Mornings are hard. I’ve admitted this in the past: I like my bed and I don’t like to get out of it because it’s amazing and warm and the world is a cold, hard place especially on a Monday morning when you have a crazy busy day staring you in the face! The cool thing for us is that we are a homeschool family which allows for some flexibility in our schedule. However, I don’t sleep in and I rarely let my kids sleep in. We are up and (mostly) functioning by 8:00, which might seem late to some of you, but in the homeschooling world, we would be considered early birds by many!
There’s one more thing I need to tell you about myself before I proceed to my point. (Well, it’s kinda a point, sorta. Not a terribly important point today, but maybe a valuable point for someone? Idk.) It took me years to admit this, but I am not a morning person. Shocker, RIGHT?! Happy, bubbly Kathy does not wake up and immediately want to speak to or interact with anyone who is instantly joyful or energetic when they set foot out of bed. Do not ask me tough questions like where to find a new tube of toothpaste. Do not tell me a joke or tease me. It’s not funny at 22% awakeness. Please do not start a conversation about anything important, such as what my plans are for the day or what I’m making for dinner hours later. I don’t need a cup of coffee. I need time. Eventually I will become happy and bubbly Kathy, but I need to shake all the cobwebs from the brain and put my mind in functioning mode, which takes me time. (Unless it’s 3:00 a.m. when I wake up in an instant thinking very clearly and anxiously about something that is giving me stress. What is up with that?!)
So I developed a morning routine...of sorts. I sleep with my phone on my nightstand (horror of all horrors 😳). I leave it on all night. I put the “do not disturb” on so it doesn’t ring or vibrate or anything. And when I wake up in the morning, after my hubs has left for work (because I don’t conversate in the wee hours of 6:00 a.m.), I grab my phone and I look at it. Criticize all you want. At this point in my life, I don’t care. I am just trying to wake up, you guys! Consider this my “morning cup of coffee.”
But here’s the thing. I don’t go to Facebook and Instagram and start reading everybody’s morning business. I find America’s Funniest Videos and watch people fall off of trampolines or bellyflop into a lake or ride a hovercraft thingy and fall on their bum. And I smile and giggle at other people’s misfortune. (That sounds terrible.... There’s other funny stuff too, where people aren’t getting hurt, I promise!) Sometimes I watch Jimmy Fallon’s hashtags because the people of the Tweeting world are funny! Or I watch a video about human kindness or charitable acts or anything uplifting.
I’m tired in the morning. I’m tired thinking about my day and I haven’t even gotten out of bed yet! I know this is my season in life (Is “tired” a season? It feels like a really long one...) and that someday I will wake up, bouncing out of bed to attack the day with vigor!! (Sheesh. Even that sounds tiring!) But this season is not that.
So I choose to start my day by waking up to things that set my mood for the rest of the day. Videos that make me smile, stories that make my heart happy, people that brighten my day with their words. Every once in a while there will be a text waiting for me from a friend that makes me smile as soon as I read it! (Making me smile before my eyes can see clearly - that’s impressive!)
Congratulations to those of you who wake up with a smile on your face. But kudos to those of you who drag yourselves out of bed even though you need an additional 20-30 minutes to feel human. I am right there next to you, not saying a word because words are dumb at early o’clock in the morning.
KC
This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it!
Psalm 118:24
Monday, April 15, 2019
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
chain reaction
I was at GEMS this evening. (It’s a young girls group at a local church. I volunteered to be a counselor a few years back and it turns out that I’m as mature as the girls in the group so it’s a good fit!) I have the privilege of leading the devotions almost every time we meet. Tonight’s devotion (which I can’t take any credit for because I didn’t write it), was about chain reactions. It’s along the lines of a topic that I’ve touched on before, but it’s been a while and it’s worth repeating!
This year in our GEMS program, we talked a lot about blessing others. Tonight’s devotion was about blessing someone and how that can lead to a chain reaction of that person blessing someone else and so on and so forth.
I likened it to the “Pay It Forward” Movement (that used to happen frequently at Starbucks in the drive-thru line) and none of the girls really knew what I was talking about (or their attention span was super short tonight. Could have been both! I’m not sure.) So I explained that when someone does something nice for you and you don’t know how to repay them for it, if they tell you to pay it forward that means to do a kind deed for someone else. (I saw a couple of light bulbs turn on with that. Progress!)
Now, I don’t know exactly how guys work because I’ve never been one, but for most of the women I know, when something kind is said to them or done for them, the feeling they get is so fulfilling that they want to share it. Compliment them on their shoes or hair, bring them a coffee or flowers, even remember them on their birthday (I’m utterly the worst at this) or send a random encouraging text and you have made their day!
I’ve randomly complimented people I don’t know in stores before and they are so taken aback by it that they hardly know how to respond! That reaction right there tells me that it doesn’t happen near enough in this world. If complimenting strangers feels weird to you (I’m a bit strange myself so I’m cool with that), it’s fine to stick with the people you know. They probably need to hear it too! Even your kids, y’all. Build them up like crazy! It’s a great way to be an example to them.
So today’s challenge (and actually the “Rest of Your Life” Challenge): find someone to bless and bless them with a kind word, compliment, encouragement, a cupcake, coffee, flowers from your garden (people: everything is blooming in California right now!) or one of this funny memes on your phone that you can now send via text to people! That’s my favorite! ❤️
From what I remember, it takes about a month for a habit to develop. I think this would be the best habit to develop over the next month. Just sayin’!
By the way: your hair looks great today and you have a beautiful smile!
Love,
KC
This year in our GEMS program, we talked a lot about blessing others. Tonight’s devotion was about blessing someone and how that can lead to a chain reaction of that person blessing someone else and so on and so forth.
I likened it to the “Pay It Forward” Movement (that used to happen frequently at Starbucks in the drive-thru line) and none of the girls really knew what I was talking about (or their attention span was super short tonight. Could have been both! I’m not sure.) So I explained that when someone does something nice for you and you don’t know how to repay them for it, if they tell you to pay it forward that means to do a kind deed for someone else. (I saw a couple of light bulbs turn on with that. Progress!)
Now, I don’t know exactly how guys work because I’ve never been one, but for most of the women I know, when something kind is said to them or done for them, the feeling they get is so fulfilling that they want to share it. Compliment them on their shoes or hair, bring them a coffee or flowers, even remember them on their birthday (I’m utterly the worst at this) or send a random encouraging text and you have made their day!
I’ve randomly complimented people I don’t know in stores before and they are so taken aback by it that they hardly know how to respond! That reaction right there tells me that it doesn’t happen near enough in this world. If complimenting strangers feels weird to you (I’m a bit strange myself so I’m cool with that), it’s fine to stick with the people you know. They probably need to hear it too! Even your kids, y’all. Build them up like crazy! It’s a great way to be an example to them.
So today’s challenge (and actually the “Rest of Your Life” Challenge): find someone to bless and bless them with a kind word, compliment, encouragement, a cupcake, coffee, flowers from your garden (people: everything is blooming in California right now!) or one of this funny memes on your phone that you can now send via text to people! That’s my favorite! ❤️
From what I remember, it takes about a month for a habit to develop. I think this would be the best habit to develop over the next month. Just sayin’!
By the way: your hair looks great today and you have a beautiful smile!
Love,
KC
Monday, April 1, 2019
the best gift
There are days when I wonder how in the world I am ever going to prepare my kids for real life when many days I, myself, don’t feel prepared for real life. It’s not as though my parents did a terrible job of raising me. They did a fantastic job, actually! They pushed me in my strengths and supported me through my weaknesses (*cough, cough, basketball*). They taught me numerous life skills and provided an excellent education. And they loved me through everything.
Now, as a grown up, there are some mornings I really don’t feel like getting out of bed. It’s a two-fold problem, really. My bed is deliciously comfortable. We recently upgraded to a king size bed that isn’t indented or smooshy anywhere. I also have an infatuation with comfortable blankets (I refuse to count how many are in this house. I’m sure we have room for more.) Oh, and I finally found a pillow that is the perfect shape for my neck and head. With all this warm goodness, I have created a beautiful cocoon that takes all my will power to crawl out of in the morning.
The other problem I have in the morning is that once I get up, I have to start a busy day. (I’m sure many of you have crazier schedules than mine so I won’t complain.) Starting the day means that I have to finish the day and once my feet hit the floor, then my determination and self-discipline have to take over because: do you know how much easier it would be to stay in bed and not do all the things and see all the people?! I love our things and people, but it still takes effort to get going in the right direction in the morning.
So, what if I’m not doing a good job of teaching my kids to be self-disciplined or determined? What if I’m creating lazy children or maybe I’m actually putting too much pressure on them? What if I haven’t given them the tools to deal with the scary people, the mean people, the people who need to be understood, and those that need to see their love? There are a thousand things I’ve neglected or done wrong, I’m sure of it. I know this because I see it in my own life. I’m so far from having life figured out. It’s like the longer I live, the more I realize just how much I don’t know. (Can I please get an “Amen!” on that one?!)
But you know what gift I have that HAS prepared me for real life? It’s the same gift I keep striving to give my children. The gift of God. A great, big, wonderful God. A God who is always victorious, always looking over us. A great, big, wonderful God. (I couldn’t help it, the childhood melody crept back into my brain as I started writing it, begging me to continue.)
There is no way for me to anticipate all that my children are going to experience in their lives. I’ve got them under my roof for approximately 18 years. Chances are good that they are going to live 65-75 years after that, NOT under my roof! (Let’s hope and pray, folks.) And I can’t hold their hand at that point anymore. (Because that might look a little strange and their friends might make fun of them.) That’s when I’m going to hang onto the promise that God’s got my children in the palm of His hand and trust the upbringing that God directed through me to them: to call on Him for help and strength.
Now, if you hear some crazed gal yelling out to God tomorrow morning, it’s probably just me trying to get out of bed...
KC
Now, as a grown up, there are some mornings I really don’t feel like getting out of bed. It’s a two-fold problem, really. My bed is deliciously comfortable. We recently upgraded to a king size bed that isn’t indented or smooshy anywhere. I also have an infatuation with comfortable blankets (I refuse to count how many are in this house. I’m sure we have room for more.) Oh, and I finally found a pillow that is the perfect shape for my neck and head. With all this warm goodness, I have created a beautiful cocoon that takes all my will power to crawl out of in the morning.
The other problem I have in the morning is that once I get up, I have to start a busy day. (I’m sure many of you have crazier schedules than mine so I won’t complain.) Starting the day means that I have to finish the day and once my feet hit the floor, then my determination and self-discipline have to take over because: do you know how much easier it would be to stay in bed and not do all the things and see all the people?! I love our things and people, but it still takes effort to get going in the right direction in the morning.
So, what if I’m not doing a good job of teaching my kids to be self-disciplined or determined? What if I’m creating lazy children or maybe I’m actually putting too much pressure on them? What if I haven’t given them the tools to deal with the scary people, the mean people, the people who need to be understood, and those that need to see their love? There are a thousand things I’ve neglected or done wrong, I’m sure of it. I know this because I see it in my own life. I’m so far from having life figured out. It’s like the longer I live, the more I realize just how much I don’t know. (Can I please get an “Amen!” on that one?!)
But you know what gift I have that HAS prepared me for real life? It’s the same gift I keep striving to give my children. The gift of God. A great, big, wonderful God. A God who is always victorious, always looking over us. A great, big, wonderful God. (I couldn’t help it, the childhood melody crept back into my brain as I started writing it, begging me to continue.)
There is no way for me to anticipate all that my children are going to experience in their lives. I’ve got them under my roof for approximately 18 years. Chances are good that they are going to live 65-75 years after that, NOT under my roof! (Let’s hope and pray, folks.) And I can’t hold their hand at that point anymore. (Because that might look a little strange and their friends might make fun of them.) That’s when I’m going to hang onto the promise that God’s got my children in the palm of His hand and trust the upbringing that God directed through me to them: to call on Him for help and strength.
Now, if you hear some crazed gal yelling out to God tomorrow morning, it’s probably just me trying to get out of bed...
KC
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
a daycation
(This post is dedicated to my friend who reminded me that we live close to the ocean and we should visit it more, and to my other friend who told me that I had enough caffeine in me to write tonight and knew before I even started writing that it would be good. She’s my believer.)
Today I took my kids to the coast.
We’re not on spring break. We’re just running on zero patience and 100% irritability with each other. We decided to leave the house so that we could like each other again!
We drove in the old familiar pick-up truck, even though it gets cramped with us and our stuff (because you do need a bag full of snacks and another one full of sweatshirts, beach towels, and a blanket when you head to the beach). We stopped at our old familiar mid-way point (Casa de Fruta) where we encountered a bunch of peacocks and one very interesting man who warned us about the peacocks and then proceeded to tell us the strangest “facts” about himself and his family until we carefully edged ourselves away from him. (I’m really good at being polite with interesting people, but this guy was pushing it with me, so much so that I was talking out of the corner of my mouth to my kids, telling them to get up and walk away!)
