XiaolinMama

Gratitude Challenge Day 7

Here is my first video post for the Gratitude Challenge. I am grateful I got this to work - fingers crossed.

SUV Solitude

Yesterday I posted a few things that I was grateful for as part of the Gratitude Challenge. It was a quick list that I could rattle off without giving too much thought. Afterall, I am grateful for a lot of things.  As I looked it over today, I noticed that quite a few of the things I was most grateful for were time alone - time to think, time to dream, sleeping in and unfettered catching up/breathing time.  Notice a trend here?

As a mother, I so rarely have time alone anymore.  Maybe that is what I love about blogging - some time to be alone with my thoughts and reflections without worrying about what others think about them.  I can delete or edit the paragraph as many times as I want  or not before pressing post.  It is freeing.  It is about me. It is a luxury. 

Living in California, I am in my car a lot - driving kids to school to soccer to dance class. I am zooming off to meet a client or doing a quick errand. Usually while the kids are at practice and I have an hour to run an errand or catch up on a blog post or finish a report for a client.  I find however that some days the only time alone is when I am in my SUV.  I can read a book for 15 precious minutes.  Some days I listen to music that doesn't involve Taylor Swift or Katy Perry (my 6yos favorite)and other times it is closing my eyes and saying a little prayer that I make it through the day in one piece. 

The SUV solitude recharges me and keeps me going.  These stolen moments of quiet are like gold to me.

Gratitude from A-Z

As part of the Tiny Prints Gratitude Challenge, here are some things and people I am most grateful or simply appreciate:

Afternoon BBQs with friends
Baking with my daughter
Chocolate - dark chocolate
Dirty martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives
Earrings that sparkle
Family time
Garden full of flowers and vegetables
Health
Iphone and fun apps
Juicy kisses from a loving husband and slurpy children
Katch up time
Laughter
Music - Ben Harper, Joss Stone, U2 and Adele
Neighbors who babysit and are good friends
Opportunities to learn something new
Pregnancy and it being over for me
Quiet moments to plot my next adventure
Rainy days
Sleeping in
Time alone to reflect
Unfettered time to appreciate art
View from my living room window
Watching my son play soccer
Xtra large Blood Mary's with horseradish and a celery stick
Yellow daffodils
Zany dreams that inspire giggles and the belief that anything can be possible.

Day 1: Gratitude Challenge

Life has been crazy lately.  We are in the home stretch of summer vacation with the kids and have done NO school shopping.  We are still without health care and with the economy in the tanker, everything is just a bit tenuous and stessful.  BUT being worried about that stuff is not how I want to live my life.  Our situation could be WAY worse.   

Today I signed the Gratitude Pledge as part of taking on the Tiny Prints' Gratitude Challenge.  I normally wouldn't sign up for something that asked me to blog 21 days in a row (ugh!), but given the chaos lately I need something/someone to force me to slow down and appreciate the silver lining.  So thanks Tiny Prints and Laptop Television Mom for inspiring me to take note of the great things around me - family, friends and experiences. I am looking forward to the adventure.

To start me off, the family and I went to the circus this week.  We had a ball and it had been a while since we had done a family outing not involving soccer or dance.   I am grateful for the time together and no kids fighting.  Most importantly, I am awed by getting to experience their delight in watching something new and out of the ordinary for the first time.   Priceless.  Read my review at Xiaolin Mama Reviews.
 

Since when is an ear infection a pre-existing condition?

I had the opportunity to meet the amazing Valerie Jarrett, Advisor to President Obama, while at BlogHer earlier this month.  The 10 bloggers, including my lovely MOMocrats or so in the private session were all verklempt listening to stories about health care nightmares (I was crying like baby) and gave input on what needed to be done to take the message to back to our home towns and blogs.  I left inspired to do more, but wasn't quite sure until I chatted with the fine folks at People Acting in Community Together. 

Yesterday my kids and I had the opportunity to give testimony on health insurance reform at a rally outside Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren's office.  About 175 clergy and community leaders gathered to add our stories to the health care insurance reform debate.   Representative Lofgren spoke briefly and complimented the group on the peaceful demonstration.  She relayed that the night before she had attended a meeting expecting 40 people.  Instead she was greeted by more than 300 rowdy protesters, and most were not ready to debate civilly. Oy vey! 

This afternoon's gathering was hosted by a Rabbi, blessing shared by a Baptist minister and the crowd sang, "This little light of mine".  It was a far cry from the events seen all over the news featuring town halls shut down by angry protestors.  I was proud to be amongst this group of smart and compassionate people. 

When my friends asked me to speak last week, I did not hesitate to volunteer.  But as I watched the news and read online accounts of what was happening at rallies around the country, I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into.  Moreover, when the head organizer mentioned that agitators were seen at other rallies around the country and that a large group off Teabaggers assembled at an event the night before I began to worry about what I had gotten my kids involved with.   But as I stood in a circle surrounded by preachers, community activists and friends, I knew there was no other place I would rather have been.

Valerie Jarrett challenged us to take to streets and get our stories told. I did just that and so have many others. Now it is up to us all to make sure our elected officials stand up too and roll up their sleeves to get it done.  We need access to affordable health are. My kids can't wait.

San Jose Jazz Festival

Donation to Locks of Love

My baby donated ten inches of her hair to Locks of Love today! She saw the big girls in the neighborhood do so and thought- well why not me??
She spent all summer growing it and is so proud of her efforts. Yay, Kiley!