Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 101.

Goodbye Super Hubby's birthday celebration with all his faves like ribs and angel food cake with 7-minute frosting.
Goodbye night games all this week; getting home at 10:30 after a baseball game is not fun, especially when it's a loss.
Goodbye lounging poolside pretty much most days and not feeling guilty about it because it's Summertime!
Goodbye feeling the pains of summer with my burnt to a crisp, lobster-red legs - ouch.
Goodbye picnic in the park with $2 burgers, $1 dogs, and live music - love this city where I live!
   

Happy Birthday, Super Hubby!

Hello keeping up with client obligations amidst all this summertime fun.
Hello low-key time at home getting the yard work finished, if the weather cooperates.
Hello searching Pinterest for a new recipe I'll venture to make and we'll feast on the deck.
Hello wishing we had a gas grill instead of charcoal on those days when you need the heat high fast (but the charcoal taste is so worth the extra effort).
Hello itching to plan a little get together for July 4th and wondering if I really have the time.

Ouch!

My lesson learned during this week of intense heat is when you're going to be poolside ALL day, don't forget to put sunscreen on ALL parts of your body. Shoulders? Check. Face? Check. Arms? Check. Back and chest? Check. Legs? Oops!

I'm paying for it, that's for sure. I'm in so much pain that by the end of the day, I can't even stand, that's how much they are throbbing for relief. I should know better so, in the wise words of Baz Lurhmann, Wear Sunscreen!

Have a pain-free weekend and be smart, lather on the lotion!

Goodbye Week. Hello weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 100.

My Dad and Kiddo

Goodbye blessed week filled with summer sunshine and warmth.
Goodbye celebrating the first win finally of this summer's baseball season.
Goodbye pool time, friends time, and family time.
Goodbye Kiddo sleeping in for the first time - ever.
Goodbye good times pickin' strawberries at the patch.

Hello continuing dental saga for Super Hubby.
Hello hair cuts for the boys.
Hello baseball team pictures, a game, and a graduation party - whew!
Hello putting our picked strawberries to good use with a homemade shortcake recipe.
Hello Sunday lounging and pancakes.

My lesson learned this week is something's got to give. When you're "doing summer" at home, there's a lot of things to do and see, and between it all, blogging falls pretty low on the list. I even missed this week's What I Made Wednesday. I just couldn't squeeze in the hours needed to write the post between Kiddo's baseball game, hours at the batting cage, preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home, and still continuing my never-ending spring clean-up of the yard and garden beds. So, I'm not going to sweat it. If I get out a post, great! If I don't, oh well. There's just too much summer waiting for us and once it's gone, it's gone. I hope you take the time to soak up every little bit of summer, too!

Great weekend ahead! Hope yours is awesome. Happy Summer Solstice!

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 99.

Goodbye rain and cool weather, preventing us from taking the plunge at our community pool.
Goodbye beginning a new chapter with a new client: thanks, Dad, for watching Kiddo while I was away.
Goodbye sportin' a new bike basket that makes the loads to the library so much easier.
Goodbye delicious meals whose leftovers transition into other meals: homemade chili one night, delicious chili dogs the next.
Goodbye watching Kiddo sprout right before my very eyes and being glad it's shorts-weather so I don't have to go buy him new pants just yet.

Hello celebrating my grandmother's 90th birthday - party on!
Hello hoping for warmer weather and sunshine for a birthday party at the lake for Kiddo's school-friend.
Hello prayers for my brother-in-law as he sits in a hospital this weekend with renal failure and water in his lungs.
Hello sending strength to my sister-in-law and nephew as they patiently wait for him to come back home.
Hello honoring the awesome fathers in our lives: Super Hubby, my Dad, Pops, J.B., and Grandpa Allen - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

My Lesson Learned this week is how much I don't understand the concept of a "lazy summer". Kid's have this down-pat and I wish I could learn a thing or two from them. Kids have a knack for being able to do nothing, and have it be the most entertaining thing in the world. How? If I sit down for even a moment, my mind starts racing to what needs to be done around the house. I begin making a list in my mind and nothing brings me more pleasure than the act of crossing out a task on that list. I've got to get a grip and realize that "the list" will forever be there, growing line by line until I'm put in the grave. Oh, and, surprise!, that day will come without everything being checked off before I check out. It's summertime! Time for me to just chill. It's just too bad I have to work so hard at it.

