My lovely and loving sister-in-law posted an Instagram photo from their current destination wedding in Mexico today showing what is in her bag for a beach vacation.  She is cool and stylish and it made me think about our bags’ metamorphosis though a lifetime. I thought it would be fun to document what I happen to have in my bag today.  Wanna check it out?

Starting in the upper left-hand corner, if you will:

-the book I keep kids’ medical information in; doctor visits, medications, allergies

-M&M’s for situations where bribery is called for.  Drop off at preschool, grocery stores, general picking up.

-Wireless earbuds and phone (not pictured)

-lipstick and gloss…the girls probably wear these more than me but sometimes I remember to put it on.

-Eyeglasses case:  because I can’t see at night without them.

-Witch finger for pointing to words as they are read or poking your brother in the eye.

-Chick-fil-a placemat

-half chewed bit of gum and some Sudafed

-TJs receipt-goodies for our flight

-pens-mostly to cross off grocery store lists

-Diapers and wipes

-Wallet-purple!

-Stickers from some doctor or dentist visit

Yipee!  Friday night-alright, alright!  Couple of things:

*I still am one amazed momma at how stylish Lily is.  I know I’m not supposed to comment on her appearance, I guess, but she just does herself up each day in such unique ways.  It makes her stand out.  This morning she came down all ready to head out to co-op, sporting a woolen vest, jeans and boots.  Another thing about this girl that is beyond explanation is how she remains healthy while the rest of us sniffle and cough our way through the night.  I’m listening to little Em cough and sneeze in her room. 

*Ollie will put on a Mother’s Day presentation in May and at school preparations are being made.  I had to chuckle when he told me that he made sure there will be no cats or amoxicillin there…just so no one has any allergic reactions. (What about walnuts, bro?)

*Who knows where Emmy will sleep on our upcoming trip?!?  We are betting on Plan A: pack and play inside a tent.  Let’s see if that holds her in one place. {unlikely.sigh.}

Happy Weekend!

I am always on the lookout for new podcasts.  Sam has some great ones to recommend; somehow when we are in the car together, alone, he puts on a new one and we sit, captured by the story or whatever, silent, until we reach our destination.  I tend to only listen to my own while I am walking the track.  I listen to a lot of homeschool ones as well as parenting ones.  But I stumbled upon a new one done by a favorite author of mine; I have read all her books and I am waiting on the new one that comes out this week. It arrives tomorrow just in time for our trip!  Gretchen Rubin penned The Happiness Project; I listened to this audiobook a bit slavishly when we first moved to California.  Whenever I think of it, I feel myself walking the back alleyways of Atherton {ha!  the hood!}, for hours, listening to this book.  Its message is a positive one; even if you are satisfied, more or less, with your life, there are always ways to pay more attention and increase your happiness.  She also brought the saying, “The days are long but the years are short” back into popular vernacular.  I surely relate…especially by 4 on most days!

While I listened to the first episode today, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, one segment covered the difference between satisficers and maximizers.  It got me thinking about which I was or if I was a little bit of both.  First, a definition.  Satisfiscers are content to make decisions quickly, choosing the “good enough” option while maximizers want to make the penultimate right choice from all the choices, the want the very best.

I rolled it around in my mind.  I like making fast decisions.  I will not agonize over wall paint colors or clothes to buy.  I would much rather spend time doing something fun rather than researching choices on the inter webs.  I like to use a few trusted sources for any recommendations and be done with it.  Not that I act on decisions quickly.  I spent half a year waiting to order our new dining table.  Same for painting our room.  However, I am like a maximizer in that I sometimes agonize over my choice after I’ve put it into action; I second-guess myself.  I tend to be impulsive if faced with the physical rather than the online choice because I can shut down the computer and move on.  Maybe it comes down to the number of choices available?  I am overwhelmed by all the choices we can find everywhere we look:  the grocery store, the community center, the extracurriculars.  Perhaps if I were faced with fewer choices I would be more of a maximizer?  But I’m okay being a satisficer:

In a fascinating book, The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz argues that satisficers tend to be happier than maximizers. Maximizers must spend a lot more time and energy to reach a decision, and they’re often anxious about whether they are, in fact, making the best choice.

Are you a satisficer or a maximizer?

In the midst of snowy days and winter we started adding to our weekly schedule with an afternoon movie on Wednesdays.  Along with our Tuesday Poetry Teatimes, we have a little groove going in our mid-week.  There are a few “rules” we follow on Wednesdays:  math must be completed before swimming lessons in the morning, I choose the movie without much input from anyone, and we have to share a giant bowl of popcorn.  My intention is to have two hours in the week dedicated to watching a story together, snuggling.  I don’t want it to be a tv time like I use to get dinner on the table (though with the decent, sunny weather everyone is outside playing until dinnertime!).  My choices are ones that are deliberate, meant to introduce Lily and Ollie to something new or interesting or connected to what we are studying.  So far this winter we have watched A Little Princess {O’s reaction surprised me as I just thought it was more of a “girl” movie; he wanted to re-watch it immediately}, Stuart Little {which inspired a mini-lesson on the author by Lily for Ollie}, Hercules {they loved trying to spy all the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece}, The Sound of Music {after we saw the middle school production}, and today:  The Apple Dumpling Gang {after which the neighborhood played “bandits” all afternoon}.

