26

Let me clarify. I struggle. It's not always rainbows and moon beams for me. Everybody struggles with something. And the things that others struggle with may not be a big deal to you. How many times have you said "Wow, I can't believe so and so is getting all worked about..." and then you pushed that person away? A small issue to you can mean life and death to someone else. Maybe that person is overreacting. It doesn't matter. You could be that one person to say "I'm sorry you're struggling. I hope it gets better for you" and that could be the thing that gives them hope. Or maybe that person is the one who you've reached out to several times and they keep falling in the same hole... do them a favor. Stop reaching out, let them stand on their own.

Recently, Ann Curry, news anchor for one of the major news shows, posted on twitter asking people to get involved in 26 random acts of kindness in honour of the victims of the Sandy Hook ordeal in Newtown. She got a huge response. Many people shared their random acts on twitter, hashtag #26acts. I believe in random acts of kindness and have posted on the subject before. I've been the recipient of such an act and let me tell you, when you're a single mom with two hungry boys to feed and your paycheck barely pays the bills a random act is a blessing you'll never forget. It was an instant attitude adjustment. 

But isn't it, random acts, something that we should be doing already? I mean, I am saddened by the shooting in Newtown. I feel for the families left behind and I believe we need to keep them in mind when helping a random stranger. At the same time, we should be doing things out of the blue any day of the week for no reason at all just to prove that their are still good people who don't need a reason other than compassion.

Smile at a stranger. Hold the door open for someone and smile while you do it. A smile is the most powerful thing sometimes and the best part is, it's free. I can't pay for other people's groceries and I know that a lot of people think a random act involves handing out hundred dollar bills but not everyone can do that. So smile more. 

Zombie Christmas Card

Tomorrow I'm going to start my holiday shopping. I haven't started. Not one gift under the tree or hidden in the closet. I'm begging for trouble, I know. I will go into that store though and I will smile when someone hits me with their cart. I will smile when someone takes too long choosing something, blocking my way to the next thing on my list. I will keep my mood positive and hope that my cheery grin won't scare people who know me and never see a smile on my face. In the process, I might just turn someones day around. Or not.     

Last Blog Post EVER.

Well, folks.
 
If the Mayans are right the world will end on Friday and this will most likely be my last blog post ever. I know. Not cool. At all. I like gathering here, despite the fact that you are all kind of quiet. I know you're there.
 
Here's my thought though. What if the Mayans couldn't count past...wait, never mind. Clearly they could count past twelve. Dang. There goes my big epiphany. That sucks.
 
Anyway, so it's that time of the year. The Christmas tree is up, decorated and still missing a star or other tree topper. There are no gifts under the tree, mainly because there aren't any and even if there were... kids cannot be trusted. With that being said, it can be stressful but no matter what is happening, whether the dishes are over flowing or the kids are at each others throats... you woke up this morning. You're alive. Don't be mad at that. Maybe you woke up next to the love of your life or got an email or text from the one person you can count on to put a smile on your face. It's more than some people get.
 

Insert Inspirational Quote here.

There are 26 families, maybe the count is 27 now, that won't have a Merry Christmas because some psycho walked into a school and made this the worst year of their lives. It breaks my heart and really pisses me off.
 
If you follow me on facebook you might've read that someone complained about my sky photos. Ugh. Get over it. I take those pictures to remind myself that there is something beautiful in each and every day. The clouds can be grey and to me they are still beautiful. I stop, each and every day and take a photo to remind myself that life is good, life is beautiful and I am alive. I'm a survivor. It keeps me sane.
 
So, whether this is our last week on this earth or the end is nowhere in sight, stop and be thankful that you are alive. Be thankful that you'll get another email, be thankful that you had to endure snores while you tried to sleep. Before you complain about something, stop to be thankful. And sing if you know the words, dance if the words move you. If it embarrasses someone, well you're doing something right! :)

Patience, My Child.

I don't know what I was thinking! My Mom recently sent a box of gifts for me to wrap! I have always wrapped my own gifts, for as long as I can remember! I don't mind! I like to wrap presents. So, anyway, she sent a box of gifts from Arkansas for the kids. I wrapped them while the toddler was napping. She is starting to understand what this Christmas business is all about. But she doesn't realize that what you give is suppose to be a secret. I didn't want her to tell the boys what I wrapped. And they would ask her to tell them. She wouldn't know any better. I wrapped the presents, placed them under the tree just so I could see how pretty it looked with gifts under it. Ahhhh! So beautiful. Then I got sidetracked by something. Could've been the dryer or something shiny! I'm easily distracted. Anyway, the gifts got left under the tree instead of hidden in a cabinet where they were safe from the toddler.

