it's to announce good news, share pics of having a good time, saying I miss you, or encouraging one another we are always there.  Well this morning one of our group members asked us to pray for her because she's been feeling overwhelmed lately. I immediately responded.

"When you are feeling overwhelmed it's time to reevaluate everything you're doing"

Scarred on the Inside

During my commute this morning I was standing next to a man that was burned on one side of his face. Wow, I thought, this man has been through some pain. His face was literally melted which means not only was he burned but he had to endure some real pain through the healing. 

Well what about those that have scars on the inside.  The scars hidden behind our smile or beneath a cute figure or nice clothes?

Honoring your darn self! When others don't give you the honor you deserve...

I remember one year the hubs and I were really going through a tough time in our marriage.  Well I guess to him, Mother's Day wasn't a pause in our issues to do something nice because the "gift" I got spoke volumes!  When he passed me the unwrapped, random (because i didn't even know what it was) gift I felt like he was saying "I'm not even going to put forth the effort".  That hurt me because being a mother is one of my proudest roles in life.  I live for it. I go above and beyond as a Mother and while I knew he knew this (he always says it and shows appreciation) this gift was, to me, a spit in the face. 

Mother's Day is about others honoring you as a mother.  It's about receiving recognition and extra love and flowers and gifts and kind words about how great a mother you are.  The unfortunate reality is not everyone has family that takes out the time to do it.  Some Mom's don't even get acknowledged on Mother's Day.  

My Mother's Day from HELL!! Three no-nos when receiving not so great gifts.

My first Mother's Day I received a cookbook....yep, a cookbook and booooooooy was I pissed! I was mad, upset, disappointed, offended, sad, under appreciated and any other words you can think of to mean veeeeery unhappy. A cookbook really!? I was not happy and I showed it. I cried, complained and cried some more. Then I talked to my Mom about it and my sisters about it oh yeah and my bestie too. 

I could not believe it after aaaall of the work I had done so far to raise our first child I got a measly cookbook for my first Mother's Day.  I mean hello I had a c-section!! To me that alone deserved a nice piece of jewelry.

5 brutal truths you WILL face as a blogger and how to keep moving forward

I've been a blogger for going on two years now and I absolutely LOVE it.  I have to admit that when I began blogging I had this beautiful idea in my mind of how it would go and boy was I waaaay off! If you aren't careful you can get your feelings hurt and give up just as quickly as you started.  That wasn't the case for me although in the beginning I have to admit I was in my feelings with the disappointment of things not going quite the way I'd imagined them.  I learned five hard truths during my journey so far.  They not only changed my entire approach towards blogging but also gave me a sense of more respect for other bloggers.  

How setting the tone for your day will affect the rest of your week

How do you start your day?  I can tell you how I used to start mine.  Well first there is the snoozing of my alarm that I did at least twice. Yes, I snoozed the snooze.  After finally dragging myself out of the bed and my morning visit to the bathroom I'd wake the kids and BOOM just like that my morning took off! I was rushing through the ironing and breakfast and rushing the kids along as well. "Come one guys, you've been eating long enough", "quickly brush your teeth so we can go", "we leave in 2 minutes".  These are all phrases that would regularly fill our mornings.  Then after dropping them off I'd rush tot he train station to make the train. After finally getting to work I'd then rush to get on track there not because I had to but because I was now in that mode.

Well that was then, now I have learn how to set the tone for my day and how important that is for the rest of the week.

"Doing this allows for a pleasant morning, extra time for breakfast and extra hugs and kisses.  

Here are ways to ensure you are setting yourself up for a great day and furthermore a great week.

The F-word (forgiveness) and the etiquette of encouraging it

Forgiveness...Such an easy thing to encourage someone else to do but are you taking your own advice?  Even more, when you call yourself "encouraging" someone to "get over it" or telling them "that was forever ago, you need to forgive" are you being sensitive to THEIR situation? Because that's whose it is...theirs.

The secret to finding your purpose once and for all!