Our drive took close to a couple hours and we listened to a bunch of music (no electronics, for reals!) and we made observations about the currently amazing green earth and quoted a lot of dumb stuff that we’ve heard from the ridiculous YouTube videos and vines they watch. As we drove, it struck me that we are in this really cool stage of life: the stage where the memories they make are strong and they actually contribute more to those memories. Their personalities are emerging in a more “out loud” sort of way and they see things differently than the last time we took this drive (a few years ago). It can be really enjoyable to hang out with them! (I say, “can be” because it isn’t always enjoyable...)
When we hit Highway 1, we opted to go to our familiar beach: Sunset Beach. As we approached the campground, we rolled down our windows to smell the evergreeny, eucalyptus, ocean smell that evokes precious memories every time we smell it. (If someone can capture that scent in a candle or oil blend, I’d super appreciate it!) As we drove past the campground towards the main beach, I told the kids stories about camping with my dad and about how my husband (we missed you today, Scott!) asked me to marry him while at the lookout years ago. We found our old favorite camping spot and the climbable trees and then proceeded to drive (not walk the 700 steps) down to the beach. (Ok. It just feels like 700 steps, especially when you’re climbing back up, covered in sand!)
We climbed over the small dune and onto the wide expanse of beach where, on a clear day (which we had today!!) you can see both Santa Cruz and Moss Landing. There were only about 5 people on the beach as we walked to the water’s edge. I could have spent the entire day there, because it is so beautiful. I have met God numerous times where the waves roar and the water meets the sand. And I love to see my kids on the beach where I “grew up.” (Yes, this usually foggy, cold, wet campground and beach still feels like home to me, even though you had to pay to take a terrible shower and a fire was constantly lit to ward off the cold and wind and some years we dealt with skunks and other years we dealt with the farmers working in the fields next to us WAY too early in the morning. It is still home because of the memories of amazing food, card games, seashells and sand everywhere, early morning walks on the beach, lifetime friendships, and an old hard-sided Apache tent trailer that my dad would crank up every year for us to “live” in). After the kids romped around a bit, we re-created an old photo of them, wiped the sand off of their feet (which is a whole lot easier with them at this age!) and drove back up the hill.
(If you’re wondering why I’m describing so much about this Sunset place, it’s because so many people I know have been there and I’m certain they can see, smell, and feel every part of what I’m writing!)
We ended up at our favorite bagel shop, then on to the Santa Cruz Wharf where we checked out every restaurant before ending up at Woodies, looking out over the ocean, watching the surfers by the lighthouse (anyone know what that point is called?) We then headed back down to visit friends who were camping at New Brighton, totally crashing their beach party. (Well, actually, they were all a Ripon folks so we just blended in like we belonged!) After the rain started to fall, we packed it in and headed to Target to buy a pair of dry pants for the kid who managed to get his jeans soaked up to his thighs. We grabbed caffeine, and then we went home again, home again, jiggity jog. (That’s a Dad quote. It was necessary to quote him somewhere in this post).
We didn’t do math or language arts today.
But we did music and memories and relationships and food.
And those might be the 4 most important subjects we ever study.
KC
Today I took my kids to the coast.
We’re not on spring break. We’re just running on zero patience and 100% irritability with each other. We decided to leave the house so that we could like each other again!
We drove in the old familiar pick-up truck, even though it gets cramped with us and our stuff (because you do need a bag full of snacks and another one full of sweatshirts, beach towels, and a blanket when you head to the beach). We stopped at our old familiar mid-way point (Casa de Fruta) where we encountered a bunch of peacocks and one very interesting man who warned us about the peacocks and then proceeded to tell us the strangest “facts” about himself and his family until we carefully edged ourselves away from him. (I’m really good at being polite with interesting people, but this guy was pushing it with me, so much so that I was talking out of the corner of my mouth to my kids, telling them to get up and walk away!)
Our drive took close to a couple hours and we listened to a bunch of music (no electronics, for reals!) and we made observations about the currently amazing green earth and quoted a lot of dumb stuff that we’ve heard from the ridiculous YouTube videos and vines they watch. As we drove, it struck me that we are in this really cool stage of life: the stage where the memories they make are strong and they actually contribute more to those memories. Their personalities are emerging in a more “out loud” sort of way and they see things differently than the last time we took this drive (a few years ago). It can be really enjoyable to hang out with them! (I say, “can be” because it isn’t always enjoyable...)
When we hit Highway 1, we opted to go to our familiar beach: Sunset Beach. As we approached the campground, we rolled down our windows to smell the evergreeny, eucalyptus, ocean smell that evokes precious memories every time we smell it. (If someone can capture that scent in a candle or oil blend, I’d super appreciate it!) As we drove past the campground towards the main beach, I told the kids stories about camping with my dad and about how my husband (we missed you today, Scott!) asked me to marry him while at the lookout years ago. We found our old favorite camping spot and the climbable trees and then proceeded to drive (not walk the 700 steps) down to the beach. (Ok. It just feels like 700 steps, especially when you’re climbing back up, covered in sand!)
We climbed over the small dune and onto the wide expanse of beach where, on a clear day (which we had today!!) you can see both Santa Cruz and Moss Landing. There were only about 5 people on the beach as we walked to the water’s edge. I could have spent the entire day there, because it is so beautiful. I have met God numerous times where the waves roar and the water meets the sand. And I love to see my kids on the beach where I “grew up.” (Yes, this usually foggy, cold, wet campground and beach still feels like home to me, even though you had to pay to take a terrible shower and a fire was constantly lit to ward off the cold and wind and some years we dealt with skunks and other years we dealt with the farmers working in the fields next to us WAY too early in the morning. It is still home because of the memories of amazing food, card games, seashells and sand everywhere, early morning walks on the beach, lifetime friendships, and an old hard-sided Apache tent trailer that my dad would crank up every year for us to “live” in). After the kids romped around a bit, we re-created an old photo of them, wiped the sand off of their feet (which is a whole lot easier with them at this age!) and drove back up the hill.
(If you’re wondering why I’m describing so much about this Sunset place, it’s because so many people I know have been there and I’m certain they can see, smell, and feel every part of what I’m writing!)
We ended up at our favorite bagel shop, then on to the Santa Cruz Wharf where we checked out every restaurant before ending up at Woodies, looking out over the ocean, watching the surfers by the lighthouse (anyone know what that point is called?) We then headed back down to visit friends who were camping at New Brighton, totally crashing their beach party. (Well, actually, they were all a Ripon folks so we just blended in like we belonged!) After the rain started to fall, we packed it in and headed to Target to buy a pair of dry pants for the kid who managed to get his jeans soaked up to his thighs. We grabbed caffeine, and then we went home again, home again, jiggity jog. (That’s a Dad quote. It was necessary to quote him somewhere in this post).
We didn’t do math or language arts today.
But we did music and memories and relationships and food.
And those might be the 4 most important subjects we ever study.
KC
Thursday, February 7, 2019
for the love of cheese
I love cheese.
If you’ve spent any amount of time with me, you already know this.
A wonderful and dear friend of mine dropped off a wedge of cheese and some crackers to go along with the cheese and I nearly cried. I’ve never read about the Five Love Languages, but if cheese is not one of those languages, I think the book should maybe be re-written.
I come by this love of cheese genetically. I have fond memories of my Pa (aka my dad) cutting off a huge slice of Colby jack cheese and sticking that piece half in, half out of his mouth while he gnawed on it and continued to help out in the kitchen. I think I might have expanded my palate a bit further than he did, but I like to think that if he was still hanging out with us on earth that he would join in with all the fun cheese tasting I’ve done.
Not only have I developed a taste for an aged cheddar with crystally crunch (if you’ve had it, then that makes sense to you) or a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, but I have now introduced my kids to these not-so-inexpensive cheeses. My son will eat a block of creamy havarti in one sitting, if I don’t watch him. And my girl likes to keep in touch with her Dutch roots by eating smoked (not plain) Gouda (which I just pronounced correctly in my head, for all you true Gouda fans. It’s “How-dah,” pronounced with a little spit in the back of your throat. Don’t laugh. It’s the truth.)
Green Thunder, Red Fox, White Fox (yes, they are related), Manchega, Dubliner, Camembert, Scamorza, goat, sheep, and cow cheese... guys, the cheese possibilities are endless. I’ve had cheese soaked in red wine, cheese covered with a lavender and ground espresso bean rind, cheese that tastes and feels like thick peanut butter, 5 different blue cheeses (that each tasted completely different!) And I have had the stinkiest cheese ever (Epoisse - it’s French) which smelled 10 times worse than it tasted, and it really didn’t taste that good so you can imagine how bad it smelled!
(Oh my goodness, I am apparently infatuated with cheese! 😳)
(Guys, I just got distracted on Amazon for a minute and added 5 different articles of “cheese” apparel to my wish list. There’s a shirt that says, “Ban shredded cheese, make America grate again!” HA!!)
(And for my dairy-free friends: there is dairy-free and vegan cheeses out there. I just haven’t ventured out into that arena of cheeses yet!)
I keep trying to think of a good moral for why I decided to write about cheese and all I can think of is this: being passionate about something is a good thing. It makes you interesting (or weird). So go be passionate about something and don’t be afraid to tell other people about it. I’m not! I’ll talk to anyone about cheese!
I think of our kids in school and how often times they get teased for being different. And that is SO discouraging and frustrating. Those things that make your child unique should be celebrated! After all, the different passions and strengths that we have make this world work! We wouldn’t survive if the world was full of just athletes.. We need artists and musicians and farmers and techy computer people. And we don’t need just the straight A kids. We need kids who care about animals and about cooking and baking (and cheese!) and about other people.
I think it is so valuable to push your kids to pursue their strengths and passions (even if it is making slime - future scientist, I hope!) Someday, maybe not while they are in Jr. High, but someday that passion will be a source of self-confidence for them. For me it was playing the piano. And look at me now! It’s a career! Well, it could be if I had the time...
LMaybe I should make a career in cheese.
Once upon a time I hosted a cheese-tasting event and it was the best night ever! I think it’s time to host another. Who’s in?!
KC
If you’ve spent any amount of time with me, you already know this.
A wonderful and dear friend of mine dropped off a wedge of cheese and some crackers to go along with the cheese and I nearly cried. I’ve never read about the Five Love Languages, but if cheese is not one of those languages, I think the book should maybe be re-written.
I come by this love of cheese genetically. I have fond memories of my Pa (aka my dad) cutting off a huge slice of Colby jack cheese and sticking that piece half in, half out of his mouth while he gnawed on it and continued to help out in the kitchen. I think I might have expanded my palate a bit further than he did, but I like to think that if he was still hanging out with us on earth that he would join in with all the fun cheese tasting I’ve done.
Not only have I developed a taste for an aged cheddar with crystally crunch (if you’ve had it, then that makes sense to you) or a caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, but I have now introduced my kids to these not-so-inexpensive cheeses. My son will eat a block of creamy havarti in one sitting, if I don’t watch him. And my girl likes to keep in touch with her Dutch roots by eating smoked (not plain) Gouda (which I just pronounced correctly in my head, for all you true Gouda fans. It’s “How-dah,” pronounced with a little spit in the back of your throat. Don’t laugh. It’s the truth.)
Green Thunder, Red Fox, White Fox (yes, they are related), Manchega, Dubliner, Camembert, Scamorza, goat, sheep, and cow cheese... guys, the cheese possibilities are endless. I’ve had cheese soaked in red wine, cheese covered with a lavender and ground espresso bean rind, cheese that tastes and feels like thick peanut butter, 5 different blue cheeses (that each tasted completely different!) And I have had the stinkiest cheese ever (Epoisse - it’s French) which smelled 10 times worse than it tasted, and it really didn’t taste that good so you can imagine how bad it smelled!
(Oh my goodness, I am apparently infatuated with cheese! 😳)
(Guys, I just got distracted on Amazon for a minute and added 5 different articles of “cheese” apparel to my wish list. There’s a shirt that says, “Ban shredded cheese, make America grate again!” HA!!)
(And for my dairy-free friends: there is dairy-free and vegan cheeses out there. I just haven’t ventured out into that arena of cheeses yet!)
I keep trying to think of a good moral for why I decided to write about cheese and all I can think of is this: being passionate about something is a good thing. It makes you interesting (or weird). So go be passionate about something and don’t be afraid to tell other people about it. I’m not! I’ll talk to anyone about cheese!
I think of our kids in school and how often times they get teased for being different. And that is SO discouraging and frustrating. Those things that make your child unique should be celebrated! After all, the different passions and strengths that we have make this world work! We wouldn’t survive if the world was full of just athletes.. We need artists and musicians and farmers and techy computer people. And we don’t need just the straight A kids. We need kids who care about animals and about cooking and baking (and cheese!) and about other people.
I think it is so valuable to push your kids to pursue their strengths and passions (even if it is making slime - future scientist, I hope!) Someday, maybe not while they are in Jr. High, but someday that passion will be a source of self-confidence for them. For me it was playing the piano. And look at me now! It’s a career! Well, it could be if I had the time...
LMaybe I should make a career in cheese.
Once upon a time I hosted a cheese-tasting event and it was the best night ever! I think it’s time to host another. Who’s in?!
KC
Monday, February 4, 2019
dear child
Dear child of mine,
My heart breaks when I listen to you complain about what you don’t have or what I don’t allow you to get. This person has one and so does everyone else you know. So why can’t you?!
