My medals

 Nope, they're not chocolate...

Twenty years ago this summer, I won my Olympic medals. They are a representation of one of my greatest achievement, and in recent years, part of one of my go to jokes.  You see, I can't help imaging that my medals weren't just medals, but more...Like those gold coins you get at Easter and Christmas. The kids seem to love the idea...The thought that an Olympic medal is actually a giant, deliciously wrapped hunk of chocolate.  I never thought I would find out the truth about that statement, but I did.  

After passing around my medals at an event, I put them on for one last photo and the top of one of my gold medals just broke off. It just popped right off and fell to the floor.  We all just stood there. Frozen. Everyone looked at me to see how to react.  I was shocked for a second, and then broke out into laughter. 

I guess they really are just medals.  They are my reward and my reminder...a reminder of the hours of hard work, my dedication and that of my family, and each and every wonderfully hilarious memory from the pool to the deck between the age 4-19.  

And just in case you were curious, inside my gold medal is a pile of glue.  Any ideas on how to fix it? I welcome suggestions.

The inside of my gold medal

Mother's Day, Happy Day

These two are my greatest accomplishment

I am a big fan of Mother's Day, and not for the reasons you might think.  Ok, maybe a few...Of course I love the fact that I am pampered and doted upon.  But even more than that, I love the fact that my kids understand how their positive, loving actions put a huge smile on my face.  I tell them all the time that it is fairly easy to make me happy.  All they need to do is be kind, not whine and be grateful.  That is why I lay out all of my Mother's Day requests well before the big day, leaving nothing to chance, so that my husband can then easily carry them out.  

My mother & my daughter

This year, I asked for a foot rub.  I love a massage, but there is nothing that makes me relax and let go of stress quicker than a good ole foot rub.  The last two things I ask for were not to have to cook a meal or clean a dirty dish.  To me, this is a way to feel pampered! Plus, seeing the joy on my kids' faces when they accomplish doing something kind for me that makes me smile. It feel my lips turning up into a smile just thinking about it the happiness. 

Life's simple, happy moments are some of a mother's truest treasured memories.  Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow mom's.  May you feel loved and appreciated today and everyday.  

'

Sibling love

There's always going to be sibling rivalry, but what I cherished most was the sibling love.

My brother and I were very close growing up.  With our parents divorced since I was 7, we were each other's constant as we moved from mom's house to dad's and back every 6 months. More than that, I knew that my older brother, my hero, had my back.  And even though he made me work for it to play with his friends and him, he was my best friend and biggest fan.

That’s why it’s so great when I look at my sons face and know he thinks the same about his sister. He could not love or look-up to his older sister any more than he does.  He longs for her to watch him, listen to him, play with him...show him any kind of attention really. When the love is mutual, it is beautiful and warms my heart. And Skye loves to make everything better for her brother. It is top 5 on my list of goals as a parent, fostering this sibling love. But I also realize that the status of their relationship is mostly up to them.

At its best, it's such a joy...I hope it continues to grow.