Reckless Roostering: An Open Letter to My Unexpected Rooster →
Morning musings to the loud rooster in my backyard coop.
Read MoreMorning musings to the loud rooster in my backyard coop.
Read MoreWe, the children and myself, have spent the past couple of days cavorting around a lot of rocks. This is the second vacation this summer where rocks have taken on the lead role. I had momentarily forgotten about this until #2 started comparing everything that we have seen on this trip to Natural Bridge in Virginia. This Stone Age theme was completely unplanned by me yet there it is. It makes me remember past musings about thematic elements in novels and whether an author fully intended for them to play out through the book or if they just wormed their way in there. Seems like rocks have wormed their way into the depths of my brain!
The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore destination has been a long time dream of mine…ok, probably six years of dreaming. I can justifiably say that it measures up to my expectations. It’s rocky, colorful and breathtaking. The added bonus is that the kids found it just as spectacular and seriously enjoyed Mother Nature’s creation.
When I am out and about in nature, I often forget to pause and acknowledge the beauty and awareness of the natural setting that I am immersing myself in at that moment. Yesterday as we drifted along the rocky coastline of Pictured Rocks, I had to remind myself ever so often to stop gazing at the rocks and take some pictures. That is the type of predicament I prefer to be in - the nature appreciation zone! I hope to continue to fall down that hole as the summer marches forward and takes us on further adventures to admire all that I happen to find myself surrounded by.
And so, as the days rock on by I find myself relishing rocky shorelines, mineral seepage on rock faces, peregrine falcons perched high on cliff walls, lone white pine trees perched on top of rocks, idyllic summer voices reverberating in stony coves (i.e. #2 yelling as loud as she can so she can hear her echo…my ears can only take so much), playing kayak limbo through rocky arches, collecting Superior worry stones, arguments about which gray rock belongs to whom (I’m grateful they have the ability to distinguish between varying shades of gray and can exercise their opinions freely, not the actual arguing per se), Rocky Road ice cream (or in this trip’s case…Michigan Pot Hole ice cream), and dusty gravel roads that lead to magnificent beaches!
The Great Lake Effect brings about way more than snow!
Read MoreAnd, just like that…the kids are back in school, the mornings are topsy turvy once again and the days stretch out in front of us like a quiet blanket of snow bathed in the moonlight. And yet, in a blink of an eye eight hours have flown by and the little darlings are on their way home to us.
I’m sitting in the dark, listening to the snores of a hairy canine beast and the chiming of an alarm clock from some far corner of the house. Whoops! Turns out that was MY alarm clock and with it I woke up the sleeping spouse. That is never a fun area to venture into. He is exhibiting some level of self control and has not unplugged my alarm clock like he has done in the past. That specific act is one I abhor because it sets me back to square one with the clock. I can’t ever remember how to reset the time, the alarms, and the radio stations.
My older daughter’s alarm clock still has not been changed to the correct time. I have not fixed her alarm settings so that she can wake up on her own despite her many pleas and reminders over the weekend. I’ve been avoiding it like nobody’s business because I don’t want to deal with it. I know I can do it but that it will take up precious minutes in my day and will likely lead to confusion and self-induced stress. Can you see why I am trying to stay away from all of these clocks?
And yet, with each moment that goes by I am reminded that each one is valuable and there is a chance to be a little bit better and a little bit more successful with each passing one. So, I vow to tackle a few of those unsavory tasks today (yes, I mean the clocks) and move onto the things that I am looking forward to…like planning out a chicken coop!
And with thoughts of unsavory tasks dancing in my head, I am grateful for the next 22 minutes of silence until I have to wake the sleeping angels up to begin the second day back to school. And, I’m going to count each one of those minutes as a separate source of gratitude as I settle into my morning and the before school routine. Happy days are here again!
Good morning to you, Daylight Savings. You showed up just when we needed you and definitely when we do not want you. We love your overall offerings - extra daylight, longer days, more time outside. But, you tend to hit us quite hard with the onset and it takes ‘at least three days’ for us to get back to our normal settings.
While my dear daughter may not be feeling your ill effects quite yet, I am bracing myself for what will come tomorrow morning. I am keeping my fingers crossed that all will go smoothly when two of them must rise from their comfy beds at the wee crack of dawn to mosey on to school. Early to bed, early to rise…makes my kids cranky, tired and snippy.
The snippy started this morning and wove itself right into the depths of the homework assignment that had been shoved to the side on Friday. What should of taken 15-20 minutes, took well over an hour. The attitude was flaring, my sleepy self was extra irritable and the two were not finding their peace with one another. We both could of benefitted from a deep breath or mantra, but both of those concepts seemed to be lost upon us.
So, Daylight Savings, I am asking that you grant us all an extra dollop of patience along with the expected surliness. Luckily, the research on wind farms and solar panels finally was finished and the attitude quit its roaring for the time being. Please, let the afternoon be peaceful and pass with dream-filled naps.
I’m looking forward to sunlight, evening outdoor games, outdoor deck dining, porch swing reading, longer walks, playing with the dogs, gardening, chickens, warm weather and evening swims. Thanks for rolling in just when the winter was threatening to fully extinguish our positive attitudes!
Monday mornings are great for reflecting on the stresses of the weekend…
Read MoreI wonder if I am the only parent faced with the massive problem of having children whose lovely little ears have fallen off and been lost, forgotten and trampled. It seems that no matter how many proclamations, reminders, nudges, orders, requests, sweet similes, etc. that come out of my everloving mouth…they are all ultimately ignored.
I find myself in one of those moments right at this very shred in the day. I’ve got one child next to me refusing to do her math homework and blaming the fact that it isn’t done on me. I’ve got another who has made a huge mess on the kitchen counter complete with stuffed animals, baby dolls, aluminum foil and plastic wrap and decided to walk away and leave it behind for me to find. The math student has an attitude that is expanding faster than a baby’s diaper in a swimming pool (and threatening to be just as explosive) and the artist has retreated to her room for an isolation period.
I think I need to attach a mop to my backside and a container of Lysol wipes on my belt so that when my head spontaneously combusts they will easily be able to access cleaning supplies to sweep the mess under the rug. Even my husband is retreating to the bitter cold of the outdoors to avoid being involved in any of this. It is these moments where I need to remember to breathe and stay calm and it is right here where I find it near impossible.
So, I turned to writing to help me sort out my thoughts and potentially offer an outlet to help me rediscover my Zen. I feel like I’ m going to end up with a novel challenging the likes of ‘War and Peace’ at least as far as length is concerned! When these math problems are done, we are supposed to be making our own poptarts and then I am officially drowning my sorrows in whatever ice cream I find in the freezer. I’ll do an extra three workouts to make up for it. I don’t even care!
So, in this difficult moment…I am grateful for a blog to vomit out my frustrations (ok, that might not be the visual that should accompany gratitude but I’m sort of desperate at this moment), two kids who are constantly challenging me, a blue water bottle, quiet dogs, creative children, long division, math teachers, Sister Catherine (she deserves her own post but she was one of my math teachers), ice cream, and power while much of the country finds themselves without it.
How do you muddle through a tough Monday?
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Read MoreGratitude by way of a Klondike Bar…
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