So I got a text the other morning asking me how I know what my purpose is. Wow, what a great question! Before I answered I asked God to help me answer it best I could and my answer was......I don't. I don't necessarily know my purpose but I do know what I am doing has something to do with my purpose. Does that make sense? I told my friend that I had been praying and thinking and praying some more for God to reveal to me my purpose. This was about a year ago. At the time I was feeling like "OK Christy, you aren't in your 20's anymore, it's time to start walking in your purpose." I needed to be doing something rewarding. I was more than sick and tired of working for someone that 1. Didn't appreciate my hard work and long (and i mean looooong) hours. 2. Wasn't interested in my success. 3. Hurt others 4. wasted my time. I literally felt like I was in high school. Meetings weren't very productive. The first 15 minutes were about work, the next 45 were all gossip. About people that they would then turn around and have lunch with. I couldn't take that being my everyday anymore so that brought on a reevaluation of my life. So I prayed. I cut out a lot of distraction and in that time I just meditated on the life I knew I no longer wanted and the life I knew I was purposed to have. It was time. It wasn't until my friend reached out that I thought it through completely. I realized that there were a few highlighted things that helped me in realizing that I am on the road to fulfilling my purpose ans I want to share them with you.

Why I welcome scratches on my car...

A couple scratches don't stop the show!

Oh my Gosh it is cold!!!! I literally say this as I'm walking out the door and the weather smacks me in the face.  I'm not talking grab a light jacket and cute scarf cold. I'm talking long johns under your pants, big coat, over sized scarf and Eskimo gloves cold!  Here on the east coast (particularly the DC area) it gets that way.   I make my way to my car quick as possible and immediately realize that someone has not only dented but scratched my driver-side door with theirs.  I mean the paint is scraped and there are black and white marks. I hop in, start up my car, turn on the heat and off to the grocery store I go.  In seconds I have gone back in time.  Back to when I didn't have a car. I'm not talking about a car as a teen. No, this was after two of my three children were born.  Money was funny and change was strange. I had a car but not the funds to get it fixed so to get money I sold my car and just like that was car-less.  Hard times seemed to be a reoccurring nightmare at that time in my life.

5 more realistic New Year's Resolutions you're sure to accomplish!

We all do it...make our lists of what we want to accomplish in the New Year. If you look back I bet your list, like mine, is pretty much the same each year. I think I have had the same list for quite sometime now. I have finally figured out why I don't accomplish mine completely.  I say completely because I do OK. I think that my goals are too aggressive.  I'm too tough on myself.  I mean well but I'm not as realistic as I should be.  When making resolutions we often times don't take into account everything else we have going on. We parents aren't thinking about soccer practices and school plays.  Career-focused individuals and students fail to remember work or school projects that require additional time and effort.  So I've taken 5 common resolutions and altered them so that there is no way you can't accomplish them!

Spiritually jogging your way through life!

Let me start by saying in no way is this about me trying to get you to go jogging. LOL  It's an encouraging way to look at your life and let you know that we are all on the same journey in a way.  It's me telling you to keep going and not give up.  Let's start from eh beginning...

Thanking the small people

Customer service has got to be one of the most taxing jobs.  Not the physical work itself but the interactions with different people and different customer's personalities can really wear on you.  Especially if your customer had a little bit of a wait.  And don't let it be someone that is already running late AND have somewhere else to be.  By the time it's their turn in your line they are ready to give you a piece of their mind because apparently it is all your fault.  I know how this feels first hand.  I have been on the receiving end and let me tell you it is enough to make you just want to completely lose it.

I was recently in a waiting room with a pretty good amount of other people waiting for their turn.  It was not only crowded but it was pretty warm in there as well.  I found myself feeling bad for the young lady at the front desk.  It seems like everyone that went up had a little smart remark to say either to her or to someone else in earshot of her. Now if that were me, by the third smart remark I would have probably made an announcement to the entire room about how I'm doing the best I can and what time we opened the next morning if they needed to just come back.  I'd probably add how it's best to come early as possible to avoid the rush. That's me.  This young lady however, just ignored the comments and kept giving great customer service.  I had just bought a pack of blank thank you cards from Marshalls the day before that were still in my purse (for another purpose) and decided while I was waiting on my turn to write her a quick thank you note.  Nothing long just a quick note to let her know that I appreciated all of her help and that I hope she had a great rest of the day.

I got these blank cards for about $3 at Marshalls

When I gave it to her she was very appreciative and expressed how no one usually thanks her let alone gives her a card.  Something as small as a quick thank you card made a difference in this young lady's day.