As far as reading is concerned, we are waiting for the second book of The Odyssey, Lily and I are reading some Ramona Quimby before bed and Ollie joins in off and on.  For some language arts work for school I checked out four Mr. Putter and Tabby books by Cynthia Rylant and who ended up reading them over and over?  Emmy!

I just finished Peaceful Parent, Happy Child by Laura Markham, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, and started Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.  And I am trying to still watch the last episodes of Downton Abbey.  Thanks to Netflix, we are back into House of Cards and loving a new one:  The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Some days are diamonds
Some days are rocks
Some doors are open
Some roads are blocked

~Tom Petty

Emmy helps with the half and half this morning

Our storyboarding…before recycling

White Witch

St. Patrick’s Day complete with wearing’ o the green!

Emmy helping again. 2 of 3 Nantucket mugs kaput. But a happy, wet girl.

Warm weather = neighborhood playmates are out.  Good times!  Except when your 4 year old runs away (true story!).  That is a tale for another day.  Lily and Olivia have gotten together to build Legos and exchange mini-figs.  Finally someone is using the gazillion Lego pieces in our house.  Everyone got a new fig today;

Not me. We already had this one.

L got Darth Mal & O got a stormtrooper.  A bit of a mash-up before dinner when I overheard Ollie narrating a battle between two of them and he said, in a low, menacing voice, “Do, re, mi!” like he was an angry Von Trappe looking to do some damage.  I like these kids’ imaginations!

as I lay with her tonight, a nearly recovered sick girl, she was feeling more energetic and wanted to chat…

She asked, “Do you yove me?”  “Yes, Emmy, so so much!”  ” You yove me so so much?”  ” Yes, so so so much!”

She asked, “Where’s Gramma Yissa?  Downstairs?  Washing dishes?”  

She said, “You nuggle.  You nuggle now.  Where’s my other mimi?”

*the sun comes out to warm you up

*the boy drives the Barbie car all on his own

*the package arrives that you were waiting for

*the date night is all kinds of fun and good food

*the girl loves the lipstick look so much she improvises with marker, permanently

*the itty bit falls down but gets up and tries again on her scooter

*the throwing up misses you (but gets someone else you love-BOO!)

*the Spotbot turns out to be a wise investment

*the husband is your biggest cheerleader

*the show turns out to be hilarious

*the book continues to engage

*the sleep is long and peaceful and uninterrupted {to be continued…}

I have become really interested in this daily practice of writing thing and what it may be doing to my brain.  And I came across this article two days ago and it has been on my mind.  {whomp-whomp}

Writing Your Way to Happiness NY Times article

The concept is based on the idea that we all have a personal narrative that shapes our view of the world and ourselves. But sometimes our inner voice doesn’t get it completely right. Some researchers believe that by writing and then editing our own stories, we can change our perceptions of ourselves and identify obstacles that stand in the way of better health.

I know this is so true to me {I have a loud inner voice} and that I usually process life by talking.  But by blogging each day and working to journal daily on top of that {which works out to more like once a week??}, I feel like I am re-wiring.  Surprisingly, maybe, to most people I love, I really do walk around ruminating a lot.  Maybe that is natural as a stay at home mom, maybe it is unique to me.  I found while I was teaching that summers could become hard when I wasn’t busy enough.  Now I am busy nearly all the time but I lack the girlfriend support I once had which may figure into it.  Maybe its being tired.  Or doing a lot of housework  Or just being a grown-up 🙂  But this daily practice has helped me focus, if not continually, then once a day on those bright spots in my day for which I am thankful and my journal helps me with the tougher or less pretty stuff, the stuff I would rather not have published in a public domain.  Journaling helps to work through or process those annoyances or inadequacies.  And I was happy to see some research can back my findings up!

The temperature is creeping up a little bit more each day…soon it will be spring!  We are loving be outdoors this week.  No one more than the Momma!  We busted out our old favorite outside toys and have been checking out what is happening in the gardens (as we can see them; the snow is continuing to melt away).  This morning L was so inspired by the sunshine she suggested a luncheon picnic and E was agreeable.  I obliged but had to eat soup–its not that warm yet.  By mid-afternoon, though, it was okay to sit out in the full sun without a jacket {zipped up, with gloves} and so the big kids and I had read aloud time with popcorn at the end of the driveway.  After nap time ended, we were all out to build up our Vitamin D stores and see if we could get our freckles to pop.  I know Lily’s did 🙂  Come on, Spring!