When the toddler, Miss E, woke up she discovered the presents and was so happy! Instant forehead slap! I explained to her that we had to wait for Santa to come and bring her a gift before we could open the ones under the tree! She seemed to be Ok with that. Whew! Well, not for long! I tromped off to the bedroom to put away laundry and while I was doing that the brothers tag teamed her and put the idea in her head to "tell Mama you want to open a present!". I love my boys but I think the influence they have over this child is criminal. That was the beginning of a horrible evening! For hours she could not be persuaded to wait! I wouldn't back down. I decided to leave the gifts under the tree instead of hiding them away the first chance I got. I'm trying to teach her that "No" means "Ain't happening! No matter how hard you scream! So get over it!"........Eventually, she calmed down and stopped screaming "Mama Mean!". Bedtime rolled around, I fell asleep, she stayed awake and the next thing I knew I woke up to "Thank you Santa Claus!"....................



Apparently she got into the snacks too!



Oh! NO! I forgot about the gifts under the tree! She got up and decided to open them! She ran into the bedroom, flipped on the light and said "Mama, look! My hat! Owl!"..........My Mom has a thing about owls lately! You'll see what I mean in an upcoming post. She buys Miss E pajamas with owls, shirts with owls etc. For Christmas she bought her this adorable Owl hat! It really is the cutest! Miss E loves it! I let her keep the hat but explained to her that Nana bought her the hat, not Santa. And we really should wait til Christmas day when Santa brings her a gift. She wasn't buying what I was selling so for a couple more hours I had to sweet talk her and coax her back to sleep.

So, my question......Do you wait til Christmas Eve to display presents or do you set yourself up for punishment by putting them out as soon as they are wrapped? I think for this household, we'll hide the presents from now on and I'll just chalk this one up to another Lesson Learned!

Blue Christmas

I know for many people the holidays are an emotional time. Carrying on holiday traditions without a loved one we've lost can be difficult. I lost an aunt who I was very close to  years ago and her favorite time of the year, besides her birthday, was Christmas. The whole month of December actually! She was our  family Santa! She was the most giving person I had ever known. Each year she wanted to be the one to give you the best present ever and every year we always figured out what she was getting us before Christmas day rolled around. She always gave it away! It was so much fun though, to see how giving to other  people brought her so much joy! It was one of her best qualities. Her last Christmas was the best. She was finally able to surprise someone! She bought my Mom a very nice camera. I couldn't believe she was able to keep it a secret. It made her so happy! I can still hear her squealing with delight over it! She passed away a short time later. I guess God wanted her to have that moment before she left us.

I had a hard time finding any joy in Christmas after that. But I realized that she would want us to carry on with the celebration. So, I got involved with the Angel tree at the local mall and gave to Toys for Tots. No child should go without at Christmas. My aunt would be happy knowing that we were giving to others this time of year. But with the economy it's hard to do now. I've talked to a few folks lately that have found themselves on the other side of the Angel tree this year. It's sad. One year you're dropping off presents to a charity and the next year you're picking up presents.  Christmas isn't always a joyful time of year for everyone. It's hard enough to pay the bills. Putting presents under the tree is a struggle. I know it's less than a week til Christmas day and times are tough. But if you find yourself in the position to give to a stranger this year, find your local Angel tree or Toys for Tots, and do what you can. Please. If you know an adult who is struggling to put food on the table please donate food. A good meal can mean the world to some folks. With heating bills climbing and the price of gas......it's hard for some to stay with their head above water. Can you imagine going to the grocery store, gathering the things on your list which is the bare minimum and finding out you miscalculated and don't have enough money to cover your bill. You have to choose what to put back on the shelf! Do you put back the toilet paper, the Milk or the generic laundry soap? One look at your hungry children tells you it won't be the milk. It's a tough spot to be in. Please. Help a family out this year if you can. Every little bit helps! You never know when you're going to be in that same position, in need of holiday cheer.

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,

As always, my kids deserve whatever they asked for this year and more! They truly are awesome kids and I couldn't ask for better. There are times when my parenting interferes with their idea of a good time, but we agree to disagree on that and when they are parents we will discuss it further. Anyway, Santa, I would like to point out that this has definitely been my best year yet......as an adult! I know that I have been on the naughty list a time or two but this year I am really trying my hardest to be a good person. Not just because I want my name on the NICE list. I really want to be a better person for my kids. I can't give them laptops or iphones. So, I figure the best thing is to give them a fighting chance by setting a good example. This is really all I can give them this Christmas. But, if you do happen to come by my house this year and feel I am deserving, all I ask is that you put a little something in my stocking to help me keep my promise to my kids. Santa, please bring me duck tape!

                                                Sincerely, The Imperfectionist