Because I am making a wise and healthy choice for you.
And jealousy doesn’t look good on you.
And you complain about the unfairness of life frequently.
Yes, it is unfair but the sooner you realize and accept this world of “not fair,” the easier it will be to deal with it.
I know you have hopes and dreams and you want them right now. I get it.
But do you realize that you are learning large amounts of patience in your waiting and that patience will prove to be invaluable in your lifetime? And perhaps waiting makes the “getting” so much better! And maybe, just maybe, I’m waiting until the perfect time to give it to you...
You are frustrated with the people around you, your friends who bring the drama or bring you down.
But what an excellent lesson in understanding and sympathy you are getting! Perhaps you are even learning how to create healthy boundaries. Boundaries are a good thing to learn at a young age.
Your irritation when I ask you to do things, as if it is an inconvenience for you to help me, is disappointing. I’ve done so much for you. Getting you to do a little something for me (without complaining AND with a cheerful attitude) is practically impossible. Child, when will you learn that the greatest rewards come from doing unto others?
And then there are the hard things that I push you to do that you fight me on. Do you know why I ask you to do them? It’s because it makes you stronger! It creates a more amazing you! I have high hopes for what you can do with your future, but if I don’t push you now, you might never step out of your comfort zone, there on the couch, watching Netflix.
Dear child,
I know it might take years for you to get just a glimpse of how much I love you, but know this: my love will always be there, running deep, just for you.
Love,
Mom
*When I wrote this, it started out as a letter to a whiny child of mine, but as I kept writing I realized that this could very well be a letter from God to me. Or maybe to you? Have you been whiny like me?!
My heart breaks when I listen to you complain about what you don’t have or what I don’t allow you to get. This person has one and so does everyone else you know. So why can’t you?!
Because I am making a wise and healthy choice for you.
And jealousy doesn’t look good on you.
And you complain about the unfairness of life frequently.
Yes, it is unfair but the sooner you realize and accept this world of “not fair,” the easier it will be to deal with it.
I know you have hopes and dreams and you want them right now. I get it.
But do you realize that you are learning large amounts of patience in your waiting and that patience will prove to be invaluable in your lifetime? And perhaps waiting makes the “getting” so much better! And maybe, just maybe, I’m waiting until the perfect time to give it to you...
You are frustrated with the people around you, your friends who bring the drama or bring you down.
But what an excellent lesson in understanding and sympathy you are getting! Perhaps you are even learning how to create healthy boundaries. Boundaries are a good thing to learn at a young age.
Your irritation when I ask you to do things, as if it is an inconvenience for you to help me, is disappointing. I’ve done so much for you. Getting you to do a little something for me (without complaining AND with a cheerful attitude) is practically impossible. Child, when will you learn that the greatest rewards come from doing unto others?
And then there are the hard things that I push you to do that you fight me on. Do you know why I ask you to do them? It’s because it makes you stronger! It creates a more amazing you! I have high hopes for what you can do with your future, but if I don’t push you now, you might never step out of your comfort zone, there on the couch, watching Netflix.
Dear child,
I know it might take years for you to get just a glimpse of how much I love you, but know this: my love will always be there, running deep, just for you.
Love,
Mom
*When I wrote this, it started out as a letter to a whiny child of mine, but as I kept writing I realized that this could very well be a letter from God to me. Or maybe to you? Have you been whiny like me?!
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
bigger than me
There have been a variety of experiences in my life that have been way too much for me to handle. I mean, if you take a look at who I was as a kid, you’d think I couldn’t handle much.
I was super duper painfully shy. It hurt my head and heart to say things to people. (If you’ve never been shy, I don’t expect you to understand this, but if you have been or are shy, you know what it feels like!) I was also prone to a nerves, which meant I had frequent stomachs aches as a child. My mom did her best to get to the bottom of the stomach aches, but in the end (and looking back now), I believe it was anxiety. I just didn’t handle things very well. This led to an anxiety disorder in high school and college (yay, me) with accompanying panic attacks (awesome). I was also very, very, very thin. I was not anorexic, but no one told my body that. I was skinny.
If you told me back then that I would raise a strong-willed kid, I would have laughed because the idea of raising any children at that point terrified me, even though it was truly my heart’s desire. If you told me that I would walk through cancer with both parents, back then, there was no way. I would have hidden in a closet, away from it all. I have lost a parent when he was WAY too young, I have lost family members to suicide, I have seen young lives living through trauma, I have shared the real me (the ugly, vulnerable me) with people, and I have said “No” to things I have been asked to do. And I have survived all the scary things.
This evening I had to have a tough conversation and while my insides were shaking, my words were not. I said what came to my heart, and even interjected humor at the appropriate moments. And I walked out of the conversation confident that all had been handled and handled well.
But I also walked out of that tough conversation knowing that all of that wasn’t me. I found the courage to walk into it knowing it was the right thing to do and knowing that God would handle it. And He did.
And when I look back at all the big things I have walked through and survived thus far, I KNOW it is not because of me. Because I am not Wonder Woman. I am just a skinny (well, not quite so skinny anymore) kid who said, “God, use me.” And He has.
I still fight Him on some things because I’m stubborn. I’m human. But When I do walk
into the scary things, I do so confidently because He is bigger than me.
He is bigger than little ol’ me.
KC
I was super duper painfully shy. It hurt my head and heart to say things to people. (If you’ve never been shy, I don’t expect you to understand this, but if you have been or are shy, you know what it feels like!) I was also prone to a nerves, which meant I had frequent stomachs aches as a child. My mom did her best to get to the bottom of the stomach aches, but in the end (and looking back now), I believe it was anxiety. I just didn’t handle things very well. This led to an anxiety disorder in high school and college (yay, me) with accompanying panic attacks (awesome). I was also very, very, very thin. I was not anorexic, but no one told my body that. I was skinny.
If you told me back then that I would raise a strong-willed kid, I would have laughed because the idea of raising any children at that point terrified me, even though it was truly my heart’s desire. If you told me that I would walk through cancer with both parents, back then, there was no way. I would have hidden in a closet, away from it all. I have lost a parent when he was WAY too young, I have lost family members to suicide, I have seen young lives living through trauma, I have shared the real me (the ugly, vulnerable me) with people, and I have said “No” to things I have been asked to do. And I have survived all the scary things.
This evening I had to have a tough conversation and while my insides were shaking, my words were not. I said what came to my heart, and even interjected humor at the appropriate moments. And I walked out of the conversation confident that all had been handled and handled well.
But I also walked out of that tough conversation knowing that all of that wasn’t me. I found the courage to walk into it knowing it was the right thing to do and knowing that God would handle it. And He did.
And when I look back at all the big things I have walked through and survived thus far, I KNOW it is not because of me. Because I am not Wonder Woman. I am just a skinny (well, not quite so skinny anymore) kid who said, “God, use me.” And He has.
I still fight Him on some things because I’m stubborn. I’m human. But When I do walk
into the scary things, I do so confidently because He is bigger than me.
He is bigger than little ol’ me.
KC
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
3 Lists for the Morning
My life has been changed!
For the good!
And hopefully forever!
Okay, that’s a bit too dramatic for what I’m sharing with you, but I am quite excited with the results of these three lists that I write everyday! So here’s the background (because I’m not awesome enough to have come up with this on my own): My good friend, Melissa, encouraged me to listen to a podcast from Rachel Hollis. She breaks down her “Start Today Journal”-ing Process in this podcast. My good friend, Carrie, took me to a goal setting workshop recently where Danny Lehr walked us through the goal setting process and then, because she’s awesome, Carrie agreed to be my accountability partner. And then I listened to another podcast interview of James Clear regarding his book entitled Atomic Habits. The combination of these things (and the necessity of needing a plan to survive this busy life so I don’t feel overwhelmed every. single. day.) led me to this morning habit of the 3 Lists.
The first list: My List of Gratitude.
More than one successful person has mentioned the value of starting the day in meditation. A few minutes of quiet to bring the mind into focus. Hollis mentioned that she focuses on what she’s grateful for. I use it as my morning prayer: to thank God for what He has done and to set my mind on the good. I try to write a minimum of ten things I am grateful for, from “a good night’s sleep,” to “progress,” to “cheeseburgers.” I don’t write long elaborate prayer sentences. I write simple words and phrases to connect myself to my Father first thing in the morning. And in one simple writing exercise I have spent time with God and set my mind in the right direction.
The second list: My List of Goals
This was a recommendation from all three of those successful folks: write your goals daily and write them as if they have already happened. For example: someday I’d like to play a role in people’s lives as a mentor so everyday I write: “I am a mentor.” I also would like to publish a book someday so I write: “I am a writer.” I jot down at least ten goals for myself. Usually I am writing the same goals that I wrote the day before, primarily so I am constantly reminded of what I am working on. Putting them down on paper makes me focus on who I am becoming instead of just who I hope to be someday.
The third list: My To Do List
This is the game changer for me. After I have focused my mind, I focus on my day. Here’s the deal for my brain: if I just keep everything that I need to do all up inside my head, I get stressed because every time I try to accomplish something, I think of something else I need to do and then I get distracted and can’t get the first thing done well. Things are just bouncing around like a bunch of super balls in my head and that makes me feel crazy and unsettled. So I write it down. I refer to my calendar to help me and then just start writing it all down. And then I get started.
There’s something rewarding about marking something off of a list. It does something for my mental state. I feel accomplished. I feel like a boss! Even if it is only because I emptied the dishwasher. I am the boss of that dishwasher! And you know what? Sometimes I’ll do something that’s not on my list, then go back to my list and add it, just so I can mark it off of my list! It makes me feel validated, like someone’s going to walk past that list and say, “ Wow! Look at all the things Kathy accomplished today!” When in all actuality, I am the only one who looks at my list and I’m the only one who looks at all I accomplished and thinks it’s awesome. But that’s enough for me!
And the nice thing about the To Do List is that it is a constant list. I can add things throughout the day that need to get done. That way, every time something comes up in my brain and it needs to get done, I stop it from bouncing around in my head, give the responsibility of remembering it to the list in my bullet journal, and then get on with it.
I cannot tell you just how grateful I am for the people who played a part in helping me get started on My 3 Lists. I began this habit in early January and then we had a sudden shift in our household that made things a bit hectic. I paused my habit for a few days and realized that I was back to crazy super ball brain. So I started it back up again and now each day feels manageable. That, to me, makes a day successful.
Now let’s see if I can keep it up in February too!
KC
For the good!
And hopefully forever!
Okay, that’s a bit too dramatic for what I’m sharing with you, but I am quite excited with the results of these three lists that I write everyday! So here’s the background (because I’m not awesome enough to have come up with this on my own): My good friend, Melissa, encouraged me to listen to a podcast from Rachel Hollis. She breaks down her “Start Today Journal”-ing Process in this podcast. My good friend, Carrie, took me to a goal setting workshop recently where Danny Lehr walked us through the goal setting process and then, because she’s awesome, Carrie agreed to be my accountability partner. And then I listened to another podcast interview of James Clear regarding his book entitled Atomic Habits. The combination of these things (and the necessity of needing a plan to survive this busy life so I don’t feel overwhelmed every. single. day.) led me to this morning habit of the 3 Lists.
The first list: My List of Gratitude.
More than one successful person has mentioned the value of starting the day in meditation. A few minutes of quiet to bring the mind into focus. Hollis mentioned that she focuses on what she’s grateful for. I use it as my morning prayer: to thank God for what He has done and to set my mind on the good. I try to write a minimum of ten things I am grateful for, from “a good night’s sleep,” to “progress,” to “cheeseburgers.” I don’t write long elaborate prayer sentences. I write simple words and phrases to connect myself to my Father first thing in the morning. And in one simple writing exercise I have spent time with God and set my mind in the right direction.
The second list: My List of Goals
This was a recommendation from all three of those successful folks: write your goals daily and write them as if they have already happened. For example: someday I’d like to play a role in people’s lives as a mentor so everyday I write: “I am a mentor.” I also would like to publish a book someday so I write: “I am a writer.” I jot down at least ten goals for myself. Usually I am writing the same goals that I wrote the day before, primarily so I am constantly reminded of what I am working on. Putting them down on paper makes me focus on who I am becoming instead of just who I hope to be someday.
The third list: My To Do List
This is the game changer for me. After I have focused my mind, I focus on my day. Here’s the deal for my brain: if I just keep everything that I need to do all up inside my head, I get stressed because every time I try to accomplish something, I think of something else I need to do and then I get distracted and can’t get the first thing done well. Things are just bouncing around like a bunch of super balls in my head and that makes me feel crazy and unsettled. So I write it down. I refer to my calendar to help me and then just start writing it all down. And then I get started.
There’s something rewarding about marking something off of a list. It does something for my mental state. I feel accomplished. I feel like a boss! Even if it is only because I emptied the dishwasher. I am the boss of that dishwasher! And you know what? Sometimes I’ll do something that’s not on my list, then go back to my list and add it, just so I can mark it off of my list! It makes me feel validated, like someone’s going to walk past that list and say, “ Wow! Look at all the things Kathy accomplished today!” When in all actuality, I am the only one who looks at my list and I’m the only one who looks at all I accomplished and thinks it’s awesome. But that’s enough for me!