Have a relaxing weekend and Happy Father's Day!

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 98.

Goodbye first week of summer break and cleaning out Kiddo's backpack from old papers, broken pencils, and forgotten candy.

Goodbye reading this inspiring blog post and hoping you're inspired to do the same. Thanks, Rose.

Goodbye hoping the rain, rain will go away; and take these cool temperatures with you, too!

Goodbye easing into summer fun slowly by catching Epic; not a bad movie to start the summer.

Goodbye purposefully accumulating late library fines because I just don't want to give back this book even though I'm done reading it (I've never been good at sharing).

Hello changing up the bedding decor, replacing winter comforters with beautifully made quilts from Grandma (we miss you and your talented hands).

Hello summer evenings with the start of an all-consuming baseball season - Play Ball!

Hello nightly hum of the washer and dryer as I try to get out the red dirt from Kiddo's white baseball pants after each game.

Hello Super Hubby's ongoing dental surgery saga and hoping all goes well today (prayers please).

Hello Kiddo attending a birthday party with a video gaming truck in attendance; hmm, should be interesting.

My lesson learned this week is how much beauty resides in the simple. Simplicity is something I strive to achieve. I have yet to arrive. There is so much grace and peace and wisdom in this state of mind and being. Yet, the goal is difficult to get to in a complex, fast-moving, quick-paced world. So, it's time to take stock in where simplicity can blossom in my life. After much thought I've come up with 3 areas that can help anyone achieve a simpler life, while having joy runneth over the proverbial cup.

Your Schedule
The first is your schedule. Whether you want to take ownership of it or not, you, not outside forces, control your schedule. You are the one that put that "To-Do" on your list. You said, "yes". Don't lose sight of the true controller of your calendar: that's YOU! The world won't stop spinning if you miss Cousin Ofelia's birthday party. Send a card wishing her many more and stay home with the family, take a hike, play Monopoly, or just hang out and do nothing. Ahh, doing nothing. It's really something!

Your Clutter
You've got to stop shopping for anything but the essentials like food and toilet paper. I'm a believer of shop therapy, don't get me wrong. But, accumulating items you truly don't need makes for a complicated, cluttered, complex life. It's another thing to clean, it's another item to take care of, it's another tchotchke that'll end up in a garage sale selling for a fraction of what you paid for it (did I mention the frustration of the buyer haggling you take off 5 cents). You need to train yourself to window shop, instead. It's much kinder on the wallet and your state of mind.

Your Surroundings
Stay right where you are and look around you. What do you see? How do you feel? Now, get up and go open that junk drawer or that linen closet or that pantry of plastic storage containers. What do you see? How do you feel?

The state of my surroundings determine my state of mind. If my house is a mess, I feel my life is a mess. When I clean-up my house, I feel like I'm somehow cleaning up my life and I'm able to breathe a little easier and freer. It's called taking control instead of the dirt and clutter controlling us. Before you can take control of your life, "you've got to take control over that sink full of dirty dishes" (thanks Joyce Meyer).

How? Baby steps. If you've got a lot to clean up, just the thought can be overwhelming, so start small. Try setting aside one hour of each day. Find out what you want to tackle. Start it and finish it, however long it takes, by just working on it for one hour each day. Set the timer. When that timer dings, walk away from your work and revisit it the next day. It's not going anywhere. You'll be so amazed when that one area gets tidied up that the feeling will motivate you to move on to the next area. Before you know it, you're entire home will be cleaned-up and organized inside and out, and your life will follow suit. SIMPLIFY!

Note: get your kids involved with the clean-up. Despite their opinion on the matter, one hour per day will not ruin their summer vacation. They will survive!

Have a wonderful, simple weekend, friends.

    



  

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 97.