If you think about it, anytime someone takes out the time to tell you that you are appreciated does nothing less than put a smile on your face.  So I want to challenge you this month to go grab yourself a pack of blank cards and carry them with you and while you are waiting in the waiting room write a note to the receptionist or person who will be helping you (I know this will be challenging at DMV, but you can do it) and just say thank you.  Thank them for helping you and tell them to enjoy the rest of their day.  You never know when someone needs to hear that.  We all need to feel appreciated.

Hints:

Men, since most of you don't carry purses you can take a pack of blank business cards from somewhere like Staples or Walmart and write them out before leaving the house.  Stick them in your wallets and give them out as you wish.

Some people to thank:

Your mechanic

Cashier with a long line in front of you

Receptionist in a busy office

Person who made your coffee

Tow truck driver

Flight attendant

Places to find inexpensive blank cards:

Walmart

Marshalls

TJ Maxx

Amazon

You can make your own!

Let's reconnect...3 Clubs that will encourage you to disconnect to reconnect!! (No electronics allowed!)

So I'm standing on the train and all I see are the tops of everyone's head. Walking down the street I see the same. Everywhere I turn everyone is scrolling on their phones (including me). Not talking but texting, IMing, facebooking, instagramming. I'm going to go ahead and state the obvious "We don't actually talk anymore!"  When is the last time you actually dialed someones number to say Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary? When did you call someone to say Congratulations!? I'll be the first to say that it's so much more convenient to go to my fb page and either like someone else's message or type one in myself (real quick).  It's the world of technology that we live in and it's not a bad thing but it is changing our communication.

 I have 2 girlfriends that always call me on my birthday and it always makes me feel so special.  It also feels just as good calling them on theirs.  To think that they stopped what they were doing to dial my number just to say Happy Birthday instead of just posting it warms my heart.  It's a big deal to me.  I notice that I get off the phone smiling.  I won't lie, I too send my Happy Birthdays and Congratulations via Social Media or text. To be completely honest I'd rather text than talk most of the time. I mean I can watch a movie and have a conversation at the same time! (lol, so sad) 

Recently I watched a show that featured a group of friends getting together for their cooking club. This is where everyone brings something to cook (unlike a potluck where you bring it already prepared). Then they cook the food as a group.  This particular group had about 5 people in it.  As they were preparing their food they shared how their week had been going so far. They laughed. They talked about the dishes they were preparing. Then once the food was done they sat down and enjoyed it together over more laughs. The one thing I noticed is no one had their phone! It was an uninterrupted great time.  As I watched I thought "Wow, how nice".  Just a group of girlfriends focusing on one another and one another's lives.  

Think about it.  You are at dinner with someone and as you are trying to share your day or something that is bothering you they grab their phone and begin scrolling or texting. "Ummmmm are you talking to someone while I'm talking to you!"?  We have a rule in our house.  No electronics at the table!!  Inspired by this ladies group I've come up with a few other clubs you can create to get back to old fashioned connecting! There is only one rule....No phones allowed!I suggest having a basket for everyone to place their phones in until they leave. Sometimes we have to disconnect to reconnect! Give one a try and leave me a message telling me how it worked out.

Book Club
The Gist - Finding other bookworms to read with! 

Getting started - Start with 1-3 friends and ask each person to invite another person. Pick a schedule and stick with it. (Most meet once a month)

Choosing a book- Vote! or Rotate turns! (Tip: consider a mix of genres)

Choose location- Cafes, homes, Panera, Starbucks, clubhouses etc are all good spots

Why a bookclub?
You may end up enjoying a book tht you otherwise wouldn't have read if you were choosing the book.  For those busy-bodies this is a temporary escape just for YOU to just sit down, breath and enjoy a good read!

Pinterest Craft Club
The Gist - Just being creative with friends!

Getting Started- Invite 3 -5 friends and ask them to invite another.

Choosing a craft- Try picking a season appropriate craft. For example if it's around the holidays make something specific to that particular holiday. Or if it's spring maybe make your own flower arrangements in which everyone brings a bouquet of flowers for everyone involved to pick from.

Location- Someones home or a clubhouse may be best.

Why Craft?
Why not?  The joy you feel knowing that YOU made it alone is good enough reason.  And for those who don't usually craft, ya never know...this could be the begining of a new hobbie! So craft on!!

Homemade Sangria Tasting Club (this one would be a good couples club)
The Gist- Sip and swap let's call it a "wine tasting"

Getting started- Decide who you are going to invite. I suggest 3 to 5 people or couples that way you have a good variety of sangria to taste. 

