Truly Blessed

Unfortunately, I missed Tuesday’s post, as I it was not a typical day in the life of Jean Anne. Tuesday morning I got up approximately the same time as always, but instead of heading to work, I headed to a local college to volunteer for the Special Olympics Spring Games. And what a day it was…

After a nice relaxing drive with the sun shining and the radio cranked up, I parked near a co-worker and we headed to the registration area. It was amazing to see all of the volunteers lined up, ready to help out in this great event. After checking in, we headed to our assigned area on the track – the 50 meter walk/dash.

While I was walking to our designated area, I noticed all of the different kids walking around. College kids on their way to class, Special Olympics athletes getting ready to compete, and siblings ready to cheer on family members. And on almost every face, a look of happiness, a carefree look, one that I rarely have.

At the beginning of the event, the athletes were ready to go. Talk about excited! In a time when sports seem to be more about money, drama, and texting scandals, it is so refreshing to see kids just wanting to have fun and do their best! There was no pressure to be number one, nor were there numerous parents yelling at their kids. (Sorry for the soapbox – but it annoys me!).

As the day progressed, I didn’t feel like I was the one helping out. In fact, it was quite the opposite – these kids and parents were helping me. Watching the smiles and cheers as each athlete made an attempt at the 50 meters made me feel as if I were a part of something special. It didn’t matter if a runner came in first or last, what mattered he/she tried AND was cheered along the entire way!

Additionally, the patience these parents/guardians had with the athletes was amazing. As a busy mom, I often lose patience or get frustrated over the littlest things. When A or B don’t listen or are too busy watching TV or coloring, I often get annoyed. But I tend to take for granted that A & B can walk, talk and function with no limitations. At almost 5 years old, they don’t struggle with calling me Mommy or running 50 meters. I am blessed with 2 miracles that, although born early, are basically “normal.” (I put quotes around normal, as I am not sure what normal truly means.)

Each time I volunteer I am reminded that I sometimes I need to take a step back from the frantic life I have and give thanks for all of my blessings, no matter how small or basic. And to borrow the oath of the Special Olympics:

"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and takes time to count their blessings. And if you ever have a chance to volunteer at the Special Olympics, please do. It will have a great effect on your outlook.

Jean Anne

Weekend Dash

Weekends are busy around our house.  Both KJ and Sweet Pea take gymnastic classes and KJ attends some sort of hockey lesson most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  Split between two parents, this should be a do-able schedule.  But the classes aren't really splitable - Sweet Pea's gymnastics class is a parent-tot class, and each and every one of KJ's hockey lessons has some parental component.  And since Husband can't skate, that means I have to be at and participate in each and every one of these lessons. Normally, this isn't a problem.  I like spending time with the kids and I consider the parent-tot classes an opportunity to have some special one-on-one time with each kid.  Soon enough they won't want anything to do with me, so I try to treasure these times.   But it makes my weekend busy.  I pretty much rush from place to place, squeezing in grocery shopping and laundry between classes.

This last weekend was particularly difficult.  On top of all of the regular classes and errands that fill up our weekends, I also needed to work. I tried to do as much work as possible while the kids were sleeping, but that meant I worked until the wee hours of both Friday and Saturday mornings.  By the time the kids woke up on Saturday morning, I had only a couple hours of sleep over the course of a few days.  I muscled through, going to the kids' gymnastics lessons and buying a week's worth of groceries "on the way" home.  We then rushed around, Husband helping the kids eat lunch while I put away the groceries and collected KJ's hockey gear, all while constantly reminding KJ to focus on eating because we were leaving in ten minutes whether he was ready or not.  And then, in the midst of all this madness, the phone rings.  It was my dad.

Initially, I was irritated.  My dad knew that KJ had hockey in 10 minutes, and he knew that we were always rushed for time between gymnastics and hockey.  We usually have just over an hour between the two classes.  When you try to squeeze errands and lunch for two toddlers into an hour, there isn't much time for anything else.  But I'm so glad I answered the phone.  My dad was calling to see if he could take KJ to hockey.

My dad's offer was exactly what I needed on Saturday.  He didn't know anything about the week I had or how much I had been working.  He didn't know that I was feeling overwhelmed with everything I had to do that day.  My dad  just knew that he had a free hour and if he took KJ to hockey, then he could have some special one-on-one time with his grandson.  But for me, my dad's offer meant an hour break. One whole hour I could have to myself.  So, I took him up on it.

I won't lie and say that I didn't feel guilty as my dad and KJ walked to the van to go to their lesson.  I felt like I should have been the one going with KJ, that I was somehow letting him down.  But as they walked to the van, I heard KJ say, "Papa, I missed you yesterday."  And with that I knew that everything was fine.  I wasn't being selfish by taking a nap instead of going to hockey, I was allowing for a special bonding moment between grandfather and grandson.  It was one of those rare opportunities where what everyone wanted/needed lined up.  KJ and Papa got their special time together and I got a nap. There's no reason to feel guilty about that.