First, there was the awesome par-tay! Yes, that's Kiddo in the swag hat.

Goodbye month of May: you were hectic, tiring, but so beautiful.
Goodbye 5th grade: you were hectic, tiring, but so beautiful.
Goodbye kitchen chair as Kiddo discovers he doesn't have to stand on one anymore to reach the top shelf in the pantry (not sure how I feel about this one).
Goodbye highway traffic jam heading North on 271, Cedar exit (at least for 3 glorious summer-vacay months).
Goodbye pounds as I try to whittle away just 5 more with summertime activities (yes, these are the same 5 I've been talking about for months, now).
 

Then, there was the formality.

Hello summer as I welcome the month of June with open arms and an open mind to all adventures that await us.
Hello summer vacation, slowing it down and taking it all in.
Hello Middle School; we have 3 months, let's not rush it.
Hello sunscreen, big hats, and sunglasses - protection tools I have to take more seriously.
Hello calm.

Now, we're left with possibilities. Let the summer fun begin!

The lesson I learned this week is life's trials are a test, but they are only a test. I never want to take for granted difficult situations, difficult decisions, or difficult people. There is always so much to learn and take away from each. All of these trials are like Miracle-Gro for the soul and spirit. My way of dealing with difficulties and trials will either move me forward or move me backward depending on my actions and reactions to the situation. I want to be heading in the forward direction so, whenever I'm faced with a trial, I need to remember that person, that situation, that difficulty, was presented to me as a test (a gift, really). It's up to me what happens next. And, sometimes, what happens next may be absolutely nothing. Sometimes, doing nothing and letting things go IS the right answer to project me in the right direction.

Happy June! Time for the flip-flops.

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 96.

Goodbye sending Kiddo off to 5th Grade Camp for 3 whole days.
Goodbye 30-degree temperature drop in those 3 days!
Goodbye getting all of those pesky little errands and tasks done.
Goodbye getting that organizing bug and wanting to clear out the whole house and wondering why this bug happens to hit me when summer is about to start?
Goodbye time spent with my mom, shopping and hanging out without any time constraints.

Hello lots and lots of dirty laundry from camp.
Hello pulling out Kiddo's camp experience like teeth: What did you do those 3 days, sweetie? "Nothing" - ugh!
Hello Jersey Boardwalk open for business - congrats to Restoring the Shore!
Hello BBQ's, time spent with friends, and remembering why we have our freedoms.
Hello white shoes and flowing skirts; Happy Memorial Day Weekend.

The lesson learned for this week is how much I love the resilience of the human spirit. Watching the Jersey Shore comeback fills your heart with hope as you see their determination to get back what they once had come into reality. Oklahoma is going to do the same after their tornado devestation. It's not even a question, they just are. The human spirit is a hard one to break, even after Mother Nature has had her way with it. But, we pull through, heading in only one direction: forward.

Winner of the Chick-fil-A giveaway: LEFTY, comment #4, selected by Random.org.

Source

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 95.

Goodbye 5th grade rite of passage: Night of Public Speaking; the kids looked so spiffy and their speeches were so Pro!
Goodbye Kiddo formally presenting his NED winnings to the school at their all-grade assembly (if you don't know this not-to-be-missed story, click here to begin).
Goodbye best show finale I've seen in a loooong time; I already miss The Office.
Goodbye school Field Day and laughing about what a difference a year makes (I got sunburned this year, last year, it was 40 degrees and shiver-inducing).
Goodbye prayers and blessings to Texas as they work through their tornado and storm destruction.

Hello fun birthday party and snapping as many pics as I can so I can share with you!
Hello holding my breath until Sunday while hoping all goes well with this party on Saturday.
Hello taking rest and relaxation to the max come Sunday.
Hello shopping for supplies for Kiddo's class camping trip.
Hello, dear Super Hubby, as we celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary the day of the birthday party - love you!