Instructions- Circulate a link that has a list of sangria recipes (great lists and recipes on Pinterest here ) and have each person/couple choose their sangria! This can be a one-time thing or maybe quarterly. Here is one of my favs!

Why "wine tasting?
Ummmm HELLOOOOOOO WINE!! lol (drink responsibly)!

So that is just a few ideas I came up with but there are so many more you can do.  The point of it all is to do it as Electronic-free as possible. 

TBT: Working Out Physically and Mentally

This week's TBT is a blog post from just under a year ago.  While it was a while ago, it still holds true for me today.  Hopefully it helps you to look at working out from a different perspective. ENJOY!

TBT (previously posted June 2014).
Working out.  For some it's something they read about on the cover of a fitness magazine while waiting in line to check out at the grocery store with a basket full of chips and cookies. lol  For others it's nothing more than a New Year's resolution. Some people can just hop up and jog miles and miles without thinking twice about it. Then there are those (like me) that have to talk themselves into it.  I think like a lot of things in life, working out is what you make it. You can either dread it and spend time talking about how much you hate and despise it or you can make it something that works for you.

During a jog last week it came to me that for me personally working out is  a time of meditation. So for me getting up first thing in the morning and jogging works.  It works because my mind is clear.  The morning air is fresh and the only sounds I hear are the chirping of the birds (I tell myself they are saying good morning to me). Lol I set my music to play songs and I meditate. I jog but barely notice it because I'm using that time to reflect on what I'm grateful for. I'm listening to the encouraging words of the songs and I'm thanking God for life. I'm thinking of my children and my dreams. I'm smiling at how blessed I am to have such a great family. Song after song I'm getting more and more consumed with this great, positive energy.  That energy masks the pain I feel in my body from jogging. Yes the pain is there but I'm so busy reflecting on my life that I don't feel it as much as I would if I were just waiting for my jog to be over.

Making your workout work for you is like getting two for one. On the one hand you are getting the exercise you need. You are giving your body what it needs. You are taking steps to having a healthier life physically. On the other hand you are exercising your spirit.  You are starting (or ending) your day off with mental exercise.

So try to change the way you look at working out. Make it more of a spiritual exercise and meditation.  Distract yourself with your thoughts and see how much it changes your experience.  For me it gives me excitement to get up the next morning and do it again!

The Do's and DONT's of Father's Day!

And the countdown begins! In a few weeks fathers everywhere will be opening new pairs of socks, ties and shirts and let's not forget the shirt/tie combo! lol  If we are being honest fathers get the short end of the stick when it comes to not only their celebration but their gifts.  Mother's Day is like the second coming of Christ to some. LOL I mean some plan months in advance for mothers.  Moms get flowers, breakfast in bed, jewelry, dinner AND SOME!  But oh the fathers.  Poor dads. I mean hey it's the thought that matters but when it's an afterthought it's just not a good look. I am actually guilty of this myself (well  partly guilty).  I had planned a family trip to Dutch Wonderland in Pennsylvania the same weekend of Father's Day.  While I was very aware that it was Father's Day and did grab the hubs' favorite cologne I waited until the morning of Father's Day to go grab the rest of his stuff.  Not only that but I waited until I got back from the store to have the kids make his gift (I did mention it was the morning of right?).  I threw his other gifts in the nice duffel bag that the cologne came in and then presented it to him.  It was a bag of his favorite things, His favorite candy, his favorite movie (Ferris Bueler's Day Off), a new cd to listen to in the car (one of his favorite artists Jimi Hendrix) and his favorite cologne.  I was proud of myself!! (Let me just say that I did plan to do this in advance but I ran out of time. So I DID plan in advance but my execution was the day of which totally ruined it all). He was underwhelmed to say the least.  He saw that the kids had JUST made his gift there in the hotel room.  He saw that I left the hotel to "grab" the other gifts.  While I had a great idea to get him a bag of favorites, doing it the day of gave the message "oh yeah, here....".  He probably felt like an afterthought ( since guys don't really share their feelings I'm just assuming here but I bet I'm not that far off).

Ok before I go any further let me say the Father's Day isn't just for guys who have children.  If we're being honest all guys that have children aren't great fathers (and on the flip side of that, all women who give birth aren't always great mothers). Let me also say that Father's Day has nothing to do with any other relationship but the one between the father and the children.  Ask yourself "Is (insert father's name) a good father to his children?" If the answer is yes then onward with mission Father's Day. If the answer is no then I'll leave that up to you.

