Do Good

One of my friends has an automatic post at the end of her emails with her name, number and a saying. The saying is very simple but for some reason it hit me yesterday. It says, "Do Good".

I just casually glanced at it when I first saw it but my mind kept going back to it. It is simple but means and stands for so much. It can remind us to give more to people in need. It can remind us to help someone in need. It can remind us to be pleasant and positive. When you think of doing good, what does it make you want to do? How would we, as a people, change our behavior? Would we be super conscious of holding the door open for people or carrying someone's groceries?

See, I think "Do Good" just means be a good person. Do good things throughout your day, as much as you can. If you are faced with a decision to let someone in when merging in traffic or not, do the good thing and let them in. All of these simple, kind actions can change the attitude of a large group of people. Doing good really puts the choice in the hands of the person who read it. I guess I just like it cause it makes me want to deliver. I want to do good. I want my kids to do good. Don't we all.

We all reach our breaking point

As mommies, we are often pushed to our limits. We have great mommy days, good mommy days and, every now and then, not so good mommy days. I really despise the feeling of the "not so good" mommy days. In fact, there have been a few, okay several, that I have not been proud of. I am writing about this today because my best friend and I just had a conversation about this very subject. We described it as if we are a glass of water and with every whine, cry and meltdown the glass is filled more and more until the damn thing starts to flood the whole house. That is the moment to which all moms can relate. That feeling of needing to let go of so much frustration and anger and whatever that you just yell. Actually it is is more like, you just YELL!

Honestly, with me, I am really good right up to that point. Keeping my cool as my child is hitting and screaming. Telling her to "just relax" and that "this is not acceptable behavior". It's not until, after manhandling her into her car seat(for the second time) while she is out of her head screaming at me and pulling my hair that I slam the door and scream so damn f-ing loud that I think the entire west hears me. Then I proceed to get in the car and explain with another scream, "I just wanted you to get in your damn car seat!" Yes, this really happened. Not my proudest moment.

For real, I screamed so loud that my voice was horse for the rest of the day. This didn't do any good as both my kids were now screaming. And after the scream I felt like an awful parent. But during the scream, I felt so damn good. For a second, I sat there in the car and had this blank look on my face. Once I came to, I immediately tried to calm down my son and reassure my daughter. Then I felt this need to talk to somebody about it to make sure I wasn't going insane. Friends are good at making you feel normal.

My best friend and I told our stories and made each other feel better. We reminded each other that we are good, and often times GREAT parents. We cried and laughed and in the end knew that we all were going to survive.

We parents tolerate a lot during a day. It is a wonderful job and I just want everyone to know that we are not perfect but I know we are trying our best to raise really good kids. Keep at it and if you need to scream, make it a good one.

Collecting rocks and other things that make you happy.

Some people collect stamps and others collect cars, I collect rocks and shells. I like to think that each one has a special meaning since I picked them out individually from a vacation or trip. I keep them in a few places around my home. Most are housed on my desk and next to my bathroom sink. (Although I have found a few in my kids bathroom drawer. Funny how things end up there...hmmm. )

I have loved rocks since I was a little kid. I could spend hours walking around looking for the most interesting rock whether it be a cool color or a weird shape. I would look at them and wonder where they had been and the different shapes they had taken over time. Now, as I said before, I bring one home from every vacation. My favorite is a rock/shell from the beach in front of our land in Nicaragua. It is a white thick swirl with a few swirly indentations on the sides. It is so cool I sometimes don't think it is real. Every time I look at it I think that I am so lucky to have found it.In fact, I look at them often and remember the location of where I found them, the vacation or the outing. It makes me smile. (I must admit, I don't remember all of them.)

My kids have just started to notice all of these cool items floating around my space. I am probably a little too protective of them. After all, they are JUST rocks. But I care about my collection. So, today I explained the idea of a collection to my 19 month old. You can imagine how that went over. But, later in the day, I took them for a run and at the half way point I let them get out of the chariot and run around. At the end, I asked them if they wanted to pick out a rock...they said YES!

They are not at "collection" point yet but I think they are slowly learning what my rocks mean to me. I wonder, though, what their collections will consist of...
Skye already has several princess dresses...
My husband collected EVERYTHING. And I mean everything. My mother-in-law finally drew the line at sugar packets...you know that ones from the diner. I think to myself, if my kids did decide to collect sugar packets, I hope they are from all over the world. That could be a cool collection.

Good friends make for a better marriage

We have made some wonderful friends. The funny thing is that my husband has lived in this town for 18 years and has lots of established friends. But, it is true that once you have kids, you find a new set of friends that understand what you are going through. We have found a few couples and I am a firm believer that they make my husband and i better.

We are in the thick of it right now. 2 toddlers under the age of 4. Lots of crying and tantrums. Lots of loving and cuddling. I am trying to control the former and savor the latter.

Tonight, our friends walked into our house to my son screaming his head off cause he wasn't feeling well...I think teething. Most people would turn around and make like they were never there. But these friends walked in asked if they could help and ignored the incredibly disruptive noise. Having them there calmed me down as well. There is almost nothing more stressful than a crying baby. Especially when you want to help but can't.

I guess my point is that we are all in this together...our friends and us. It is fun and comforting to know that we have them to lean on, bitch to and laugh with!!

Thank you friends.