My lesson learned this week is a big one! Kiddo sprung on me an impromptu Spanish class party and Band party on the way home from baseball practice Wednesday night. I still had a lot of party prep to do on Thursday so squeezing in home baked items to bring to 2 parties on Friday seemed to be out of the question. I rummaged through the pantry and found some leftover marshmallows and exactly the right amount of rice krispy cereal to make rice krispy treats. Score!

The marshmallows were a tiny bit hardened, let's just say. I melted my butter and threw in the marshmallows to melt. Folks, take it from me: stale marshmallows DO NOT melt! It was a hot mess, I tell you. My pan is still soaking 2 days later from the gooey, stuck-on mess it left.

I hopped in the car to go to the grocery store to pick-up some fresh marshmallows and more cereal (as I still thought it might work with burnt marshmallow, I poured my perfect amount of rice cereal into the gooey mess). In my rush through produce I stopped dead in my tracks in the bakery department as a mini-cupcake package caught my eye. $1.99 for a dozen of the cutest little cupcakes you've ever seen. I start doing the math and determine there is no way I could make rice krispy treats for that cheap so, I did it, friends. I bought bakery cupcakes, "re-packaged" them on my own plate, and sent them with Kiddo to the Band party at school. (I had to make this recipe for Spanish so, no store-bought option on that one). So, yes, I did it. I bought, I did not make, the treats for the party. AAAAHHHHHHH! I know, I'm as shocked as you are, but guess what? The kids loved them, it was cheap, and I could spend my time birthday party planning, not making rice krispy treats, take two! Wow, the world is still spinning! I may make a habit out of this:-)

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 94.

Goodbye witnessing the miracle in Cleveland unfold as 3 missing girls are found alive after being held captive for a decade.

Goodbye sunshine and warmth and settling into a summer mindset.

Goodbye wrapping up the NED Project and finally presenting Kiddo with his platinum. Read the story here.

Goodbye white cherry blossom petals scattered all over my driveway and looking like freshly fallen snow.

Goodbye school meeting introducing us to Middle School - let the games begin!

Hello Kiddo's "Elevensies" birthday; double ones means double the luck, health and happiness!

Hello dinner at Abuelo's, dessert at Menchie's, and home for presents: what could be more perfect?

Hello working like crazy this weekend to get the party set-up for next weekend (8 computers, 8 keyboards, 8 mice - whew!).

Hello Kiddo running a Lemonade Stand for school at WaterWay on Lander Circle - stop by on Saturday from 10 - 2 to help the kids' with their community service fundraiser. 

Hello Mother's Day to all you awesome women out there that put others before yourselves; at least take Sunday to turn the tables!

My lesson learned this week is that I've discovered I'm not a "dweller" or a "longer" for days gone by. Here it is, eleven years after Kiddo was born and I can't tell you how excited I am for his present and his future. Middle School starts in the fall and I'm thrilled for him, as I know this is a time for maturity and growth, sometimes it ain't gonna be pretty. But, I'm going to enjoy watching him grow some more, learn even more, and get closer to the person he is meant to become.

Some moms I talk to long for the days when their kids were little. They dwell on the past as if they could somehow bring it back by just wishing it to be. I'm not like that. I've been there, done that, and I enjoyed every minute of it. But, to wish it back? No. I'm not sure if this makes me an ogre of a mom but, I'm looking forward to moving forward, witnessing Kiddo discover his interests and passions that will lead to his future. To wish him back to being 3-years old is not something that enters my mind like it does other moms I know.

In fact, I see young mothers taking care of their toddlers, changing diapers, never eating a hot meal at a restaurant, and I think, I'm glad to be out of that time in my life. Even with all of those inconveniences, I still loved it at the time while I was in it. But I've moved on and I'm happy to have done so. Maybe my refusal to dwell in the past comes from not having any regret? I stayed home with Kiddo and I don't feel like I missed anything. Those were the best days ever. And, I know even the bestest of days are to come, waiting for us to get there, in the future. But, in the meantime, I'll enjoy and cherish the now, leaving the past as a sweet, fulfilling, satisfying memory.

Happy Mother's Day, Ladies! 
       

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 93.