And the nice thing about the To Do List is that it is a constant list. I can add things throughout the day that need to get done. That way, every time something comes up in my brain and it needs to get done, I stop it from bouncing around in my head, give the responsibility of remembering it to the list in my bullet journal, and then get on with it.
I cannot tell you just how grateful I am for the people who played a part in helping me get started on My 3 Lists. I began this habit in early January and then we had a sudden shift in our household that made things a bit hectic. I paused my habit for a few days and realized that I was back to crazy super ball brain. So I started it back up again and now each day feels manageable. That, to me, makes a day successful.
Now let’s see if I can keep it up in February too!
KC
Monday, January 28, 2019
organization
Well.
Here we are.
Nearly one month into 2019.
How did that even happen?!
In some regards it feels like it was Christmas just yesterday. And in other ways it feels like an entire year has passed in these 28 days. Am I the only one who feels that?!
This year has already kicked my butt.
But this year has already changed me too, in just 28 days. No, I’m not exercising every day or eating healthy (quite the contrary for both!😳) but I am 10 times more organized than I was when 2018 ended! I started this year off with a bang by vowing to meal plan one month at a time and by creating Daily To Do Lists for my kids on the Wunderlist App (I get no reimbursement for that but it has been a life saver for this homeschooloing mom!) I wake up and take time to create 3 of my own lists, as inspired by my friend Melissa, the last of which is my daily To Do List. I create these in my bullet journal that my niece, Kate, gave me because she already knows how my brain works, and then they look pretty and I get to mark them off when I’m done and feel super accomplished! I have other small goals that I have integrated into my calendar to help me achieve them over a long term basis and also so that they don’t get lost in this crazy life or forgotten because my brain often forgets...all things.
And BOOM!! Ten times more organized than last month!
And can I just tell you how grateful I am that all of those habits started up in the beginning of 2019, because about a week into 2019, we took on a challenge that God put before us which made our lives 2x (minimum!) busier than it was a month ago and suddenly all of those organization habits became necessary for sanity and survival!!
However, the most valuable habit that I put into place was my nighttime prayer. I tend to have constant conversations with God throughout the day, but they can to be “back burner” prayers, or one sentence momentary prayers. Things such as, “Jesus, I’m about to lose it right now. Please keep me sane.” Or, “I’m not in the mood for this so please give me the strength to handle it.” I often thank Him for beautiful sights, like the hills on a sunny day or even just to thank him for the sunshine because I’m not a fan of fog, gloominess, or overcast days. But again, these are my “here and there” prayers.
So I started my intentional nighttime prayer, which I used to do years ago in high school and college. When the rest of the house is tired or asleep and I’m ready to go to bed, I’m climb into my fuzzy blanket and start a conversation with God. We recap the day, talk about struggles and worries, and touch on the next day (but not too much because then my brain starts to get going and that’s not good for my brain...) And then He always tells me the same thing: let it go, let it go! And yes, the melody of that song goes through my head every. stinking. night.
But I tell you what: it works! I let it go and tell myself to trust the Bigger, Better Guy who has it all under control. He reminds me to take it one day at a time. And if I do that, I can handle each day as it comes.
I might have my little tricks to staying organized and keeping my sanity, but God’s got things organized on a much bigger scale. And my little self is so glad that He does.
KC
Here we are.
Nearly one month into 2019.
How did that even happen?!
In some regards it feels like it was Christmas just yesterday. And in other ways it feels like an entire year has passed in these 28 days. Am I the only one who feels that?!
This year has already kicked my butt.
But this year has already changed me too, in just 28 days. No, I’m not exercising every day or eating healthy (quite the contrary for both!😳) but I am 10 times more organized than I was when 2018 ended! I started this year off with a bang by vowing to meal plan one month at a time and by creating Daily To Do Lists for my kids on the Wunderlist App (I get no reimbursement for that but it has been a life saver for this homeschooloing mom!) I wake up and take time to create 3 of my own lists, as inspired by my friend Melissa, the last of which is my daily To Do List. I create these in my bullet journal that my niece, Kate, gave me because she already knows how my brain works, and then they look pretty and I get to mark them off when I’m done and feel super accomplished! I have other small goals that I have integrated into my calendar to help me achieve them over a long term basis and also so that they don’t get lost in this crazy life or forgotten because my brain often forgets...all things.
And BOOM!! Ten times more organized than last month!
And can I just tell you how grateful I am that all of those habits started up in the beginning of 2019, because about a week into 2019, we took on a challenge that God put before us which made our lives 2x (minimum!) busier than it was a month ago and suddenly all of those organization habits became necessary for sanity and survival!!
However, the most valuable habit that I put into place was my nighttime prayer. I tend to have constant conversations with God throughout the day, but they can to be “back burner” prayers, or one sentence momentary prayers. Things such as, “Jesus, I’m about to lose it right now. Please keep me sane.” Or, “I’m not in the mood for this so please give me the strength to handle it.” I often thank Him for beautiful sights, like the hills on a sunny day or even just to thank him for the sunshine because I’m not a fan of fog, gloominess, or overcast days. But again, these are my “here and there” prayers.
So I started my intentional nighttime prayer, which I used to do years ago in high school and college. When the rest of the house is tired or asleep and I’m ready to go to bed, I’m climb into my fuzzy blanket and start a conversation with God. We recap the day, talk about struggles and worries, and touch on the next day (but not too much because then my brain starts to get going and that’s not good for my brain...) And then He always tells me the same thing: let it go, let it go! And yes, the melody of that song goes through my head every. stinking. night.
But I tell you what: it works! I let it go and tell myself to trust the Bigger, Better Guy who has it all under control. He reminds me to take it one day at a time. And if I do that, I can handle each day as it comes.
I might have my little tricks to staying organized and keeping my sanity, but God’s got things organized on a much bigger scale. And my little self is so glad that He does.
KC
Saturday, January 5, 2019
the fountain of bricks
I built a thing today. It wasn’t super awesome and I wasn’t super good at building it. But the result of the effort I put into it paid off in dividends! (I don’t know exactly what that means but I’m hoping it means the same as “hugely” because that’s what I meant).
I had a list of projects today that I was determined to accomplish. I have started a new system of achieving my to-do list and so far I feel like a winner! But I’m only 4 days in so hold the applause until at least day 7, please. Today I managed to get it all done (which is kinda a strange feeling for me) so I sat on the floor where my boy had been messing around with Legos for about a half hour or so.
Now typically when I build with Legos, I start with a floor and then windows and walls and then I add furniture to my house. It’s been my Go-To Lego creation since I was a kid. It’s not very exciting anymore so I rarely play when my kids pull the little blocks out. I encourage them and even let them dump the crates of them on the floor (I know - CRAZY!) because I like to see what they come up with. They are so much more creative in that building sense than I am.
Today I watched my boy build a few things (a truck and then an island and then a waterfall) and I decided to try my hand at something other than a multi-colored brick house. It took me forEVer but I made a little park with a fountain in the middle of it. Not kidding: it took me at least an hour, probably closer to an hour and a half. Legos were everywhere. You can check my Instagram story to see the mess. I broke a couple of fingernails before I discovered that they now make this orange tool that pulls stubborn flat pieces apart for you! I used to have to resort to using my teeth to get those stupid thin bricks apart! I value my teeth more now.
As Linc and I finished my little park (complete with a bistro set and coins in the fountain) he said to me, “This was the best play time I’ve ever spent with you.” I made him repeat it because I wanted to make sure I had heard him correctly!
Guys, my heart flip flopped! I’ve known and lived with this kiddo for ten years. We have played SO many things together. We have built puzzles. We have practiced baseball. We have played board games. I’ve even played video games with him.
But this.
This was his best play time with me.
Aaahhhh! My heart was full! Getting on my knees and playing with my ten year old son, even though I would have rather watched a movie or read a book, was SO worth the aches and pains of being on a hard floor and all the time spent picking up every little teeny brick.
Who knew that Legos was his love language?!
I don’t like playing with Legos that much, but you had better believe that tomorrow we are creating a garden out of all the green bricks.
KC
I had a list of projects today that I was determined to accomplish. I have started a new system of achieving my to-do list and so far I feel like a winner! But I’m only 4 days in so hold the applause until at least day 7, please. Today I managed to get it all done (which is kinda a strange feeling for me) so I sat on the floor where my boy had been messing around with Legos for about a half hour or so.
Now typically when I build with Legos, I start with a floor and then windows and walls and then I add furniture to my house. It’s been my Go-To Lego creation since I was a kid. It’s not very exciting anymore so I rarely play when my kids pull the little blocks out. I encourage them and even let them dump the crates of them on the floor (I know - CRAZY!) because I like to see what they come up with. They are so much more creative in that building sense than I am.
Today I watched my boy build a few things (a truck and then an island and then a waterfall) and I decided to try my hand at something other than a multi-colored brick house. It took me forEVer but I made a little park with a fountain in the middle of it. Not kidding: it took me at least an hour, probably closer to an hour and a half. Legos were everywhere. You can check my Instagram story to see the mess. I broke a couple of fingernails before I discovered that they now make this orange tool that pulls stubborn flat pieces apart for you! I used to have to resort to using my teeth to get those stupid thin bricks apart! I value my teeth more now.
As Linc and I finished my little park (complete with a bistro set and coins in the fountain) he said to me, “This was the best play time I’ve ever spent with you.” I made him repeat it because I wanted to make sure I had heard him correctly!
Guys, my heart flip flopped! I’ve known and lived with this kiddo for ten years. We have played SO many things together. We have built puzzles. We have practiced baseball. We have played board games. I’ve even played video games with him.
But this.
This was his best play time with me.
Aaahhhh! My heart was full! Getting on my knees and playing with my ten year old son, even though I would have rather watched a movie or read a book, was SO worth the aches and pains of being on a hard floor and all the time spent picking up every little teeny brick.
Who knew that Legos was his love language?!
I don’t like playing with Legos that much, but you had better believe that tomorrow we are creating a garden out of all the green bricks.
KC
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
top ten for 2019
Wait, WHAT?! 2019?!
That means that it has been 19 years ago since we experienced 2000.
I think someone counted wrong.
That’s ridiculous, in my opinion.
But, as is the current tradition, I have started a list of goals. So far I have ten, but I am allowing myself the room to add more, if the hours in each day multiple by at least two.
I’ve decided to list them twice. The first list is actually the condensed version of the real list, created to see if it makes the original list feel easier or more difficult.
Let’s see.
Here goes:
1. Learn Spanish (well that seems hard/dificÃl)
2. Read (that should be easy - I read all the time on Facebook and Pinterest...)
3. Say No (I say that to my kids already quite frequently)
4. Make Rules (this makes it sound like we have no rules)
5. Organize (which is on every goal list everywhere for everyone)
6. Purge (interesting...)
7. Write A Book (well that’s lofty)
8. Write My Blog (already 6 or so years in so....)
9. Get Certified (as crazy?)
10. Plan Meals (I plan on eating every day so there’s that!)
I guess a little more detail helps with achievement so let me try that again.
1. Learn Spanish - using the Duolingo App for a minimum of 3 times a week. This has been my favorite way to practice a second language BY FAR. And my kids use it daily during the school week. You should check it out if you are interested in learning a second language. There are even a few made up languages on the app!
2. Read 12 books for enjoyment and 6 books for personal growth. Because I don’t think I should ever stop growing and reading/learning from other people’s life experiences is so valuable. And I really do love to read!
3. Say No. It is time for me to trim a few things from the schedule. I enjoy so much of what I do, but the busyness and stress wear on me, probably because I have turned old. I’m not good at disappointing people and I hate saying NO so this will be a tough one. (Don’t worry, piano students, I’m still going to teach piano!)
4. Make stricter rules for the kids pertaining to technology, sugar intake, and outdoor exercise. Essentially: create healthier kids.
5. Organize. I tend to just “make do” with what we’ve got, but when I do that, things get messy. So it’s time to invest in better ways of organization throughout the house and garage.
6. That being said, there needs to be less stuff to organize. Hence the purging. This is pretty much a goal every year, and every year I make at least two appointments for the Salvation Army to get a pile of donations from the garage. And then I breathe easier for a couple months until it’s time to purge again!
7. I have set up a schedule to write a book. My goal is to have a rough draft by the end of the year. It might not be good and it might not ever get published, but, by golly, I’m gonna do it!
8. I have also set up a schedule to write my blog more consistently. The goal is for me to NOT be silent for a couple months at a time!
9. Certified in foster care with the hopes of adoption in our future, God willing.
10. Feeding everyone everyday gets stressful. So I’m trying something new. Every month I plan on scheduling the entire month of dinner so that I don’t have to stress about it every night, just once a month! Sounds great, right? But it’s only January so we’ll see how it goes...
I’m sure there are a hundred other things I could add to this list like exercise more, eat better, spend less money, save more, spend more time with God, but those are things that I try to do all the time anyway (and fail at on a pretty regular basis). These ten things have been the top things on my mind for 2018 so it was time to be more intentional about them.
So here’s to being intentional in achieving our goals, my friends!
I hope 2019 is an awesome year for you!
