For Today:
Looking out my window:
It's early and raining on and off. The sky has lightened since I work at 5:30 am, but I don't expect it to get much brighter. I'm so sad I missed snapping a photo of the family of deer who walked by earlier as my phone was upstairs. She and her babies don't seem to mind the grey day. I'm not a fan of rainy days, but today I think I'll take my cue from them.
I am thinking:
that nothing is going to get done around here if I don't pull myself away from poring through photo books and old computer files of my boys. I got an email that the senior moms need to send some early photos of their players to the parent who is creating a slideshow for the baseball banquet. That has led me down a rabbit trail of emotions and giggling and I don't know how to stop. I found this one yesterday of the day we brought Drew home from the hospital. I feel like Kyle is looking at Joe with a "Dude, how do you think this whole thing is gonna work?" face. And as usual, Joe is just going to let both little brothers know exactly how things are gonna go down.
I am thankful:
for another chance or two to see our Varsity baseball team play. If you read this post on Friday, you know it was a "win or go home" game for them. The game was rained out on Friday, so we played on Saturday. One of the moms had to be away on Saturday, so she asked if I could text her updates, but to please not worry about it too much because she wanted me to enjoy the game.
Well, as much as I intended to enjoy the game, I more or less endured it. It was a painfully close game. The Lovely and Talented Mrs. C. and I went to the restroom at one point and as we watched from the outfield on our way back to the our seats, our boys scored a run. So that was that. We never went back to our seats. No phones, no water, no snacks, no sitting. We stayed until the end. My sister-in-law took this shot of us, but you can't even see us because we were waaayyy out in right field. We are completely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.
I am thankful for getting to watch boys on both teams playing their hearts out. I'm thankful for a chance to win or lose again and for a chance to hang out with my straight up weirdo baseball mom friends a couple of more times. From now on it's all gravy. I will enjoy the fire out of these post season games.
I am thankful for getting to watch boys on both teams playing their hearts out. I'm thankful for a chance to win or lose again and for a chance to hang out with my straight up weirdo baseball mom friends a couple of more times. From now on it's all gravy. I will enjoy the fire out of these post season games.
One of my favorite things:
All the plaid and all the gingham and all the checks for spring. I have had a long time addiction to stripes which has changed into an addiction to plaid. There are some adorable tops out there right now. Here are some of my favorites.
The tie front on this is so cute and it comes in three different color options.
I have this pop over shirt in white and a navy/white gingham, so I don't need this one in my life, but maybe you do.
This one ties in the back. So cute.
I will definitely buy this for Fake Daughter. I have to apologize if you have a Real Daughter and then click on this because it appears to be sold out in the real world. But if you have a Fake Daughter like me you can get this in whatever size you want and come to think of it in Fake World it's 100% off, too. Isn't it going to be so cute?
I am wearing:
black and white striped pjs from Old Navy and a longsleeve black tshirt that says "Make Things Happen" which is not really my current mood. Last week was a blur of activity and I'm hoping to slow down this week. I might make a thing happen here or there, but not a whole lot of things.
I am reading:
I am slowly, slowly getting near the end of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry which has nothing whatsoever to do with the quality of the book and everything to do with the fact that May is trying to kill me. It is a quirky, unique, delightful book. I definitely recommend it.
I am watching:
I'm not sure if anyone else in the world is still watching Grey's, but I watched most of the most recent season in the past few weeks on my iPad because Celtics basketball is on my real tv all the darn time and with all due respect to the rabid fans in my house, I don't care one iota about the NBA.
I hate ironing with a passion so I don't do it until I have a huge basket overflowing with wrinkled clothes. Last week, I tackled that huge basket and ironed for what seemed like an eternity while watching Parks and Rec. It's hilarious. I've always loved Amy Poehler, but Chris Pratt and Aziz Ansari are also geniuses in this show. I am way late to this party, and I was simply giddy when The Lovely and Talented Mrs. C. reminded me that Rob Lowe shows up soon.
I planted what seemed like 7,000 flowers in my front yard beds a couple of weeks ago, so I listened to the podcast, S-Town ,while I was digging and schlepping Miracle Gro around. It is wildly popular right now and I can see why. The story is compelling and the characters are fascinating. While you will definitely want to have in your ear buds (not suitable for little ears) and it's not a happy tale, I recommend it for a long road trip or getting through tasks which don't require your full attention. Great story telling here.
