Joy Break

Inspired by Christine and her post about having fun.  I decided to revisit another "Joy Break" moment from the Clonts diaries:

Someone ( ^ ) woke up in a raunchy mood yesterday.

Determined to butt heads with everybody.  She went as far as to lift the table legs on her side of the table in an attempt to slide her cereal completely off the table.

Solution: We stopped whatever we were doing.  Cranked up TobyMac on the media player and Mom jammed out until ( ^ ) couldn't stand being left out and rocked out with me.

This "joy break" chased all of the funk away and we haven't seen it since.

This is a common practice in our house.  When the air gets too tense for whatever reason--Joy Break!

Pouty pictures are fun, too!  Evidence.  Black Mail.  LOL!

Flippin' Zany Bands

I love morning snuggles and giggles.

This morning Zachary entertained Bennette and I by flipping his Zany Bands off the ceiling and catching them (well, trying.  Some of them popped us in the face. lol!)

Some may need that cup o'joe first thing in the morning.  but to get my day started off right . . . Bring on the giggles!

The Other Man In My Life

He is a lot like his Dad. Gentle and Goofy.  Kind and Ka-Razy.

Sensitive and Savvy.  Caring and Charming.  Respectful and Responsible.

I love his smile.  I love his laugh.

I love the little eccentric qualities that are unique to him alone.

I love my tater baby boy

Darling Diva Moment

Just had to share this Darling Diva Moment.

My mom had this costume at her house and Little Miss decided to 'strike a pose'. 

(A bonus pose below)

Doing What Comes Natural

This is my oldest daughter.  This is her natural stance.

Her phone is her baby.  She gives it a lot of attention.

This used to drive me I-N-S-A-N-E.

I meditate on this:

I respect her as the unique and competent individual that she is.

Our children do not always make the choices we would like them to. 

What is most important is our relationship.

Find peace in love.

Bedtime Routine

A familiar scene at our house.

Snuggle time.

This particular night the book selection is

A Case of Stripes.

Reality Check

Reality is like a giant slap in the face some days, and it hurts.

What happened to the 3 year old that never sat still?  She was simply a blur of activity.

Something wonderful about her is that she embraces all life has to offer with such passion.  She absorbs every detail about the world she loves. 

She is my teacher.  I am her student.

The Five P's

I have always been one who 'over thinks' EVERYTHING!!!  This inevidibly leads to having the Joy sucked right out of the situation for me.  I have been working very hard on just letting go and have had many break throughs. 

My parents tell stories of a four year old (me) who overthinks the simplist choices.  Spend the night at grandma's or go home?  The story ends with a miserable four year old who overthought the whole thing, "what am I missing out on at home" "Will I wish I had stayed if I go, will I wish I had gone if I stayed" "what if . . ." --yeah, It has only become worse as this girl has aged. 

Did I mention that this sucks the Joy out of everything when you overevaluate and try to peel the layers back on everything.  I am getting better.  I hate making bad decisions, I would rather not suffer through the anguish of dealing with something that could have been avoided. 

"Proper Preperation Prevents Poor Performance"

So I have become a freakish overthinker.  Typically result is one of two things:  The decision is stalled for so long that the opportunity is either missed or I make a spontaneous decision that costs me big time. 

It is no secret that we all need balance in our lives.  This is one that I have to work on every minute of the day.  It's never one  thought stuck in my head it's a minimum of 242 things because one thought leads to another and another and another.  When I was younger I would look to others for their acceptance before making decisions, this was a serious crutch that was not healthy for me.  Something that I am still guilty of but not as much as I used to be.

I am on a journey of self discovery.  I want to be ME.  The me that my Creator designed different from all other beings.  I have people in my life that help me find balance but I know that my mental and spiritual health begins with the decisions that I make. 

The thing that I am meditating on today is to remember to draw close to the things that I KNOW create balance in my life instead of pushing them away.   Also, to be aware of Joy sucking worry and cling to liberty.

• The power to choose, think and act for oneself; freedom from control or restriction
• The right or priviledge of access to a particular place; freedom
• Free, unoccupied, or unresticted

The Butterfly Effect

It is through the silent and private struggle of the caterpillar that he can escape the comfort and security of the cocoon and emerge into life again. 

It is through this same silent and private struggle that the beautiful butterfly gains the strength to be able to soar once free from that same comfort and security.

We can learn a lot from nature.  I encourage you to meditate on this process.  You may find yourself in a phase comparative to the cycle of the butterfly.  The caterpillar spends the first cycle of its life absorbing life around it and creates a safe secure shelter for itself.  If the catapillar stays in the cocoon it has created for itself it means imminent death.

I watch as so many of us are in a cocoon phase of our lives.  Some are building strength through the struggle and will soon soar.  Others remain safe and secure and have experienced a type of death due to the lack of nurishment and the ability to breathe. 

Embrace the struggle my friends and gain the strength to soar.  Each of us is created as a unique individual and our wings will not pattern the same as anyone elses.  The butterfly IS inside but you may not see it yet.  Have faith and confidence in your inner beauty and fight to emerge!