So here's what I've decided to do.  I've come up with a few Do's and DON'Ts for Father's day.  Hopefully this will help US do right by the fathers in our lives whether it's the fathers of our children or our fathers themselves.  I'll just start with the most obvious...

DO plan ahead.  Planning ahead allows you to take your time and really do your best for the honoree.  It will open up options. For example say there is something they have always wanted but it's only available online. Planning ahead will allow ample time for it to be delivered on time.

DON'T RUSH.  If you answered yes to the question of whether or not the father is a good father to the children then I'm assuming they deserve more than a rushed day. Rushing not only gives the message that they aren't all that important but it also leave absolutely no space for unexpected emergencies that may occur which can result in you not being able to grab something.

DO think outside the box.  We mean well when we pick matching socks and ties and shirts but really do they need another pair of sock?  Try to remember something they may have mentioned.  Take into consideration their hobbies or events they may be interested in.  My husband loves NBA so I have gotten him the NBA pass for his cell.  That way if we are on a road trip or stuck somewhere he is not getting the shakes from missing an "important game".

DON'T repeat the same gift as last year.  This can fall under the 'plan ahead' tip.  Just going and getting the same gift in another color doesn't display that much thought went into their gift.  If you forgot what you got them lat year I'm sure there is a picture somewhere you can pull up.

DO get a separate gift from the kids.  If you are also appreciating the father they are to your children then it's important you get something that is from just you.  Even if it's just a separate card.  Letting them know that they are also appreciated by you is necessary.

DON'T pick the gift for the children if they are over the age of 1.  Even a 1 year old can scribble their gift.  It's important to explain to the children that this is the one day set aside to show daddy how much we appreciate him for everything he does and then let them decide how they want to show that. Whether it's them going to the store and buying candy (cause that's what they like, LOL), or them drawing a picture of them with their dad. Now I would suggest boundaries.  Maybe give a limit so they are trying to buy dad a new car!

So there you have it! Just a few DOs and DON'Ts as a guideline when preparing for Father's Day.  Hopefully keeping these in mind will help you give the father you are celebrating a wonderful day.  Let me go and get started on my shopping! HAPPY PLANNING!

Diary of a Childless Spring Break Day 5: Lost Keys!

Yawn, what time is it? Who cares? lol I am in full no kids mode right now.  I’ll get to work when I get to work. No, we need to be on time today.  So we both get dressed and are ready to leave the house at about 8:15 which is about 45 minutes earlier than yesterday. lol We walked out the door, and get to the car and I hear “oh wait i forgot the keys in the house.” Ok cool no biggie he’ll just go back in and get them and we will be on our way.  Only.......he is taking longer than it should to run in real quick and grab keys.  About 4 minutes (yes 4) later he comes out and says “babe can you come help me find the keys?” and runs back in.  So , I’m slowly walking back to the apartment thinking like “how do the keys get lost and there are NO KIDS HERE?????” How??  I mean if they were here I’d be like, great the kids got to the keys again but they aren’t here and we are looking for lost keys.  Then I get to thinking (still walking back to the apartment) i bet he is playing a joke on me and has something up his sleeve.  Maybe he is trying to get me to call out and stay home with him.  Maybe......I open the door and there he is searching frantically for the lost keys. Nope, nothing up his sleeve the keys are lost. So much for getting to work on time today.  So I join him in the search for the not the kids’ fault missing keys.  We look everywhere. I ask the usual questions, “Did you look in what you wore yesterday?  Did you check the closet (he keeps them on the shelf in there often)?  Did you check the closet floor in case they fell out of your pocket?” I’m looking in the couch, the kitchen, the bathroom and the keys are nowhere to be found.  Then I walk past his Cream linen blazer hanging over the dining room chair he wore the day before and back to the bedroom to help in there.  I ask him again hey did you look in your pants from yesterday? He says “yes, but I’ll check again. He then picks up a pair of black pants and checks the pockets. I say “ Trav you didn’t wear black pants yesterday you wore brown.” He corrects me saying “no i wore these,”  I correct him and say “no Trav you wore brown with that cream blazer in the dining room.” His facial expression changes as he walks slowly to the brown pants hanging in the closet. In slow motion he pulls the keys out of the pants pocket. I don’t say a word and walk out the room and out the front door to the car.  BIG SIGH!!!!!  Off to work we were, finally. Work was work (again). Before I knew it 5 o’clock rolled around and i was on the way home. It was a pretty low-key night. But not just any night.  It was the last night we had before the kids came home. This was it. Our lives will go back to the lives we’ve known for almost 7 years now.  As we were eating dinner i thought out loud and said “the kids come home tomorrow.” Trav just says a “yep.”  “Our lives would be soooo boring without the kids. I think we’d get on each other’s nerves if we didn’t have kids to distract us.” Wow where did that come from? lol Came from me. “Yeah” agreed Trav and that was that. The sun went down and so did we!