Karen

Growing Up So Fast

There are certain times in your life where you can’t deny that your children are growing up. From day-to-day you can sort of ignore the process and pretend like your child will always need you to push them on the swing or cut up their chicken. That these days of whole-body hugs and baby kisses won’t end. But then, the kids do or say something that makes you realize all in a sad flash that this beautiful time will not last forever.

Last weekend I had one of those moments.

KJ generally sleeps with a lot of stuffed animals. It all started with “Doggie.” Doggie was a shower gift from my aunt, and KJ started sleeping with him as soon as he was able to sleep with stuffed animals. Doggie made the transition with KJ from crib to big boy bed, and generally was around whenever KJ needed him. But then, one night KJ got the flu and Doggie needed to go to the “spa.” Enter Bear. Like Doggie, Bear was one of those small blankets with an animal head on top. He made a great substitute for Doggie, and just never left the bed when Doggie came back.

From there, KJ just kept adding animals. Any stuffed animal that he took a shine to went into his bed. Lily. Bunny. Giraffe. Wally. Curious George. For a short time, Cat. Over time the mix of animals changed and some have fallen out of favor, but almost every night you can count on Doggie, Bear, Bunny, Lily, Giraffe and George snuggling in next to KJ. Sure, things are crowded, but it’s cute. Every animal has its place. And when we say our prayers, KJ asks God to bless each one of them, by name. They are important to him, and thus, they are important to me.

But then, out of the blue last weekend KJ decided he didn’t want to sleep with his animals anymore. I was unprepared for this declaration of independence. KJ gave us no warning that he was finished sleeping with animals. In fact, after waking up from his nap that very afternoon he brought his Bunny downstairs with him. Plus, KJ has this (admittedly strange) habit of sniffing the ribbon on Bunny to help him relax. I just couldn’t imagine KJ without his Bunny.

But KJ was clear and went straight to his bed, removing each and every animal until nothing was left. “Are you sure?” I asked him as he removed the animals. KJ said he was sure. So, I helped him load all of the animals onto the empty shelf on his bookcase. “They’ll be right here for you if you want them during the night.” I told him. But KJ didn’t seem to need any reassurance. He just sat there waiting patiently for his story.

There haven’t been a whole lot of times in my life where I’ve felt more sad than when I put Doggie on KJ’s shelf. In the last three years, I’ve grown attached to Doggie. Doggie has been with KJ through it all. The tough transitions at daycare. Round-the-clock breathing treatments in the hospital. Sweet Pea’s birth. Whenever KJ was scared or tired or just needed a friendly face, Doggie has been there. I wasn’t ready for KJ to not need him any longer.

As it turns out, neither was KJ. As I was reading KJ his story, KJ started looking sadder and sadder until I finally asked him what was wrong. In a sad, sad voice, KJ answered, “I want something to sniff.” Never have such strange words sounded so sweet. I immediately hugged KJ and told him he could have whatever animals he wanted. KJ ran and brought Bunny, Doggie and Bear back to bed. Over the next few days, all of the animals have found their way home. And all is right in the world.

I know someday KJ won’t want to sleep with a menagerie in his bed. But I hope he holds on to his Bunny and Doggie just a little bit longer. Just as they provide him comfort and security at night, Bunny and Doggie provide me comfort that the baby days are not behind us yet.

Karen

Appreciative

Yesterday at work I received an e-mail from a partner about a web site called appreciate-it.com (http://www.appreciate-it.com/). The web site is designed to encourage people to describe who or what they appreciate in life. The site is, of course, doing this for advertising purposes – they plan to submit this list as the longest, most sentimentalist holiday letter of all time to the Guinness Book of World Records. But business purposes aside, it is an uplifting site.

As you might imagine, the things people list as being appreciative of vary widely. But for the most part, the things people appreciate most are simple things. Like, “loving someone and having them love you back” (no. 4271), “being a part of something” (no. 4214), “second chances” (no. 4155), “making it through a tough year” (no. 4590); “my faith”(no. 4546); “the chance to make a difference” (no. 4500). People also were also very appreciative of each other, sometimes listing the names of people who made a difference, other times listing descriptors like, “my rock star kids” (no. 4487), friends who come early and stay late” (no. 4295), “my mother, who works like there’s no tomorrow, for my tomorrow” (no. 4337); and “the guy who rescued me when my car got stuck in the ice last night” (no. 4133).

What a great message for this time of year. As we wrap up (pun intended) the final shopping days and start planning our holiday dinners, it is easy to get distracted by all that “has” to be done or the pressure of having a picture-perfect holiday. But no matter what’s under the tree on Christmas morning, we all have things to be thankful for.

I encourage all of you to go to the site for a few minutes today and read what people are appreciating in December 2010. It’ll lift your heart, and possibly make you laugh (see no. 4133). It’s just the thing to help each us keep what’s truly important in perspective at we head to the final holiday stretch.