❤️
KC
That means that it has been 19 years ago since we experienced 2000.
I think someone counted wrong.
That’s ridiculous, in my opinion.
But, as is the current tradition, I have started a list of goals. So far I have ten, but I am allowing myself the room to add more, if the hours in each day multiple by at least two.
I’ve decided to list them twice. The first list is actually the condensed version of the real list, created to see if it makes the original list feel easier or more difficult.
Let’s see.
Here goes:
1. Learn Spanish (well that seems hard/dificÃl)
2. Read (that should be easy - I read all the time on Facebook and Pinterest...)
3. Say No (I say that to my kids already quite frequently)
4. Make Rules (this makes it sound like we have no rules)
5. Organize (which is on every goal list everywhere for everyone)
6. Purge (interesting...)
7. Write A Book (well that’s lofty)
8. Write My Blog (already 6 or so years in so....)
9. Get Certified (as crazy?)
10. Plan Meals (I plan on eating every day so there’s that!)
I guess a little more detail helps with achievement so let me try that again.
1. Learn Spanish - using the Duolingo App for a minimum of 3 times a week. This has been my favorite way to practice a second language BY FAR. And my kids use it daily during the school week. You should check it out if you are interested in learning a second language. There are even a few made up languages on the app!
2. Read 12 books for enjoyment and 6 books for personal growth. Because I don’t think I should ever stop growing and reading/learning from other people’s life experiences is so valuable. And I really do love to read!
3. Say No. It is time for me to trim a few things from the schedule. I enjoy so much of what I do, but the busyness and stress wear on me, probably because I have turned old. I’m not good at disappointing people and I hate saying NO so this will be a tough one. (Don’t worry, piano students, I’m still going to teach piano!)
4. Make stricter rules for the kids pertaining to technology, sugar intake, and outdoor exercise. Essentially: create healthier kids.
5. Organize. I tend to just “make do” with what we’ve got, but when I do that, things get messy. So it’s time to invest in better ways of organization throughout the house and garage.
6. That being said, there needs to be less stuff to organize. Hence the purging. This is pretty much a goal every year, and every year I make at least two appointments for the Salvation Army to get a pile of donations from the garage. And then I breathe easier for a couple months until it’s time to purge again!
7. I have set up a schedule to write a book. My goal is to have a rough draft by the end of the year. It might not be good and it might not ever get published, but, by golly, I’m gonna do it!
8. I have also set up a schedule to write my blog more consistently. The goal is for me to NOT be silent for a couple months at a time!
9. Certified in foster care with the hopes of adoption in our future, God willing.
10. Feeding everyone everyday gets stressful. So I’m trying something new. Every month I plan on scheduling the entire month of dinner so that I don’t have to stress about it every night, just once a month! Sounds great, right? But it’s only January so we’ll see how it goes...
I’m sure there are a hundred other things I could add to this list like exercise more, eat better, spend less money, save more, spend more time with God, but those are things that I try to do all the time anyway (and fail at on a pretty regular basis). These ten things have been the top things on my mind for 2018 so it was time to be more intentional about them.
So here’s to being intentional in achieving our goals, my friends!
I hope 2019 is an awesome year for you!
❤️
KC
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Dear God,
Dear God,
I have a request. You’re God so I’m hoping you can help me out with this one. Well, I know you CAN, so I guess I’m also hoping you will help me.
See, I’m a mom. An overthinking, anxious, stressed, worrisome mom. But you already knew that, as per my previous prayers. I’ve got these two great kids that you put in my care. Who would have thought that raising two kids would be so tough?! Well, you had that figured out already when you chose them to be my kiddos so you knew about the chases that would take place around the house trying to get my girl to her room for a time out, and the nights I would spend on my son’s floor when he was sick, and the follow-through that had to happen when I threatened to cut my daughter’s constantly tangled hair. Did you laugh at that one?! I’m guessing you did...
Anyway, I am trying my best at this whole mom thing, but I don’t think I quite understood the whole “Full-Time Mom” thing when I signed up for it. It’s not 9-5 or a 40 hour work week, as were my previous full-time jobs. It’s pretty much “Round The Clock” scheduling, (did you forget about the sleeping thing that seems to be imperative to us human forms?) Even when I’m not with them, I still worry about them. I dream about them! They have infiltrated every part of my life and seem to always know the exact time I go to use the bathroom. Is that just a special gifting you gave to children? That’s not very funny, God. I’m just asking for 4 or so minutes of personal space to do my personal business... I don’t feel like I’m asking too much here.
As you can imagine, this 24 hour thing leaves me a bit vulnerable and exposed. I don’t really have much of an opportunity to hide my numerous imperfections and short-comings. And those two great kids are smarter than they look. They know where my buttons are and they push them. Often. And then my weaknesses are right there in front of them. I have not yet found a way to stop the bigger one from hurting the younger one whilst I make dinner. It seems to happen most often when my hands are yucky or wet and 25 things are cooking all at the same time. (Yes, that’s a lie, but if it’s an exaggeration for emphasis, does that really count? I know you get me, God.) This is when I hear squealing and crying and I turn to see the bigger one wrapped around the littler one like an octopus squeezing its prey. It’s like clockwork! Every. Night. And, if I’m being honest, which I am because you’d know it if I wasn’t, I’m not the sweetest mom at that moment. All forms of frustration and aggravation show up at my face. The words come out loudly, my expression is the one that has created all these wrinkles, and my face turns beet red, I’m certain. It’s not super pretty, God.
And these sorts of situations arise frequently! Please don’t misunderstand (which I know you won’t because of being God and all): I really do love this mom gig, despite all my complaining (btw, do you hear the ones I mutter under my breath, too?) and I think I’ve gotten a little bit better at it each year, but about that request: do you think that maybe you could plant the good memories of me in my kids’ long term memory and the angry, ugly memories in their short term memory? I’d really prefer when they are my age that they remember the mom who played the music really loud in the truck while she beebopped along or remember the mom who made Family Breakfast every Saturday morning. Or even better: remind them of the times I showed them unconditional love and demonstrated grace to their little selves.
Maybe if I knew that the good mom things would stick out stronger than the bad mom things, maybe then I’d show myself more grace.
I appreciate your consideration in this matter, God.
Love,
KC
(One of many frazzled moms just trying to do her best...but you already knew that.)
I have a request. You’re God so I’m hoping you can help me out with this one. Well, I know you CAN, so I guess I’m also hoping you will help me.
See, I’m a mom. An overthinking, anxious, stressed, worrisome mom. But you already knew that, as per my previous prayers. I’ve got these two great kids that you put in my care. Who would have thought that raising two kids would be so tough?! Well, you had that figured out already when you chose them to be my kiddos so you knew about the chases that would take place around the house trying to get my girl to her room for a time out, and the nights I would spend on my son’s floor when he was sick, and the follow-through that had to happen when I threatened to cut my daughter’s constantly tangled hair. Did you laugh at that one?! I’m guessing you did...
Anyway, I am trying my best at this whole mom thing, but I don’t think I quite understood the whole “Full-Time Mom” thing when I signed up for it. It’s not 9-5 or a 40 hour work week, as were my previous full-time jobs. It’s pretty much “Round The Clock” scheduling, (did you forget about the sleeping thing that seems to be imperative to us human forms?) Even when I’m not with them, I still worry about them. I dream about them! They have infiltrated every part of my life and seem to always know the exact time I go to use the bathroom. Is that just a special gifting you gave to children? That’s not very funny, God. I’m just asking for 4 or so minutes of personal space to do my personal business... I don’t feel like I’m asking too much here.
As you can imagine, this 24 hour thing leaves me a bit vulnerable and exposed. I don’t really have much of an opportunity to hide my numerous imperfections and short-comings. And those two great kids are smarter than they look. They know where my buttons are and they push them. Often. And then my weaknesses are right there in front of them. I have not yet found a way to stop the bigger one from hurting the younger one whilst I make dinner. It seems to happen most often when my hands are yucky or wet and 25 things are cooking all at the same time. (Yes, that’s a lie, but if it’s an exaggeration for emphasis, does that really count? I know you get me, God.) This is when I hear squealing and crying and I turn to see the bigger one wrapped around the littler one like an octopus squeezing its prey. It’s like clockwork! Every. Night. And, if I’m being honest, which I am because you’d know it if I wasn’t, I’m not the sweetest mom at that moment. All forms of frustration and aggravation show up at my face. The words come out loudly, my expression is the one that has created all these wrinkles, and my face turns beet red, I’m certain. It’s not super pretty, God.
And these sorts of situations arise frequently! Please don’t misunderstand (which I know you won’t because of being God and all): I really do love this mom gig, despite all my complaining (btw, do you hear the ones I mutter under my breath, too?) and I think I’ve gotten a little bit better at it each year, but about that request: do you think that maybe you could plant the good memories of me in my kids’ long term memory and the angry, ugly memories in their short term memory? I’d really prefer when they are my age that they remember the mom who played the music really loud in the truck while she beebopped along or remember the mom who made Family Breakfast every Saturday morning. Or even better: remind them of the times I showed them unconditional love and demonstrated grace to their little selves.
Maybe if I knew that the good mom things would stick out stronger than the bad mom things, maybe then I’d show myself more grace.
I appreciate your consideration in this matter, God.
Love,
KC
(One of many frazzled moms just trying to do her best...but you already knew that.)
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
dear 40
Dear 40,
I’ve decided we can’t be friends anymore. You have caused too much drama, tears, aches, and pains already and we have only known each other for about 5 months. This doesn’t speak well for our relationship.
I left 39 with great optimism, hoping that you would be “just a number,” as so many have told me you were. I thought 40 was the new 30, but apparently someone lied because 30 treated me a lot kinder and with much more appreciation than you have so far.
I know I haven’t been perfect on my end, but I have put forth more effort these last five months than I have in the past few years. I’ve exercised more and have changed my eating habits quite drastically for a while! And what did you do with that?! Nothing. Couldn’t even give me one little ab muscle. I even tried going to bed earlier for a good night’s sleep and you know what that got me? Wide awake at 3:00 a.m! I am not a fan of being wide awake at 3:00 a.m. Because usually that leads to me still being awake at 4:30 a.m. and after that I’m just plain crabby for the rest of the day.
I’ve had a tooth pulled (and that sucker was gross). I’ve had allergies and sinus issues for the first time ever since I was born here. And I’ve managed to have those allergies move to my eyes and cause utter eye chaos. My vision is still great!! But hey, I’ve still got seven months left to hang out with you, so who knows what you’ll do to my vision in that much time. 🙄
My skin no longer has any moisture left in it, especially my face. And the bags under my eyes somehow managed to be magnified tenfold, and that is with me putting more effort into taking care of my skin than I have in my entire life!
So for those reasons, and numerous additional reasons, 40, you and I can’t be friends. I will tolerate this relationship for the next seven months, but you’d better believe that I am already making plans with 41 so that 41 can be my BFF year ever.
Regretfully yours,
(but only for 7 more months),
KC
I’ve decided we can’t be friends anymore. You have caused too much drama, tears, aches, and pains already and we have only known each other for about 5 months. This doesn’t speak well for our relationship.
I left 39 with great optimism, hoping that you would be “just a number,” as so many have told me you were. I thought 40 was the new 30, but apparently someone lied because 30 treated me a lot kinder and with much more appreciation than you have so far.
I know I haven’t been perfect on my end, but I have put forth more effort these last five months than I have in the past few years. I’ve exercised more and have changed my eating habits quite drastically for a while! And what did you do with that?! Nothing. Couldn’t even give me one little ab muscle. I even tried going to bed earlier for a good night’s sleep and you know what that got me? Wide awake at 3:00 a.m! I am not a fan of being wide awake at 3:00 a.m. Because usually that leads to me still being awake at 4:30 a.m. and after that I’m just plain crabby for the rest of the day.
I’ve had a tooth pulled (and that sucker was gross). I’ve had allergies and sinus issues for the first time ever since I was born here. And I’ve managed to have those allergies move to my eyes and cause utter eye chaos. My vision is still great!! But hey, I’ve still got seven months left to hang out with you, so who knows what you’ll do to my vision in that much time. 🙄
My skin no longer has any moisture left in it, especially my face. And the bags under my eyes somehow managed to be magnified tenfold, and that is with me putting more effort into taking care of my skin than I have in my entire life!
So for those reasons, and numerous additional reasons, 40, you and I can’t be friends. I will tolerate this relationship for the next seven months, but you’d better believe that I am already making plans with 41 so that 41 can be my BFF year ever.
Regretfully yours,
(but only for 7 more months),
KC
Thursday, November 15, 2018
bedtime and giggles
Tonight I did the anti-parenting thing: I messed with the kids' bedtime. I'm not super-dee-duper strict on their bedtimes, but they each have a time which they get sent upstairs to get ready for bed and then, well, go to bed. We are usually within 5-10 minutes of that time for each kiddo.
I sent Linc to bed first and then, once he was ready, I laid down next to him, just to hang out for a bit. Then I realized that Jayne's bedtime had passed me by so I texted her from upstairs (don't make fun of convenience, folks...) and then kept texting her funny gifs until she rolled her eyes and came upstairs. (I didn't see her roll her eyes but she did send me a gif asking me if I was crazy so I'm certain there was an eye roll in there somewhere.)