P.S. One day left!!!!

Diary of a Childless Spring Break...Day 4: Urgent Care...REALLY?!

I hope you've been enjoying my 'Diary of a Childless Spring Break' posts! I sure am. lol It's funny how when you journal, you kind of write for that day and leave it behind. Sort of like an 'on to the next one' mentality. What I'm realizing as I re-read what was written is that it can be healthy to go back and revisit old journal entries. For example, say you are going through a tough time with someone. Whether it is a spouse, parent or close friend and you decide to vent via journal. You then move on and get through that moment and are in a better place. Well the day you decide to go back and read you see what you have made it through with this person and can appreciate the journey you have been on with this person. You see how upset or hurt or sad you were at that time and seeing that you have made it through can encourage you to keep going. On the flip side say you go back and read a number of entries and the commonality of them is someone continuing to bring you pain and hurt. It can be a person or even a job. Your journal can be an eye-opener and help you realize you need to move on. Re-reading my '...Spring Break' entries have made me smile, laugh and warmed my heart. While I already appreciate my family I see in them that my husband and I both take every moment we can to spend our free time together. I could have taken that time to go shopping by myself or hang out with my friends and sisters. He could have chosen to catch up on his video gaming or lay around and watch movies all day. But both of our goals was to spend that time with one another. Seeing that speaks volumes and for that I am grateful. OK enough about me! Enjoy Day 4!!!

DAY 4

Today is pretty low-key. If you want to call starting the morning in urgent care low-key.  How is it that all 3 of my children are out of town and I STILL end up in a doctor’s office!? Ah the timing of things.  Apparently my ear canal was so red and swollen that the doctor couldn’t even see my eardrum.  What?  What’s that ma’am? I can’t hear you. lol So for the next 7 days I have to get 4 drops of antibiotics in my ear twice a day. I guess it could be worse. After my morning tea with the Doc, to work I went.  Work was work. After work Travis was planning on going to the gym for his Tuesday workout and I was planning to purge the kids room. It’s perfect that they are gone when you want to throw toys out.  They are not there to insist that they still play with the truck that is missing a wheel or the broken keyboard.  Before heading home we stopped by Walmart to grab a couple of things we needed including Chicken and Waffle chips. (I guess you’ve caught on to the fact that the kitchen is closed until they return).  Pizza Hut was our dinner of choice.  Homeward bound!  Ask me if Travis went to the gym? Take a wild guess!  Ask me if I even went to the kids’ room to purge. Nope again! We went home, plopped on the couch and ate our greasy pizza and  chips.  We finished watching the movie that we fell asleep to Monday night and ended our night right there....on the couch.  I guess you can say we had a dorm-life kind of night. lol 2 days left!

Diary of a Childless Spring Break. Day 3: Punkin' Out!

Wow we must’ve really enjoyed our Lazy Sunday. So much so that it oozed right into our Monday.  We slept in (yes we had to go to work, no judgement), took our time getting dressed and on to work we went.  We left the house t around 9am.  What time are we supposed to be at work you ask....Oh 9am. It was just that type of morning. Breakfast was not a priority nor was asking for the 9th time through smiling teeth for a certain someone to brush their teeth.  I found that it was quite a quiet morning. I did not once have to state the following statements: Please sit down while you are eating.  Please eat your food.  No playing at the table.  Please put your shoes on.  Please don’t play with your food.  No you may not have a 4th pancake.  No you may not watch Netflix.  No you may not wear your brother’s clothes today (or any day you are a GIRL)!!!!  It felt great just getting ready in almost complete silence. In between the good mornings and excuse me’s Travis and I enjoyed the silence.  In the car we planned our day.  Happy Hour after work. YES Happy hour TOGETHER.  Not me with my sisters while he watched the kids or him with co-workers while l watched the kids.  Us, as a couple were going to do Happy Hour in DC in the middle of the week! Then after that we would enjoy a nice movie. HBO Screen on the green.  It has been years since we were last able to go. I mean the movie doesn’t even start until sunset by that time the kids have been showered, read a book and tucked in with kisses.  But not today! No Siree Bob! All day I couldn’t wait to get the evening started. And then it hit....5 O’Clock! Yes it was here!  On the train and to my boyfriend (husband) I go.The firs thing Travis asked me when he saw me was “Do we have to go get the kids right now? NOPE, i said. “Do we have to be back by a certain time?”...NOPE! I repeated. We laughed and headed to Happy Hour.  

