Who Has Time for Details?

Mark called this morning and said, 'I know you put gas in your car last night. Good job'. I was perplexed and curious and was directed to check my text messages. This is what I found...He was kind enough to remedy the situation for me AND snap a pic. Let's face it, I was lucky to make it to a gas station. That light had been on for days. Seriously, who has time for this stuff?

On the B Side: I was on my way to a jewelry party hosted by the infamous Lizzo and I did manage to score myself a fabulous purse (that I spent a significant amount of time petting simply because I love it so much) and some killer Christmas presents! The fact of the matter is that I made it to the party and safely home (and yes, that is SNOW surrounding my big, black beast!)

Snap Shot in Time

-Dayton is 7 and is in 2nd grade. He loves to help others, is full of giggles and has a well developed sense of humor. He does great in school and loves being at HP. He's an all star reader and his teacher gave him rave reviews last week at parent/teacher conferences. He's friendly, polite and he STILL lets me cuddle him like a little guy. I'm super proud of that kid!

-Ellie is 6 and is in 1st grade. She loves to learn and is at the top of her class, which is a great feat given that she is the youngest and the smallest. She's adopted well to gluten free living and is quite the little socialite. She reads like nobodies business and recently stated that she is going to be a teacher when she grows up. I love that she is blooming all over the place!

-Kayla is 7 and is in first grade. She has transitioned really well to a new school and also attending a full day program. She has play dates at her Grandma's house with her school friends and is full of all kinds of questions around every corner. She's the quiet care giver in the family and makes sure everything is always equal and fair. She's tall and man can that girl swim!

-Adi is 15 months old. She is obsessed with putting things away and feels entitled to any and all drinks in a cup with a straw. She is a strong willed little girl with a mind of her own and walks, some times runs! Rarely does she sit still and she can always be seen toting around a stuffed animal. She loves to try to dress herself & she's just hoping to get some hair in the next 3 years!

On the B Side: Tonight Mark and I watched videos of the kids when they were little. I can't believe how much they have changed and wish I could just freeze time for a few moments...or just keep them little forever! <3

Manic Monday Mourning

Given that I have been out of the blogosphere for some time now, I was bummed this morning when I went to check out Mo's Manic Monday meme and discovered it was decommed at the end of July. Given this, I am definitely going to come up with my own little version of my first and favorite meme!

This effort is bi-fold. It will be duelly beneficial. I'm going to take Dictionary.com's word of the day, follow the Manic Monday protocol and mash it up this way. This takes it up a notch, teaches or reinforces something more academic in nature and still gives me an opty to ramble on.

Today's Word of the Day: Loquacious: very talkative

Saturday night we had the pleasure of a visit from our 6 year old neice, Cassie. Her parents were both otherwise engaged, as were her siblings. She spent a few hours with us and we had a blast! My favorite quirk about our darling little Cass is that she is quite loquacious!

She politely asked me several times what she could do to help me around the house. She pleasantly helped with the laundry and told me all kinds of stories and facts that run through the mind of a child her age. In the car she sang along to all of her favorite hip hop songs on 97.1 and explained what she thought they meant, how she knew them and always asking if it was a song that I liked.

Not only can that little girl talk, but she can very skillfully carry on a conversation and insightfully engage. I love her little loquacious nature! She is a free spirit, an independent thinker and has this beautiful little heart that loves and is concerned with others.

My favorite inquiry: Can I tell my Mom about the policemen, Aunt Britta?

On the B Side: I love the sheer innocence and marvel that envelops the mind of a child. With our children gone over the weekend, we welcomed little Miss Cassie's refreshing presence!

Don't You Think It's About Time?

It's time for people to just be nice...myself included. Can't we all just try to be a little nicer? Don't you think it's possible to live life, go throughout our days and still be nice?? What happened to giving people the benefit of the doubt? What happened to common courtesy?

I pass 3 sets of crossing guards in the morning when I take the kids to school. Let it be said that I fully appreciate their duty and the role they play in the lives and safety of the children. There is one particularly serious guard...SHE IS A BEAST.

I saw her screaming at a Mom in a big blue dodge truck last week. The lady in the truck was obviously defending herself and was yelling back through the glass. The guard callously and intentionally turned her back and crassly walked out. The whole thing was real classy and such a great example for the kids. Ugh.

When I got to the next light, I saw the lady in the blue truck sobbing. It was way sad and likely ruined her day. The worst part is that it was all so totally unnecessary. I don't know exactly what happened or why these women were upset but it didn't have to be that way and made me sad. Seriously, chick was doing the girl thing trying to breath and wipe away her tears.

Since that point in time I have quietly been observing people (one of my favorite past times) and spending some time reflecting on my own thoughts and behavior. I cannot tell you the countless examples of careless and just plain rude exchanges I have witnessed. It's appalling really and makes me want to be a better person.

Being nice has nothing to do with who you are, what you do, who you are interacting with or who is present. It has everything to do with respecting others...and yourself enough to be kind, patient and courteous. Stop and think about it. Is it time to moderate yourself? There's always room for improvement and this girl is hopping on that train!

On the B Side: I will definitely be trying harder to be a little bit kinder, softer, gentler and a whole lot more patient in general. Self awareness plays a big role in all of this. Being a door mat is one thing (and certainly not the goal) but treating others like one is just plain wrong and the last thing I want to be is the reason someone else feels like that on the inside.