What am I thinking?

Have you ever walked in on a conversation and just caught the end, or read something that was not intended for your eyes and immediately thought that what was being said or written was about you? It is horrible to feel like the earth totally revolves around you and that everyone is talking and writing about you at all times. Not to mention a bit self centered and CRAZY! And I hate when I feel that way. The instant sickness in the pit of my stomach or the pangs of pain in my heart. Ahhhhhhh.... (me screaming)
I work hard on not letting those crazy emotions in but sometimes I can't help it. I know deep somewhere that my life is not the center of every body's thoughts but some days I can not convince my head of that...

The New Year Has started off with a bang!

So there are several people from my past that I have not talked to or seen in years, not because I did not want to but mostly because of moves or changes and we have lost touch. Well the last two months I think I have seen more of my old friends than my recent friends, or at least I have talked to more of them, through varies forms of contact, facebook has been a real conduit of most things remembered.

The Great Debate!

Does Santa Exist?

What do you tell a six year old, that has tears in her eyes, because an adult with a "heart two sizes two small" told her that he does not.

I tell my child this...

Santa is in your heart...he helps us to remember to give to others...he reminds us to be good and kind to others...he helps us to remember that no matter what we have or don't there are others that might not have anything...and serving or giving of ourselves is more important than objects.

Santa helps us keep the spirit of giving in our heart, and if we believe in Santa we believe that giving is more important that it is to receive. He gives to everybody asking for nothing in return.

Christmas is about Jesus and his birth and his great life, he is the gift that GOD gave us.
I am only saying that for most children even if they understand God's gift and understand Jesus and his sacrifice. Santa is more tangible to children.

The Big Santa Visit

Today the kids got to visit with Santa, this is amazing to me as it was not to long ago that my youngest would scream at the top of her lungs any time she was near Santa or any masked fairytale creature.

My grandmother wanted to take us to Disneyland one year and in her mind she thought this would be great because Lily loved princess. All I could see is her screaming every time we turned because she had seen another giant mouse or dog.

The big Family Thing...

When I was growing up I did not have a huge family at home but I did have an extended family that I was raised with. My mother and one of her brothers were really quite close so we spent most holidays back and forth at each others houses. Two of my male cousins and I went to the same high school, one of them and I even had a lot of the same crazy friends. As the years went on we all moved around, had families and for the most part grown apart. But every other year there is that time of year in which we all come together. We crowd into whose ever, turn it is to host dinner, house and sit and reminisce about the old days, talk about the new things that are happening and tell each other we should get together more.
I am thankful that my family is my family and those of which I keep in touch with on a regular basis and even more so for those that I only get to see once a year, because my family helped make me who I am and as crazy and loud and wildly unbelievable as they can be some times they are mine.

Things to be Thankful for!

Tonight I went to dinner with some friends, some old, some new and we talked about the things that we were thankful for. Most everyone said family, friends, God, nature, country, one even said she was thankful that they had found lice only once this week (she is the principle of an elementary school). As I sat there and thought about all the things that I am thankful for my children their health and their loving spirits are probably the things that I am most thankful for.

Since I have been a single mom I have struggled, as do many others around this time of the year, with worries that there is not going to be anything under the Christmas tree. And luckily every year some group has stepped forward and helped us out in some way or another. Well this year it is not that our financial situation has changed, we still live very modestly but the world has changed around us. There are people in far worse situations than us, and I think my children and their generous hearts have stepped up. They want to help others this year, they want to be the ones that make the difference in another persons life.

Even though our own cupboards are not as full as they have been in the past they decided that we needed to give a food bag to their school food drive, they each helped put shoebox gifts together for a child of their own age to send to another country to a child who might have never received a gift before and they are helping serve Thanksgiving dinner to some 20 senior citizens that might not get dinner if there had not been volunteers.

I know that being honest with my children when I have needed and accepted help from other is the in part why their hearts are so big. But it makes me even more grateful to everyone who has helped me in the past not just because it helped me get through some rough times but because it taught my children something some people never seem to learn...It is far better to give than to receive...I am very grateful for my children and their giving hearts.

He makes me laugh.

Xander has a good sense of what and where things are around the house but his therapist suggested getting even more organized for him with labels that had pictures and then a book to help him do chores, so tonight we went around and labeled the items that he needs to start off with, cloths to get ready for school and bed, were dirty cloths go, were toys go, he help organize. We also made them for the bathroom to help him remember to flush and wash and brush.
After our label making we started home work, he got up and went to the rest room, flushed, washed and came back. He then began to get up set because his paper was wet and had started to tear. I asked him why he did not dry his hands "there was no label" he replied. I just smiled and told him to dry his hand and then made a label.