And, if  reading all these wonderful things that people are thankful for in their lives doesn’t quite push you over the edge into a happy mood, remind yourself that today is Friday. And next week has a holiday. 

Karen

My Thank You's

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a time to look and reflect on all we are thankful for…and boy do I have a lot to be thankful for!!

Of course I am thankful for every day with my happy, healthy, beautiful children and wonderful husband. Of course I am thankful to have a job that allows me to be the Mom I want to be.

So this is not going to be a post about the large things that I am thankful for every minute of my life. Instead, I thought as this is my 32nd Thanksgiving, I would take time to reflect on 32 of the small things in my life…the things I always forget to be thankful for.

So here we go…

1. Thank you to Target for managing to design shoes that look just enough like the designer shoes at Von Maur to fool my 4 year old and allow me to avoid spending $100 on shoes she will out-grow in a month.

2. Thank you to the wonderful caregivers at my kids’ daycare who always remember to hug my kids and tell them “I love you” when they leave at the end of the day.

3. Thank you to Wal-Mart for restructuring your store so I don’t have to take my kids over by the toys when I just need soap or toothpaste.

4. Thank you to the Baby Einstein company for “Baby Beethoven” which keeps L entertained in his bouncy seat just long enough so I can take a shower.

5. Thank you to my Mom who always remembers to call me and ask me how I am…instead of simply inquiring about the kids.

6. Thank you Twizzlers for being the only treat my 3 year old son will go potty for.

7. Thank you makers of the DVR who allow me to watch my favorite TV shows at midnight when I finally have time to sit down and watch a show.

8. Thank you Strawberry Shortcake for making a comeback while my daughter is young so I can relive my childhood everyday.

9. Thank you to my best friends for loving my children and proving that you don’t have to be related by blood to be family.

10. Thank you to L for sucking his thumb instead of being dependent on a pacifier so I never have to have another moment of “Oh crap we forgot the binky and he’s tired!” in a crowded restaurant.

11. Thank you to Facebook for allowing me to reconnect with old friends and see pictures of my permed hair and plaid shirts posted for the world to see.

12. Thank you Crock Pot for making my dinners taste like I’ve slaved all day, even though it only took me 2 minutes to throw everything inside and turn it on high..

13. Thank you Glee for doing Rocky Horror Picture Show so I can teach my kids how to do the Time Warp!

14. Thank you Dodge company for putting automatic doors on my mini-van so I can open the doors while juggling groceries.

15. Thank you Gymboree for coming out with Gymbucks so that every now and then my bills at your store can be less than $200.00.

16. Thank you makers of spray in shampoo so I don’t feel gross if I don’t get to wash my hair every day.

17. Thank you General Mills for putting WHOLE GRAIN and VITAMIN D in large print on your boxes of cereal so I feel a little better as I pour a bowl of sugary Lucky Charms for my kids.

18. Thank you for multi-colored post it notes ( No reason really…I just love them).

19. Thank you Barenaked Ladies for coming out with “Snacktime!” So I don’t have to listen to Barney and Dora and can actually enjoy my kids’ music.

20. Thank you Nickelodeon for coming out with Team Umizoomi (a kids show about math) so I can work on my math skills while my kids enjoy their favorite tv show.

21. Thank you to Garmin for my GPS so I never have to juggle Mapquest directions while I look for a courthouse in some small county in Iowa.

22. Thank you for court reporters who can keep up with fast talking attorneys like me and after I am done make me feel better by saying “Oh, you don’t talk THAT fast”.

23. Thank you creators of “Just Dance” for the Wii, for coming up with a fun game where I can get in some exercise while I “Walk like an Egyptian”.

24. Thank you for briefs I have saved on my computer, so when a partner emails me at 10:00 p.m. saying they need a brief done by the next day I can simply copy and paste.

25. Thank you makers of the Bounce Dryer Bar so I never have to pull out another dryer sheet that got stuck in my pant leg as I sit in court.

26. Thank you online bill pay for allowing me to pay my bills without having to find the stamps I never have anyway.

27. Thank you for dark colored suits, which hide spit up stains beautifully.

28. Thank you Blackberry for allowing me to answer emails while I sit at a dance class.

29. Thank you Spaghetti Sauce for being the only “vegetables” my daughter will actually eat.

30. Thank you for the Tasks option on Microsoft Outlook which gives me my reminders that I have the appeal brief I totally forgot about due in a week.

31. Thank you Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi for making your pop taste just like the caffeinated one so I don’t feel so guilty about my 6 plus cans a day.

32. Thank you to the JD Moms blog…for giving me an avenue to vent and allowing me that chance to formally thank Post-it Notes!

Of course you know that this list is not exhaustive. A working Mom has so much to be thankful for in her life. But always remember to be thankful for the little things too…and if you’d like to share your “Thank You’s” feel free to leave me a comment!

On behalf of all the JD Moms Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We are so thankful for your support. Now go stuff yourself with turkey and stuffing and enjoy the extra days off with your kids!!

Mandi