Goodbye car battery giving me some unwelcomed trouble and anxiety.
Goodbye preparing and celebrating for communion before welcoming Easter (Eastern Orthodox Easter is this Sunday).
Goodbye Kiddo attending his last Glee Club practice in the Lower School - a new chapter awaits.
Goodbye ongoing party-prep for Kiddo's "elevensies" birthday - can you guess the theme?
Goodbye lingering sore throat that hasn't had me as myself lately.

Hello Good Friday and going to church tonight, not on Easter Sunday.
Hello attending the Indians baseball game on Sunday instead as Kiddo and the shcool's Glee Club will be belting out the National Anthem, again.
Hello dyeing Easter eggs in just one color this year to make things simple.
Hello starting another season of summer baseball with the first practice.
Hello realizing I'll have an opportunity to rest when I'm dead; I think I'm happy with the busyness.

The lesson I learned this week stems from Good Friday occupying the forefront of my mind. Our Easter came late this year so my reflections may appear a bit tardy to most, but not unless you are Eastern Orthodox. I'm thinking about today and wondering how "Good" it was for Jesus? How good was today when He was unjustly sentenced to death by crucifixion, the most painfully slow way to die? I'm not sure many people would have called today "Good Friday" if they witnessed all of this happening. But, they didn't know. They hadn't any idea in their mind that Sunday was coming. In their limited knowledge of knowing only today, not tomorrow, they could not fathom that Sunday was coming and the best of days was about to begin. But, without the events of Friday, we would not have the blessed miracle of Sunday. 

This is how our own hard days begin. While we are in the midst of trouble and hardship and pain, it doesn't seem all that good. But, our own Sunday is coming. And, the glory of our own Sunday couldn't have been possible without our own Friday. Sometimes the path we must take to get to where we are heading is not something we want to endure, but we must go through it to get to the blessings that are waiting for us. Celebrate the hardships that lead to glory. Yes, indeed, it is a Good Friday.

Happy Easter to all who happen to be celebrating this weekend.
Hristos Voskrese.
Voistinu Voskrese.  
         

Goodbye Week. Hello Weekend. Lessons Learned: Take 92.

Goodbye really hard week; a good week, but a hard week.
Goodbye juggling Kiddo's 3 dress rehearsals, Opening Night, a huge Math Project, fighting a cold, and keeping up with homework deadlines (I'm not sure how he did, but he did).
Goodbye being so proud of Kiddo and how he handled it all and me worrying if this is what Middle School is going to look like EVERY week?
Goodbye fantastic Opening Night of the school musical AristoCats; these kids have talent - BRAVO!.
Goodbye being especially proud of Kiddo's performance in the male-lead role: Thomas O'Malley, the alley cat.

Hello lawn mowing over frosty grass blades - what's wrong with this picture?
Hello revisiting an Amish bakery we discovered that has THE.MOST delicious donuts we've ever tasted.
Hello celebrating Kiddo's accomplishments this year with pizza and icecream.
Hello getting ready for May where I have not one square of white space on my calendar.
Hello trying not to blink because I don't want to miss a thing in this beautiful, blessed life I've been gifted.

My lesson learned this week is how much I'm going to miss all of this when my son goes off to college in less than 7 years. What's all of "this"? "This" is chauffeuring to baseball try-outs, answering homework questions, juggling schedules, enjoying shining performances and seeing hardwork pay-off. "This" is shuttling back and forth, grabbing breakfast on the go, all coming together in the evening to enjoy dinner together as a family, and winding down the hectic days with a soothing read-aloud from Super Hubby before Kiddo dozes off to sleep. "This" is sharing our day on the drive home from school, revealing the latest fifth grade puppy love news, watching Kiddo experience moments I hope he'll never forget because I know I won't. "This" is actively supporting dreams, encouraging hope, and being there to help pick up the pieces when it doesn't go as planned some times. "This" is parenthood and it's the best part of my life thus far. I want to breathe it all in, I want to thoroughly enjoy the time, recording every sense in my memory, so, when I look back, I will have a treasure of a life to fill my aged heart where I can smile and say, "I didn't blink."