And then she came and laid down on the other side of me and we looked at old Instagram pics for about 40 minutes. And giggled our booties off. Like completely gone. No more bums. (I write some funny stuff on Instagram, people! The pictures might not always be the best, but the captions are hilarious... in my kids' opinion, anyway. I have not the slightest idea where that comes from, because I don't actually think I'm that funny... But if you want to see for yourself, my Instagram is @katcragin_writes. If you've read my sock saga on Instagram, then you know the hilarity that is my life with J and L. If you haven't read it, no big loss, I promise.)
So at this point, my kids' bedtimes had been long gone. Now granted, we homeschool, so flexibility is on our side. But typically, I still get them up at a decent hour because that's life: you still have to get up at a decent hour and be productive no matter what time you get to bed. (Preparing them for adulthood, I tell ya.)
I tucked them both in and let them go to sleep, 45-60 minutes later than usual. And I have no regrets. (I mean tomorrow morning might be different when I'm trying to rouse them from the depths of sleep, but currently: no regrets.)
Tonight, I prioritized things a little differently. I chose to reminisce with my kids, to giggle with them, and to hopefully create memories of "that one time Mom stayed up with us to look at funny pictures on Instagram." When they get older, I do want them to remember that we cared enough to try to get them ample sleep and give them a structured bedtime, for their own good. (It's the way we are wired around here.) But I also want them to remember the times when I was relaxed enough to enjoy our time together, bending the rules a bit to do so.
Now I don't know that there's a specific scripture that talks about letting your children stay up a little later than usual so that you can spend time giggling together (I'm pretty sure there isn't), but I do know that Jesus held children in a special place and in high regard. And he blessed them.
I think giggling with my children is blessing them.
I know it's a blessing for me!
KC
I sent Linc to bed first and then, once he was ready, I laid down next to him, just to hang out for a bit. Then I realized that Jayne's bedtime had passed me by so I texted her from upstairs (don't make fun of convenience, folks...) and then kept texting her funny gifs until she rolled her eyes and came upstairs. (I didn't see her roll her eyes but she did send me a gif asking me if I was crazy so I'm certain there was an eye roll in there somewhere.)
And then she came and laid down on the other side of me and we looked at old Instagram pics for about 40 minutes. And giggled our booties off. Like completely gone. No more bums. (I write some funny stuff on Instagram, people! The pictures might not always be the best, but the captions are hilarious... in my kids' opinion, anyway. I have not the slightest idea where that comes from, because I don't actually think I'm that funny... But if you want to see for yourself, my Instagram is @katcragin_writes. If you've read my sock saga on Instagram, then you know the hilarity that is my life with J and L. If you haven't read it, no big loss, I promise.)
So at this point, my kids' bedtimes had been long gone. Now granted, we homeschool, so flexibility is on our side. But typically, I still get them up at a decent hour because that's life: you still have to get up at a decent hour and be productive no matter what time you get to bed. (Preparing them for adulthood, I tell ya.)
I tucked them both in and let them go to sleep, 45-60 minutes later than usual. And I have no regrets. (I mean tomorrow morning might be different when I'm trying to rouse them from the depths of sleep, but currently: no regrets.)
Tonight, I prioritized things a little differently. I chose to reminisce with my kids, to giggle with them, and to hopefully create memories of "that one time Mom stayed up with us to look at funny pictures on Instagram." When they get older, I do want them to remember that we cared enough to try to get them ample sleep and give them a structured bedtime, for their own good. (It's the way we are wired around here.) But I also want them to remember the times when I was relaxed enough to enjoy our time together, bending the rules a bit to do so.
Now I don't know that there's a specific scripture that talks about letting your children stay up a little later than usual so that you can spend time giggling together (I'm pretty sure there isn't), but I do know that Jesus held children in a special place and in high regard. And he blessed them.
I think giggling with my children is blessing them.
I know it's a blessing for me!
KC
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
good news, bad news
So good news: the flies are all dead.
Bad news: I'm freaking freezing!
I'm not a fan of the cold weather. I think I would be okay living in 80 degree weather for the rest of my life. I like the change of the seasons, but I can see them on the internet or by visiting places for short periods of time. It's not a necessity that I live somewhere that has a great show of colors in the fall, freezing temps in the winter, and rain, rain, rain in the spring. (Rain is a whole other post for another day...)
The temps dropped in a day around here, or so it seems. I'm pretty sure on Saturday it was still summer but on Sunday, it was suddenly winter. How that happened, I'm not sure. Global Warming, maybe? (Please note: this is, by no means, a political post about Global Warming. I know nothing about Global Warming, I'm not even sure I should be capitalizing it, because I have done absolutely no research on it. If that makes me ignorant, then so be it: I'm ignorant.)
So I walk around the house in pants and socks and slippers and a t-shirt under a sweatshirt, under another bigger, warmer sweatshirt. I don't even try to match any of my articles of clothing. If it keeps me warm, it is doing what it's required to do, whether it is plaid, striped, orange, or pink. (Fortunately for my boring self, a majority of my closet is some shade of black, white, or grey, so most everything matches anyway!)
The blankets are multiplying and yet I can't seem to find one that keeps me warm enough. They are appearing out of closets and baskets, off of couches and beds. They are piling up on little bodies and then left in places that are perfect for me to trip over. Perfect mounds of warmness, left in the middle of the hallway. Because where else would they go?! A closet? Back on the bed? That's dumb because they are just going to migrate back out into the hallway in a half hour...
And you know what sounds delicious? All the warm soups and breads and chowders and pasta dishes. And you know what I'm avoiding in my diet currently? Most soups, breads, chowders, and pasta dishes. So I'm going to have a cold, fresh salad instead: no croutons.
Getting out of bed in the morning is next to impossible when it's cold outside the bed. It's tough enough to do as it is, but add an element of chill and it's a battle of my wills. Actually, I'm not even sure if there's a battle. The little good angel on one shoulder is just as snug in the bed as the little bad angel... So if I'm late to anything during the cold winter days, I'll give you one guess as to why.
Negative Winter Nelly, I know it. I just don't care to be cold. It makes me a little grumpy and irritated!
But, let me tell you what winter also does for me: it helps me look for the good.
Looking for the good is something I have been trying my best to practice for many years. Once you start the habit of looking for the good, it's not that hard to find.
Winter lets me snuggle with my kiddos.
We sit together by my roaring fire when we do school work.
(It's not actually roaring; it puts out approximately 2 feet of warmth but we appreciate its effort.)
I get to wear my fuzzy slippers.
I also get to wear my boots. I love my boots!
And fun long socks and beanies and leg warmers. Yes. Leg warmers. Don't laugh. They're adorable!
The trees are actually quite pretty in our little town. Combinations of orange, yellow, and red.
This weather means Thanksgiving is near, followed closely by Christmas and I LOVE holiday traditions!
And best of all: the flies are dead.
All of them.
Dead.
Keep looking for the good, my friends.
Find those things to be thankful in the middle of the cold, even if it's just the lack of flies.
(Well... that is not a sentence I ever foresaw myself writing!)
KC
Bad news: I'm freaking freezing!
I'm not a fan of the cold weather. I think I would be okay living in 80 degree weather for the rest of my life. I like the change of the seasons, but I can see them on the internet or by visiting places for short periods of time. It's not a necessity that I live somewhere that has a great show of colors in the fall, freezing temps in the winter, and rain, rain, rain in the spring. (Rain is a whole other post for another day...)
The temps dropped in a day around here, or so it seems. I'm pretty sure on Saturday it was still summer but on Sunday, it was suddenly winter. How that happened, I'm not sure. Global Warming, maybe? (Please note: this is, by no means, a political post about Global Warming. I know nothing about Global Warming, I'm not even sure I should be capitalizing it, because I have done absolutely no research on it. If that makes me ignorant, then so be it: I'm ignorant.)
So I walk around the house in pants and socks and slippers and a t-shirt under a sweatshirt, under another bigger, warmer sweatshirt. I don't even try to match any of my articles of clothing. If it keeps me warm, it is doing what it's required to do, whether it is plaid, striped, orange, or pink. (Fortunately for my boring self, a majority of my closet is some shade of black, white, or grey, so most everything matches anyway!)
The blankets are multiplying and yet I can't seem to find one that keeps me warm enough. They are appearing out of closets and baskets, off of couches and beds. They are piling up on little bodies and then left in places that are perfect for me to trip over. Perfect mounds of warmness, left in the middle of the hallway. Because where else would they go?! A closet? Back on the bed? That's dumb because they are just going to migrate back out into the hallway in a half hour...
And you know what sounds delicious? All the warm soups and breads and chowders and pasta dishes. And you know what I'm avoiding in my diet currently? Most soups, breads, chowders, and pasta dishes. So I'm going to have a cold, fresh salad instead: no croutons.
Getting out of bed in the morning is next to impossible when it's cold outside the bed. It's tough enough to do as it is, but add an element of chill and it's a battle of my wills. Actually, I'm not even sure if there's a battle. The little good angel on one shoulder is just as snug in the bed as the little bad angel... So if I'm late to anything during the cold winter days, I'll give you one guess as to why.
Negative Winter Nelly, I know it. I just don't care to be cold. It makes me a little grumpy and irritated!
But, let me tell you what winter also does for me: it helps me look for the good.
Looking for the good is something I have been trying my best to practice for many years. Once you start the habit of looking for the good, it's not that hard to find.
Winter lets me snuggle with my kiddos.
We sit together by my roaring fire when we do school work.
(It's not actually roaring; it puts out approximately 2 feet of warmth but we appreciate its effort.)
I get to wear my fuzzy slippers.
I also get to wear my boots. I love my boots!
And fun long socks and beanies and leg warmers. Yes. Leg warmers. Don't laugh. They're adorable!
The trees are actually quite pretty in our little town. Combinations of orange, yellow, and red.
This weather means Thanksgiving is near, followed closely by Christmas and I LOVE holiday traditions!
And best of all: the flies are dead.
All of them.
Dead.
Keep looking for the good, my friends.
Find those things to be thankful in the middle of the cold, even if it's just the lack of flies.
(Well... that is not a sentence I ever foresaw myself writing!)
KC
Monday, November 12, 2018
the word
Ya know, I'm not really the type of person who picks out a word that defines me for the year. I haven't had a year of "rest" or a year of "hustle." I think so much happens in a year that it's hard for me to determine what kind of year it's going to be before it even starts. I mean a year ago my life went a completely different direction than I had planned out when I found out my mom had a large cancerous tumor that had to be removed, followed by chemo treatments that wiped her out completely. That'll change the course of the year for a gal. (Even more so for my mom, obviously!)
(And for those who aren't aware, she stopped the chemo at the end of last year and has been recovering this entire year, pushing herself to get stronger and make healthier choices for herself. She has an appointment in a week to see if that tumor decided to leave and never come back.)
This year was the same as all my other years: I didn't pick out a word. But there's one that keeps showing up frequently. It appears when I write. It appears in my home decor. It appears when I study scripture with my kids. It comes up in conversations with my friends. It shows up in pretty much all of my pastor's sermons. It has ALWAYS been present in my life, but this year it feels like God is flashing the word in bright letters right in front of my face everywhere I go.
KATHY: PAY ATTENTION THIS TIME!!
It's grace.
Undeserved favor.
I did not ever earn it.
I still cannot do anything to earn it.
I definitely do not deserve it. I stink at being good and perfect and righteous.
And here I sit, still bummed on myself and all my imperfectness, badness, and wrongness.
Seriously, you guys! Why is it so hard to grasp this concept?
I have theories.
I think we are surrounded by expectations and judgement in this world. We don't hand out enough grace ourselves. We don't receive enough grace from those around us. It's not practiced near enough. So it's not familiar and not easy to accept. Especially in a world that makes you try to earn everything!
And this is not just in the worldly world, the secular world, the non-Christian world. It's right here in front of our Christian noses. I'm not sure God even needs to judge us because we are doing a pretty good job of judging each other here. (I mean, He really does need to judge us: we stink at being judges because we are each pretty full of yuck and filth and He isn't at all, which makes Him much better at this whole judging thing.)
And we are fighting a constant battle with the devil who tells us that we have to be good and perfect enough in order to receive this gift of grace. Which he knows we never will be so that's just cruel. Mean old devil.
So for all those reasons, I put that word up in my home, and talk about it in conversations, and teach my children about it, and continue to learn about it from the Bible. Because I need constant reminding that my God is so loving that He gifted me this phenomenal grace despite me and my shortcomings.
Now what to do with that grace...
Keep making those bad choices over and over and over again?
I think of it like this: If I had a car that had a dent in it, another little ding in it wouldn't be that big of a deal, and if I ended up in a fender bender with my dented and dinged up car, I probably wouldn't get too upset and then if I lost a headlight or a fender, well, it's already a trash heap so whatever.
But if someone looked at that heap and traded me their brand new Maserati (I cannot help my love for expensive cars) for that pile of trash, I think I might take better care of that Maserati and drive with more caution and be more mindful of my driving choices because I am SO grateful for this amazing car that someone graciously gave me, even though I wasn't a good driver and didn't take good care of my heap beforehand!
