Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Sometimes...

So, I was chatting with my sister this morning. I was telling her about all the crazy things that had happened already (at 8:45) with the 2 little girls. ie: Caile's attempts at potty training (not going well) and the fact that the girls decided to be "pirates" while I was loading the dishwasher.

What exactly does being a pirate entail you ask? Well let me tell you. Adrie and Caile got ahold of a teal Crayola marker (NOT washable) and decided to color themselves EVERYWHERE with it. Did you know that pirates are teal? Me either! Anyway, to make it even more convenient for them, they decided to strip down naked before the art session began. They had teal marker EVERYWHERE. I don't need to say more about that! Anyway, I put them in the tub and started the water. I ran out of the room to grab a couple towels. When I got back into the bathroom the water was seriously the color of berry blue Jell-o. No joke! I drained the tub and tried again. And again. It took 3 fills before the water was *almost* clear. And we scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. Guess what? There is a reason they sell WASHABLE markers. Apparently it's for little girls who want to play Pirate, because the regular ones DO NOT come off! Anyway I did the best I could and called it at that. I don't even want to know what Adrie's teacher thought when she got to school today!

So as I was informing my sister about the fun we had had she asked what I did. Well, I told her that I just told the girls that markers are for paper, not for their bodies. End of story. I wasn't worried about it. It washes off (eventually). She was kind of amazing at my "whatever" attitude. I told her that on Sunday, as I was driving to church at 8am in a huge fog bank and thinking back to where we were the Sunday before (in sunny Arizona) I wanted to go down the "If I lived there, life would be so much better. I'd be so much happier..." and I stopped myself and decided right then and there, at the corner of Boones Ferry Road and Country Club Road, sitting in my Suburban, that I had nothing to complain about. I need to be happy right where I am. I am very blessed and I need to appreciate all the blessing that I have.

I had the best day at church. I felt so good and I was happy. Everyone seemed to act better. I don't know if I just didn't really pay attention to how awful the kids were being in sacrament, or if they actually were better, but I sure had a great day. Little things that would usually set me off were actually kind of fun. It totally changed my day.

As the week has progressed I've found it much easier to keep that attitude. I have really enjoyed spending time with my family and actually enjoying my kids, instead of getting angry or upset, I've just laughed with them.

Anyway, as I was chatting with my sister, in a very condensed version, I told her how I was just going to be happy with where I am. Not worry about the "what ifs" and the "if only"s. I was going to be happy where I am. Right now. Today.

So, to make my story even longer, she decided to blog about our conversation today. It was a really sweet post and I got teary just reading it. Anyway, I checked back later and read the comments that had been made to her blog and am so touched that something that was just mentioned in passing has had such an influence on her and her friends. What a small world. For just a few minutes I felt that I had maybe made a difference in someone's life.

Thanks so much for sharing, Pony!

If you want to check out her blog it's www.momentsofmajicandmayhem.blogspot.com

4 comments:

Rebecca said...

I think that we think so simlar... maybe you with a little less cursing..lol.... But I know that "living in the now" is a really hard thing to do, but when we can achieve it life is wonderful. We really need to get together or something. I've gotta find your number. Oh and I just want to say that your kids are so good at church I never see you out in the hallway(our regular spot) chasing your 2 year old. And PS you don't sit in the back like us and cheat. LOL
Have a great one!

Ethington Family said...

Ok, so where are the pictures?
This is when pictures are really needed. haha. I have had those days.
mary

1boy4girls said...

As sad as this is, I was afraid to take pictures of them. They were buck naked and I didn't want anyone to call Child Protective Services on me for having nude pictures of children. I did take a couple, but I didn't think it was appropriate to post them. Of course, I didn't take them right away either. I put them in the tub first! Then grabbed my camera. Oh well!

Brynn said...

HOKEY DINA, you didn't even show ME the pics! I want to see them!