XiaolinMama

Thank You Notes

I  participated in Tiny Print's Gratitude Challenge last month, learning about myself and just how little time I have given lately to give thanks for all the gifts I have in life.   There are a million and one excuses for why.  Generally my go-to excuse had been "I've been trying to keep my head above water.  Be patient with me."  But excuse making is SO lame - like "Where the WIld Things are" monster sized lame excuse.  No more! 

Last night I had the fortune of having dinner with friends sans kids. It was fantastic.  The food was delicious and conversation was enlightening.

As my husband and I headed home, I immediately began to think about the ten million things on my to-do list for the upcoming week. It was less than 5 minutes and dinner seemed like a life time ago. Sigh.

This morning as I thought back on the scrumptious dinner, I decided to stop take back the lameness and take heed of what I learned through the Gratitdue Challenge.  I sent a handwritten thank you note- Not an email. woot!   I forced myself to take 5 minutes and really appreciate a gift of time and effort that would have gone unappreciated. It's not hard to do or even unexpected, but I'm just lame.

Hope this is a new tradition I keep up forever. Wish me luck:)  

Outside Lands Anniversary

My husband and I decided to spend our 12th wedding anniversary at the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco.  It was a rare treat - 10 hours without kids, just me and the hubs, listening to a few of our favorite bands - Black Eyed Peas (Super fun!), Jason Mraz (not really my fave, but pleasantly surprised) and Street Sweeper Social Club (Tom Morello and Boots Riley from Rage Against the Machine - love them!)  .

The weather was perfect.  We drank overpriced beers.  We listened to new bands and thought about the first time we listened to the Dave Matthews Band.  We held hands. We talked about how we need to sneak away more often.   We were present with each other and forgot that we were parents.  The day was WAY better than flowers and dinner out.  I am thankful for this decadent gift of time together and am reminded about how much I am grateful for him.

Gratitude Challenge Day 10 - Soccer socks and Lavendar

As part of the Gratitude Challenge day 10, we were tasked with choosing one of our five senses and noting which gifts came to us through one in particular.  I chose the sense of smell - lucky for me my allergies were not acting up.

I have always had a a good sniffer, that is to say I have always been able to discern when milk has gone bad, when a baby needs a diaper change and well, when something has died underneath the house (a rat!).  I am one of those folks who can't sit next to someone with BO or someone with too much perfume. I am positively enamored when I walk into  a bakery or coffee shop.

What did I come across today?
*  Stanky soccer socks - wow!  They were foul - but reminded me that my lil' boy has been indeed growing because my ten year old and his size 6 cleats have BIG boy stank.
*  Lavendar - From my laundry detergent. Makes everything seem cleaner. One of my favorite scents ever.  Key for taking care of the stanky socks above.
*  The glorious smell of cakes baking at Greenlee's bakery.  Their cinnamon bread is something I am ALWAYS grateful for.
*  Smell of shampoo on a clean 6 year old.  I love the smell of a freshly cleaned kid - nothing better than snuggling up to a sweet smelling child as you tuck them in.
*  Lavendar - from  a sachet my mom gave me for my underwear drawer.  Reminds me of her and growing up.
*  New car smell - did you even know you could get this scent at the car wash - oh yeah!!
*  Orange Blossom perfume by Jo Malone.  Floral, yet complicated.  One of my personal favorites in my perfume collection.  I layer the scents - cuz that's the way I roll.
*  Lavendar - From my neighbors yard. I try to take a walk daily and I know I am close to home, when I smell the lavendar.  It is comforting, yet refreshing.  It reminds me of how much I love my neighborhood and neighbors.  How much the people who live my neighborhood are more important to me than my actual house.

Today I realized that Lavendar is a scent that I equate with home, family and friends -  something that makes me smile even when faced with stinky socks.  Who knew? Not me.

 

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.