(Is this making sense to anyone else whose brain likes things explained in pictures like mine does?)
So this gift of grace is our motivator. It inspires us to try harder to be better out of our gratitude to God who gave it to us. Are we going to do a perfect job at not sinning? HA! No, but you might find your attitude is adjusted when you truly understand what this grace means for your life. And you might also find yourself handing out that grace a little more freely than before you had received it. (You know, kinda like a "pay it forward" sort of deal.)
In order for us to be constantly reminded of this grace, maybe we should follow Paul's lead in his letters and greet one another with grace and peace every day.
"Grace and peace to you, Karen!"
"And grace and peace to you as well, Debbie!"
For some reason, I don't think that will catch on...
KC
(And for those who aren't aware, she stopped the chemo at the end of last year and has been recovering this entire year, pushing herself to get stronger and make healthier choices for herself. She has an appointment in a week to see if that tumor decided to leave and never come back.)
This year was the same as all my other years: I didn't pick out a word. But there's one that keeps showing up frequently. It appears when I write. It appears in my home decor. It appears when I study scripture with my kids. It comes up in conversations with my friends. It shows up in pretty much all of my pastor's sermons. It has ALWAYS been present in my life, but this year it feels like God is flashing the word in bright letters right in front of my face everywhere I go.
KATHY: PAY ATTENTION THIS TIME!!
It's grace.
Undeserved favor.
I did not ever earn it.
I still cannot do anything to earn it.
I definitely do not deserve it. I stink at being good and perfect and righteous.
And here I sit, still bummed on myself and all my imperfectness, badness, and wrongness.
Seriously, you guys! Why is it so hard to grasp this concept?
I have theories.
I think we are surrounded by expectations and judgement in this world. We don't hand out enough grace ourselves. We don't receive enough grace from those around us. It's not practiced near enough. So it's not familiar and not easy to accept. Especially in a world that makes you try to earn everything!
And this is not just in the worldly world, the secular world, the non-Christian world. It's right here in front of our Christian noses. I'm not sure God even needs to judge us because we are doing a pretty good job of judging each other here. (I mean, He really does need to judge us: we stink at being judges because we are each pretty full of yuck and filth and He isn't at all, which makes Him much better at this whole judging thing.)
And we are fighting a constant battle with the devil who tells us that we have to be good and perfect enough in order to receive this gift of grace. Which he knows we never will be so that's just cruel. Mean old devil.
So for all those reasons, I put that word up in my home, and talk about it in conversations, and teach my children about it, and continue to learn about it from the Bible. Because I need constant reminding that my God is so loving that He gifted me this phenomenal grace despite me and my shortcomings.
Now what to do with that grace...
Keep making those bad choices over and over and over again?
I think of it like this: If I had a car that had a dent in it, another little ding in it wouldn't be that big of a deal, and if I ended up in a fender bender with my dented and dinged up car, I probably wouldn't get too upset and then if I lost a headlight or a fender, well, it's already a trash heap so whatever.
But if someone looked at that heap and traded me their brand new Maserati (I cannot help my love for expensive cars) for that pile of trash, I think I might take better care of that Maserati and drive with more caution and be more mindful of my driving choices because I am SO grateful for this amazing car that someone graciously gave me, even though I wasn't a good driver and didn't take good care of my heap beforehand!
(Is this making sense to anyone else whose brain likes things explained in pictures like mine does?)
So this gift of grace is our motivator. It inspires us to try harder to be better out of our gratitude to God who gave it to us. Are we going to do a perfect job at not sinning? HA! No, but you might find your attitude is adjusted when you truly understand what this grace means for your life. And you might also find yourself handing out that grace a little more freely than before you had received it. (You know, kinda like a "pay it forward" sort of deal.)
In order for us to be constantly reminded of this grace, maybe we should follow Paul's lead in his letters and greet one another with grace and peace every day.
"Grace and peace to you, Karen!"
"And grace and peace to you as well, Debbie!"
For some reason, I don't think that will catch on...
KC
Thursday, August 16, 2018
not perfection
This summer was crazy. Why? I can't tell you exactly except that it felt as though the calendar filled up faster than during the school year. Which is super crazy because during the school year, I home school my kiddos and drive them to all their extracurriculars and teach piano lessons and semi-decently maintain my wife and mom duties. So you would THINK that the school year feels busier but nope.
Summer's ridiculous.
But I noticed something interesting this summer: my motivation for just about everything was extremely diminished, and yet God was constantly teaching me through conversations with amazing friends and through podcasts that I was trying to listen to 10 minutes at a time and books that I was reading through one chapter a week. Even in the small spaces, He was teaching me. But I struggled because where in the world was my push and motivation to write?!
And then *click!* - it was time to write! (I don't always understand the rhyme or reason; I just try to go with it.)
There were a couple of constant messages that God has been whispering and shouting at me lately (depending on my attitude). I found a sign at Kirkland's in Turlock.( If you haven't been there, you must go there. The smelly packets of amazing scents make the visit totally worth it all by themselves! My house smells so incredibly calm and peaceful and comfortable and a whole bunch of things that aren't actually scents but make you feel like they should be. Trust me: visit Kirkland's.)
Getting back to the sign...
The sign currently hangs above my desk and says this:
LIVE BY GRACE
NOT BY PERFECTION
I should probably get that tattooed on the back of my hand where I will read it every day!
Why is it so difficult to get this through our minds?! Unless I'm the only one, in which case: Why is it so difficult to get this through my mind?!
Maybe I learned this all wrong when I was a kid in church, but weren't we taught that it is by grace we have been saved, through faith and this is NOT OF OURSELVES, it is a gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
So here are the two things that bounce around in my head as I read that sign.
1. Self, (yes, conversing with my Self right here) stop trying to hold yourself to an impossible standard. Just know that you are going to fail and be okay with it. It is through those failures that we learn and grow. (Seriously, y'all: I just told my kids this a couple days ago. Practice what you preach, much, Self?)
2. Have eyes of grace. Okay,so here's what I mean: so if you picture your toddler trying to walk, but falling down, or your kiddo learning to ride their bike but they are super wobbly, or your teen is learning to cook or bake and the result is less than amazing, what do you do? Disown them? Tell them to find someone else to teach them how to ride a bike or make cookies? Scorn your toddler and tell them they will never learn to walk?
No - that's dumb.
We have the eyes of grace which looks at them with understanding and kindness and takes the time to teach them and encourage them.
So why don't we do the same with other people in this world? We place these expectations of perfection on others and when they don't reach those standards, we stop investing in them or scorn them or gossip about them... (Did that one hit home?)
I believe (and this is in part because I have this big log in my eye, compared to the little speck in yours) that we should constantly be wearing grace-colored lenses when we look at those around us. The ones that soften the rough situations and give us the gentle words to say and remind us that we, too, should be looked at through the grace-colored lenses.
But maybe if you have a hard time doing that for everyone else, do you think you could at least put them on when you look at me?!
KC
Summer's ridiculous.
But I noticed something interesting this summer: my motivation for just about everything was extremely diminished, and yet God was constantly teaching me through conversations with amazing friends and through podcasts that I was trying to listen to 10 minutes at a time and books that I was reading through one chapter a week. Even in the small spaces, He was teaching me. But I struggled because where in the world was my push and motivation to write?!
And then *click!* - it was time to write! (I don't always understand the rhyme or reason; I just try to go with it.)
There were a couple of constant messages that God has been whispering and shouting at me lately (depending on my attitude). I found a sign at Kirkland's in Turlock.( If you haven't been there, you must go there. The smelly packets of amazing scents make the visit totally worth it all by themselves! My house smells so incredibly calm and peaceful and comfortable and a whole bunch of things that aren't actually scents but make you feel like they should be. Trust me: visit Kirkland's.)
Getting back to the sign...
The sign currently hangs above my desk and says this:
LIVE BY GRACE
NOT BY PERFECTION
I should probably get that tattooed on the back of my hand where I will read it every day!
Why is it so difficult to get this through our minds?! Unless I'm the only one, in which case: Why is it so difficult to get this through my mind?!
Maybe I learned this all wrong when I was a kid in church, but weren't we taught that it is by grace we have been saved, through faith and this is NOT OF OURSELVES, it is a gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
So here are the two things that bounce around in my head as I read that sign.
1. Self, (yes, conversing with my Self right here) stop trying to hold yourself to an impossible standard. Just know that you are going to fail and be okay with it. It is through those failures that we learn and grow. (Seriously, y'all: I just told my kids this a couple days ago. Practice what you preach, much, Self?)
2. Have eyes of grace. Okay,so here's what I mean: so if you picture your toddler trying to walk, but falling down, or your kiddo learning to ride their bike but they are super wobbly, or your teen is learning to cook or bake and the result is less than amazing, what do you do? Disown them? Tell them to find someone else to teach them how to ride a bike or make cookies? Scorn your toddler and tell them they will never learn to walk?
No - that's dumb.
We have the eyes of grace which looks at them with understanding and kindness and takes the time to teach them and encourage them.
So why don't we do the same with other people in this world? We place these expectations of perfection on others and when they don't reach those standards, we stop investing in them or scorn them or gossip about them... (Did that one hit home?)
I believe (and this is in part because I have this big log in my eye, compared to the little speck in yours) that we should constantly be wearing grace-colored lenses when we look at those around us. The ones that soften the rough situations and give us the gentle words to say and remind us that we, too, should be looked at through the grace-colored lenses.
But maybe if you have a hard time doing that for everyone else, do you think you could at least put them on when you look at me?!
KC
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
no rivals
Teaching moments!! I LOVE teaching moments.
I've been homeschooling for over 4 years now, I can't help it: my brain is just always searching for ways to educate my kids. It becomes a mentality, I suppose. Can I get an AMEN! from my homeschooling mommas and poppas?!
Today's teaching moment happened in the truck ride home from the grocery store with my favorite little boy. We were listening to a song by Citizen Way.
(And now I'm going to go squirrel for a minute: A month or so ago, my kids and I had the incredible experience of seeing Citizen Way locally, in a very small venue. (P.S. My niece opened in worship for them!!) We had front row seats and got autographs and took pictures with the fellas and EVERYTHING! And even though all that personal stuff was super rad and amazing, the concert itself was truly touched by God in the best ways! So we bought t-shirts and their latest CD (2.0) and it is the only CD that plays in my truck.)
So we're listening to Citizen Way on the way home and the song "Rivals" comes on. And here's the chorus:
"When we look to the sun,
Our battle's already won.
We've got no rivals,
Cuz He's got no rivals.
No matter what comes our way,
We know we'll be okay.
We've got no rivals,
Cuz He's got no rivals."
Okay. So as I'm trying to come up with a way to explain this to my son, I start thinking of battles that we might fight and how God is on our side and we can't lose and blah-de-blah-de-blah cliche, cliche, cliche...
My sweet son is listening attentively as I try to paint this picture of who God is with words and then I explain it in a way that makes sense on his level and suddenly, the AH-HA!!! moment happens for me at the same time.
What is it about simplicity that makes things perfectly clear?
I know how cool it is that God is on my side. I know I'm never alone. But when I explained it to my boy, I painted a picture that made it clearer than the cliches that I had heard and said my whole life.
I told him to imagine that he was playing soccer and that God was on his team. No matter who your rivals are: you can't lose. Can you imagine playing any sport and God was player #1 on the team (because what other number would He be?!) - there is no chance that you're going to lose the game! It doesn't matter who is on the opposing team. In my brain, I pictured the devil and all his co-horts all dressed in red (because what other color would he wear?) coming up against God. It's completely laughable! It's like in the movie where Thor comes sliding in on lightning and lightning shoots out of his hands and Led Zeppelin plays in the background (pardon me, I just watched that scene on YouTube again... SO GOOD!) - ain't nothing gonna beat that!
(But let's not talk about Infinity War right now...)
And my son understood that God is big and I understood that God is SO big that I need to shoo away some fears and anxieties that continually swirl around my head. Because if we played soccer together, we wouldn't lose. So living life together: we're not going to lose. Even when it seems like we might be losing, God's got some trick up His sleeve to score another goal. He knows the game plan so He knows that we're going to win.
(Real life example in short: I had an anxiety disorder when I was younger. I thought my life was pretty much over. I learned how to deal with it, was able to move past it, and now I get to offer other people hope on the other side of an anxiety disorder. Talk about a losing game turned into a winner! All because God knew what He was going to do with me even when I thought I was losing.)
Teaching moment = learning moment for me.
Go figure.
That's typically how God talks to me.
KC
I've been homeschooling for over 4 years now, I can't help it: my brain is just always searching for ways to educate my kids. It becomes a mentality, I suppose. Can I get an AMEN! from my homeschooling mommas and poppas?!
Today's teaching moment happened in the truck ride home from the grocery store with my favorite little boy. We were listening to a song by Citizen Way.
(And now I'm going to go squirrel for a minute: A month or so ago, my kids and I had the incredible experience of seeing Citizen Way locally, in a very small venue. (P.S. My niece opened in worship for them!!) We had front row seats and got autographs and took pictures with the fellas and EVERYTHING! And even though all that personal stuff was super rad and amazing, the concert itself was truly touched by God in the best ways! So we bought t-shirts and their latest CD (2.0) and it is the only CD that plays in my truck.)
