Winter and Writer's Blues

Today my baby is home with a nasty cough and cold, so we aren't going anywhere until pick-up time for my other two. Lucky for me, my junior-high and high schoolers take the bus.




Last week, the weather was perfect. Sunny, warm, most of the snow melted. Then it started to rain...unbelievable. Today, we woke up to Lords-knows how many inches of snow. The roads are crappy and the kids are getting sick, which means I can't write. Not that I want to. I'm having major writer's blues. Hope I get out of it soon before I go nuts.

Oh, good news from the regional swim meet. My baby won 50 and a 100 freestyle. Her times were 26.73 and 58.68 seconds. http://hjnews.townnews.com/articles/2009/01/24/sports/sports04-01-24-09.txt

Dh thinks she can drop three more seconds in 100 if she pushes hard enough. He can talk...he's in the Masters Swim Team at our club. Since the only stroke I'm good at is breaststroke and I tend to hyperventilate like a dog after doing a length of freestyle(my technique sucks, kick ain't worth bragging about), I'm always amazed when I watch her sail through the water.

Now if only I could get my junior-high daughter to enjoy sports...any sport. She told us that she'd rather be fat and happy than skinny and unhappy. We told he we don't her to be skinny, just healthy and that means doing some of form physical activity. Seriously, kids these days!!!!

Food for Thought

I don't seem to have much to share these days, but I received an e-mail from mys ister-in-law with this handbook (don't know the original author or his/her link) but thought I'd share.

Handbook 2009

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time to practice meditation and prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do anything. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself too seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present and the future.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply a part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything (like Jesus said 77 * ? times) No one can offend you that many times in a lifetime.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 10.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change, it can change and YES YOU CAN!
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake up alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40. Please chose to LOVE GOD with all your heart this year and do his will – READ YOUR BIBLE.

A Day in the Life of a Mother

My children often remind me just how smart and aware they are, how fresh and free from past experiences or lofty expectations their view of the world is...



Okay maybe not the latter. They ask for ponies they can keep in the backyard during the summer and in the basement in the winter, or brag how they'll be princesses when they grow up.



Anyway, so yesterday we went to my high school daughter's swim meet. Because of the other four kids and their hectic after-school schedules, I haven't been able to go to any of her meets, unlike when she was in middle school.




So my four-year-old yells on top of her voice, "How come we don't come to her meets, Mom? You said this was her last one and we missed all the others."



As you can imagine, I cringed, fully aware of other parents' eyes on me, heads cocked to catch my response. I tried to whisper, "Well, her meets start at three and I pick up the others from school at that time and you at three-thirty then take you to your dance or gymnastic class so there's no time...."



"But she's so happy we're here."



That was the end of that discussion. Checked by a four-year-old!!!



This morning, she brings up a Chinese restuarant we went to last month. "The wishing well at that restaurant doesn't work. I think they just want people to throw their money into that fake wishing well so they can be rich. Next time we eat there, can you give me your purse so I can take our money back???"

Ha!



That made my day.



What are the darnest thing your kids ever told you???

Happy New Year

Happy New Year. Here's hoping for a successful year.

The year ended wonderfully for me. My last guests left yesterday. It will take me two days to get my house back in order. I also reconnected with a friend I lost touch with five years ago. Anyway, time to finish revising my YA and send out queries. Wish me luck.