There we were, sitting at the bar enjoying good food, drinks and great conversation.  We laughed so hard at nothing.  Wait a minute, rewind. I left a very important fact out.  About a week and a half ago I got water in my ear at the beach.  It drained out a day or two later but what do you know, the one time I am kid-free apparently all of the water hadn’t drained out and I cannot hear a thing in my left ear. Fast forward back to the bar.  There we were laughing it up all the while I am whispering to Travis every 2 minutes asking him if i’m talking too loud.  I mean I cannot hear myself talk very well due tot he water in my ear. I didn’t want to be the loud obnoxious girl at the bar.  I asked Travis to order my food and drinks so that I wouldn’t yell at the waiter. He did and we went back to laughing. After paying our tab we took a walk hand in hand to get a spot on the grass for our movie.  It was about a quarter to 8 and Travis suggested I take a little nap before the movie started at 8:30.  I took his advice and before I knew it a woman got on the loudspeaker to make announcements. Here we goooooo the moment I have been looking forward to...the movie! Until...I heard her say “the movie will be starting in about 30 minutes guys.”  Wait, the sun has set.  30 minutes?! I’m already sleep.  Travis and I looked at each other and started a conversation about whether or not we should just call it a night or stick it out.  Let me mention that Travis too had heavy eyelids. His concern with us leaving was that we were punking out.  lol That we never get to do this because we have the kiddos. Me (with my tired self) explained to him that it’s not punking out, the kids still won’t be there when we get home. Here was my argument, “Hey, we did our Happy Hour, we came out here. We did good.  The movie doesn’t even START for another 30 minutes. By the time the movie is over it will be close to 11pm! Then we still have to walk to the metro (which by this time is probably running like 20 minutes apart). Then we will still have to drive home from the train station.  Needless to say we rolled up our blanket and called it a night. Went home, and turned on a movie. Fell asleep and that was that.  No we didn’t get to see our movie on the Green but we still enjoyed our time in the city.  P.S....I miss my kids :(

Love Letter...

When's the last time you wrote a l♡ve letter? Have you ever written one? What about receiving one? When is the last time someone wrote YOU a love letter?! For those of you who have received one I bet a smile came across your face. You remember who sent it and what it said. You remember how you felt when you read it. How in that moment someone was gushing over you. How every word written was a word carefully thought out to make sure you received the message of their heart.

I was lying awake at 3am this morning just staring at my husband. Thanking God for Him. Smiling at my King I got butterflies. I began to think about how much I appreciate him. And how wonderful a father he is to our children. I was laying here thinking all these great things about him and figured I'd write him a love letter. And so I did. I told him how much I appreciate him and how blessed our children are to have him. I told him how I see all that he does and how even all these years later he is still my dream husband. I went on and on until I got it all out. I left it for him to read the next morning. Still not able to sleep I began to wonder if people still wrote love letters. You know the ones we see in the movies. The ones that were cherished and saved for years. The ones that people would walk miles just to mail. The urgency behind it was real. The need to open up one's heart was no light matter. Well, I challenge you to have that urgency. Whether it's for a significant other, best friend or parent. Write a love letter. Not a love email…a love note. Today is the day of emails and text messages.  Instant messages rule our communication.  Try it. Send a handwritten, open and honest love letter. Put a stamp on it and mail it. Or leave it under someone’s pillow. Yes, some may already know how you feel but there is nothing like receiving a love letter. The feeling you will experience as you write it is amazing!  And sending it is even more amazing!

P.S. To my lovers, you can go one step further and spray it with your perfume or cologne. Whatever you decide to do trust me it will definitely be worth it!