I am hoping:
For perspective this week. As I sat in the pew at church yesterday, after rushing in late from a basketball game, "perspective" was the word that the Lord laid on my heart. That along with "Watch it, Sister, because you are teetering mighty close to the edge of a gross amount of self-involvement." Ouch.
May is a crazy busy season for everyone and this May for my family is full of joy and excitement and chaos and a big ol' dose of "HOW IN THE WORLD IS HE ALREADY GRADUATING???" I am quite consumed with this senior year business, baseball season and my list of to-dos. I think the Lord gives us our own set of tasks each day and it's our job to follow our own path, but I also know He gives us the ability to avert our gaze to others and expects that we do so.
I am hoping to remember that there is a mom out there that isn't hoping for one more baseball game for her kid to play. She's hoping for just one friend for her kid to play with. There's a mom out there who isn't stressed over all the activities that go along with high school graduation because her son was lost to a terrible accident so he didn't make it to high school at all. There is a mom who isn't filling out medical forms and looking at housing options and paying bills for college because she can't afford to send her kid to school.
I'm hoping for joy in this season and a healthy dose of perspective. I heard Your message, Lord. I'm hoping to heed it.
I am learning:
that as much as I love to watch my boys play, I do have a limit. After the "this is so close that my heart is going to beat out of my chest" baseball game on Saturday, I went to two basketball games for Kyle. This is not what I needed in my life. A piano concert would have been a better choice. Basketball games are fast and physical and sweaty and chaotic. Most of the time I am able to recognize and deal with the climate that is quite different from baseball. I can abide some smack talking and some swagger because that's just part of the game once the players get to high school. But I'm learning that on certain days, it's all a little too much. And on certain days there is a kid or maybe there are two kids covering your kid and they're all up in his face and their lips are moving and you really want to think they're saying, "Well, hello, friend. Isn't this an enjoyable activity we've chosen this evening? Best of luck to you." But they're not saying that. And sometimes there are fans on the other side egging that stuff on and you have to try really hard to keep your bottom in your seat and your mouth closed. I am learning how to do that from my son. Because from my view, for the most part, he keeps his eyes on his own teammates and his mouth shut. And as frustrating as it might become, the boy just plays. So I'm learning that although I may have a limit, the Lord equips our children for every challenge - even up in your face, defiant, threatening challenge. And we mamas must sit back and watch them meet those challenges. Play on, Son. You make me proud.
In my kitchen:
It might be dreary outside, but I got sunshine on a cloudy day because Nancy and I went to the Farmer's Market on Saturday and I stocked up on some juices including this Sassy Sunshine juice with orange, tumeric, ginger and cayenne from Greenheart Juice Shop.
Post Script:
Shared Quote:
I've lots of friends who are grieving and I've learned from them how often they are judged on if they're "doing it right" . . .even by well meaning, loving, concerned people. So when I read this quote in the book I'm reading it stuck out to me.
"People in the real world always say, when something terrible happens, that sadness and loss and aching pain of the heart will lessen as time passes, but it isn't true. Sorrow and loss are constant, but if we had to go through our whole lives carrying them the whole time, we wouldn't be able to stand it. The sadness would paralyze us. So in the end we just pack it into bags and find somewhere to leave it."
- Fredrick Backman, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
Those of us who are trying to help the grieving? Perhaps we might just be open and willing to be a safe place for someone to leave their bag of sadness? Not so that we can swoop in to analyze it or fix it or dump it out and flush it down the drain, but just to be the somewhere that they can leave it.
A moment from my day:
I'm so grateful to get to wash this smelly thing again so that it will live to see another game. So grateful.
Closing Notes:
I'm a sucker for a good smelling candle so if you are as well, I want to share what is making me ten kinds of happy this morning. This Orange Blossom and Driftwood Candle by White Barn is a game changer on a dreary day. It smells like sunshine and spring and all the good feelings.
Happy Monday, Friends!
Prompts from thesimplewoman.blogspot.com
(This post contains some affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on certain links.)
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