So we're listening to Citizen Way on the way home and the song "Rivals" comes on. And here's the chorus:
"When we look to the sun,
Our battle's already won.
We've got no rivals,
Cuz He's got no rivals.
No matter what comes our way,
We know we'll be okay.
We've got no rivals,
Cuz He's got no rivals."
Okay. So as I'm trying to come up with a way to explain this to my son, I start thinking of battles that we might fight and how God is on our side and we can't lose and blah-de-blah-de-blah cliche, cliche, cliche...
My sweet son is listening attentively as I try to paint this picture of who God is with words and then I explain it in a way that makes sense on his level and suddenly, the AH-HA!!! moment happens for me at the same time.
What is it about simplicity that makes things perfectly clear?
I know how cool it is that God is on my side. I know I'm never alone. But when I explained it to my boy, I painted a picture that made it clearer than the cliches that I had heard and said my whole life.
I told him to imagine that he was playing soccer and that God was on his team. No matter who your rivals are: you can't lose. Can you imagine playing any sport and God was player #1 on the team (because what other number would He be?!) - there is no chance that you're going to lose the game! It doesn't matter who is on the opposing team. In my brain, I pictured the devil and all his co-horts all dressed in red (because what other color would he wear?) coming up against God. It's completely laughable! It's like in the movie where Thor comes sliding in on lightning and lightning shoots out of his hands and Led Zeppelin plays in the background (pardon me, I just watched that scene on YouTube again... SO GOOD!) - ain't nothing gonna beat that!
(But let's not talk about Infinity War right now...)
And my son understood that God is big and I understood that God is SO big that I need to shoo away some fears and anxieties that continually swirl around my head. Because if we played soccer together, we wouldn't lose. So living life together: we're not going to lose. Even when it seems like we might be losing, God's got some trick up His sleeve to score another goal. He knows the game plan so He knows that we're going to win.
(Real life example in short: I had an anxiety disorder when I was younger. I thought my life was pretty much over. I learned how to deal with it, was able to move past it, and now I get to offer other people hope on the other side of an anxiety disorder. Talk about a losing game turned into a winner! All because God knew what He was going to do with me even when I thought I was losing.)
Teaching moment = learning moment for me.
Go figure.
That's typically how God talks to me.
KC
Sunday, June 24, 2018
passing on political posts
You wanna know why I rarely (in fact, I'm 99% certain that I never) comment on political social media posts? Maybe you don't want to know and that's okay. I'm not offended. It's totally your choice to read on or to not read on. I respect that you have your opinion about what you are or aren't going to do.
But for those of you who are interested in why I stay neutral on social media when it comes to political posts, well, the answer is simple. It's not because I don't have opinions. I have some pretty strong ones, actually. Nope. That's not why. It's not because people say some pretty rude, disrespectful, and judgemental things when they aren't speaking to you face to face but rather typing their words. While that might be true, that's not the reason either. Well, that might be part of the reason. That's a pretty good reason...
It's because when I look at what people post on facebook, I know that I am not well enough informed on any subject to stand up against the potential backlash of stating an opinion that could come from my comment having one or two words out of order. In other words: I don't know enough about any political situation to be able to join in the conversation. Call me ignorant. Call me naive. But if I haven't walked in your shoes, if I haven't informed myself of the same facts as you (facts: which I'm thinking are hard to come by these days), if I don't have the same types of friends or worldview or family members who are living lives that influence your opinion, then I don't get to shoot you down for what you believe.
So if I don't like your post, that doesn't mean that I don't agree with you on some level. But unless we have a discussion about it, you won't necessarily know where I am coming from and honestly, I don't want to have a public discussion with someone I care about just so the whole Facebook world can have an opinion about my opinion.
And if I'm being honest, which I try hard to be, I have one more reason as to why I don't publicly express my opinion on such matters that are disagreeable among my friends. I would be greatly saddened if I lost a friend because they defined me according to one opinion that I have that doesn't fall in line with their belief system. There are a lot of facets to KC. I guarantee there are a number of them that you wouldn't like if you knew about all of them. Turns out that I don't have everything figured out and I'm not right about everything in life (but don't tell my kids that. Don't worry: my husband already knows.)
My moral compass is guided ultimately by God's word. But even having that, many of my friends disagree on some very fine points. In my younger years I grew up in a very black and white world. As it turns out, there's a lot of grey in this world. I find the best way to swim through the grey is with a large measure of grace.
So if you made it to the end of this post, I appreciate you despite our differences (and there are some, I guarantee it. There's no way any 2 people could completely agree on anything in life). And if you didn't make it to the end of this post, I appreciate you anyway, even thought you'll never know it because you didn't read about it here.
KC
But for those of you who are interested in why I stay neutral on social media when it comes to political posts, well, the answer is simple. It's not because I don't have opinions. I have some pretty strong ones, actually. Nope. That's not why. It's not because people say some pretty rude, disrespectful, and judgemental things when they aren't speaking to you face to face but rather typing their words. While that might be true, that's not the reason either. Well, that might be part of the reason. That's a pretty good reason...
It's because when I look at what people post on facebook, I know that I am not well enough informed on any subject to stand up against the potential backlash of stating an opinion that could come from my comment having one or two words out of order. In other words: I don't know enough about any political situation to be able to join in the conversation. Call me ignorant. Call me naive. But if I haven't walked in your shoes, if I haven't informed myself of the same facts as you (facts: which I'm thinking are hard to come by these days), if I don't have the same types of friends or worldview or family members who are living lives that influence your opinion, then I don't get to shoot you down for what you believe.
So if I don't like your post, that doesn't mean that I don't agree with you on some level. But unless we have a discussion about it, you won't necessarily know where I am coming from and honestly, I don't want to have a public discussion with someone I care about just so the whole Facebook world can have an opinion about my opinion.
And if I'm being honest, which I try hard to be, I have one more reason as to why I don't publicly express my opinion on such matters that are disagreeable among my friends. I would be greatly saddened if I lost a friend because they defined me according to one opinion that I have that doesn't fall in line with their belief system. There are a lot of facets to KC. I guarantee there are a number of them that you wouldn't like if you knew about all of them. Turns out that I don't have everything figured out and I'm not right about everything in life (but don't tell my kids that. Don't worry: my husband already knows.)
My moral compass is guided ultimately by God's word. But even having that, many of my friends disagree on some very fine points. In my younger years I grew up in a very black and white world. As it turns out, there's a lot of grey in this world. I find the best way to swim through the grey is with a large measure of grace.
So if you made it to the end of this post, I appreciate you despite our differences (and there are some, I guarantee it. There's no way any 2 people could completely agree on anything in life). And if you didn't make it to the end of this post, I appreciate you anyway, even thought you'll never know it because you didn't read about it here.
KC
Thursday, June 21, 2018
The Ginormous List...
Um, guys? Why have none of you come over to my house and kicked my booty into writing a blog post? Don't you know that my self-discipline is nil?!
*sigh*
So it's summer. And I'm exhausted.
Wait, what?! How is that even possible? I'm not teaching at Cragin Academy (home school) and I took the summer off from piano lessons. I should be having ALL THE FREE TIME!!! I should be getting ALL THE THINGS DONE!!!
Except I don't and I'm not.
You guys: my summer plans were to get all the purging, cleaning, organizing, planning, remodeling, and sleeping done that I didn't get done during the school year. We are entering into our second month of summer break and I feel like I am 1/100th of the way through my "Ginormous List of All the Things To Do This Summer."
And sleeping? Well, just look at the time when I actually get this posted...
But you know what? There's no one looking over my shoulder telling me that I need to be doing more. There is no one monitoring my "Ginormous List of All the Things To Do This Summer." There is no one telling me that I'm not good enough because I can't get it all done.
Except me. I am telling myself all of those things. I do it every day, summer break or not. I am my own worst critic/boss/enemy.
So it is once again time for that look in the mirror when I tell myself that I am good enough and try to turn my perspective around 180 degrees.
Because here's the truth about this summer so far. I have started CrossFit again AND gymnastics (because nothing says I'm looking forward to turning 40 by trying to defy it!) I have found another way to share my crafty-ness with the world! Or at least with the community of women in Ripon. I have intentionally scheduled down time at the pool while eating cheese and crackers because cheese is a minimum weekly necessity in my life. I have taken my kids on day trips. I have loved (almost) every moment of my son's baseball season (with the exception of some of the adults who struggle to keep their words kind at the games. I am told this is a part of life in sports. I don't like this part of life in sports.) I have involved my kids in their passions. I have had some much needed improvements done around this house (can you say "Good-bye flat white paint that collects every child's fingerprints?!"). I have actually cleaned and organized 3 rooms and a closet. And I have made new friends because I just can't help myself: I like people.
And I have kept my family fed and in cleanish clothing and alive and even if that is all I did, that would be enough because that is the most important part of my life, outside of God: my family.
So BOOM! Things have been accomplished! I just had to stop looking at what I haven't done and look back at what I have done. That backwards perspective is imperative to me moving forward.
Some mornings I wake up with the to do list running through my brain.
Who am I kidding?!
EVERY morning I wake up with the to do list running through my brain and most mornings it is so daunting to me that I don't even feel like taking that first step out of bed. But every morning I get up and do things. Sometimes the things are awesome: like planting a garden and sometimes the things are not: like grocery shopping. (I dislike grocery shopping almost as much as I dislike cleaning the shower which is an immense dislike.) But at the end of the day I can look back and see that things got done. Not EVERY thing, but many things.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is "Lay off me, Kathy! I'm doing a pretty decent job of getting stuff done!"
Give yourself a break, friend. And come on over for some intentional cheese eating time. (Yes, it changed from "down time by the pool..." to strictly "cheese-eating." Priorities, people. Priorities.) And then you can mark that off your "Ginormous List of All the Things To Do This Summer."
Unless "Eat Cheese" is on your To Do List, you should throw that list away.
(Except for my dairy-free friends. In which case, substitute your favorite non-dairy food in every time you see the word "cheese").
KC
*sigh*
So it's summer. And I'm exhausted.
Wait, what?! How is that even possible? I'm not teaching at Cragin Academy (home school) and I took the summer off from piano lessons. I should be having ALL THE FREE TIME!!! I should be getting ALL THE THINGS DONE!!!
Except I don't and I'm not.
You guys: my summer plans were to get all the purging, cleaning, organizing, planning, remodeling, and sleeping done that I didn't get done during the school year. We are entering into our second month of summer break and I feel like I am 1/100th of the way through my "Ginormous List of All the Things To Do This Summer."
And sleeping? Well, just look at the time when I actually get this posted...
But you know what? There's no one looking over my shoulder telling me that I need to be doing more. There is no one monitoring my "Ginormous List of All the Things To Do This Summer." There is no one telling me that I'm not good enough because I can't get it all done.
Except me. I am telling myself all of those things. I do it every day, summer break or not. I am my own worst critic/boss/enemy.
So it is once again time for that look in the mirror when I tell myself that I am good enough and try to turn my perspective around 180 degrees.
Because here's the truth about this summer so far. I have started CrossFit again AND gymnastics (because nothing says I'm looking forward to turning 40 by trying to defy it!) I have found another way to share my crafty-ness with the world! Or at least with the community of women in Ripon. I have intentionally scheduled down time at the pool while eating cheese and crackers because cheese is a minimum weekly necessity in my life. I have taken my kids on day trips. I have loved (almost) every moment of my son's baseball season (with the exception of some of the adults who struggle to keep their words kind at the games. I am told this is a part of life in sports. I don't like this part of life in sports.) I have involved my kids in their passions. I have had some much needed improvements done around this house (can you say "Good-bye flat white paint that collects every child's fingerprints?!"). I have actually cleaned and organized 3 rooms and a closet. And I have made new friends because I just can't help myself: I like people.
And I have kept my family fed and in cleanish clothing and alive and even if that is all I did, that would be enough because that is the most important part of my life, outside of God: my family.
So BOOM! Things have been accomplished! I just had to stop looking at what I haven't done and look back at what I have done. That backwards perspective is imperative to me moving forward.
Some mornings I wake up with the to do list running through my brain.
Who am I kidding?!
EVERY morning I wake up with the to do list running through my brain and most mornings it is so daunting to me that I don't even feel like taking that first step out of bed. But every morning I get up and do things. Sometimes the things are awesome: like planting a garden and sometimes the things are not: like grocery shopping. (I dislike grocery shopping almost as much as I dislike cleaning the shower which is an immense dislike.) But at the end of the day I can look back and see that things got done. Not EVERY thing, but many things.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is "Lay off me, Kathy! I'm doing a pretty decent job of getting stuff done!"
Give yourself a break, friend. And come on over for some intentional cheese eating time. (Yes, it changed from "down time by the pool..." to strictly "cheese-eating." Priorities, people. Priorities.) And then you can mark that off your "Ginormous List of All the Things To Do This Summer."
Unless "Eat Cheese" is on your To Do List, you should throw that list away.
(Except for my dairy-free friends. In which case, substitute your favorite non-dairy food in every time you see the word "cheese").
KC
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