Gratitude Tuesday

Today, I am grateful for:

• Movement, and exercise. I love how I can go from feeling awful to feeling great, just by moving.
• Hearing my daughter say, “Mom, I’m so glad you are my mom.”
• Warm weather, finally.
• No schedules.

What are you grateful for?

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for my new nephew; I can’t wait to meet him!!

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for:

• Getting some painting done this morning (a big accomplishment with a 6-year old painting in the same room! We actually painted together for 1 1/2 hours, with very little talking! I’m amazed.)
  

  part of a work in progress!

• Colour! The more I paint, the more I appreciate colour. Just check out the secondary colours from my cooking last night!

• Financial wellness

• A long phone call with my online friend Denice – one day, we shall meet!

• My daily dose of Sammy – photo and video updates of my adorable, brand-new nephew!
• Feeling closer to my brother, now that we are both parents. My respect and love for him is growing every time I see him with his son (he has a SON!! WOW! I’m still blown away by this).

How do you talk to yourself?

How do you talk to yourself? Would you still have friends if you spoke to friends the way you speak to yourself? This is a question posed by Suze Casey in her book, “Belief Re-Patterning“. I just read this part last night, and wouldn’t you know it, I got to experience it today, BIG TIME.

I had planned to meet my friend Shelley (who happens to be a Belief Re-Patterning practioner) at a restaurant tonight (yes, you know where this is going, don’t you?). Today was a lazy day, sitting around the house, watching a movie with the family. We decided to go out for dinner, and about half way through the meal, my hubby says, “Aren’t you supposed to be out with Shelley?”

Holy CRAP.

I don’t think this has ever happened to me before. By this time, it was already 15 minutes after we were supposed to meet. Thankfully, Shelley was very gracious, laughing at the situation, and happy to have a quiet meal to herself. But during our phone call, I was able to hear (in that external watching kind of way) the way I was talking about myself.
“How could I be so stupid?”
“I can’t believe I did this.”
“I want to make it up to you.”
So many ways to put myself down before she had the chance. And no, I don’t talk to my friends this way, so why should I continue to talk to myself like this? I am so grateful to Shelley for being an amazing friend and helping me to see that it was a just a mistake, and doesn’t reflect on who I am as a person or friend. I did end up meeting her at the restaurant, an hour later, and had an incredible dessert and great conversation! Thanks, Shelley.

What little things do you say to yourself that you would never say to your friends? When I reflect on this a little more, I can think of a few.
“I’m such an idiot.”
“That was dumb.”
“It doesn’t matter.” (sometimes this is equivalent to saying, “I don’t matter”)

Can you speak to yourself more kindly? I am going to. I’ll let you know how it goes…

Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for:

• My brother Nathan visiting us this past weekend. We played board games, went dancing, he went for a bike ride with the kids, we ate sushi, we listened to music – a great weekend. My only complaint: too short!

Feel the love!

• A stress-free clothes shopping experience with all three kids. Decisions were made promptly, and there was no fighting. Can’t ask for much more than that!
• Painting! I am so thrilled that every time I start painting, I have so much fun. This is still such a new experience for me (the fun, I mean!), and I’m loving it. Nathan painted with me, too!

First layer of the painting! Loving it already.

 

Gratitude Tuesday and some sold paintings!

Today I am grateful for:

• Chef Stephen (who cooks amazing lunches for the kids at our school) and his yummy dinners. I bought one tonight and it was delicious.
• My amazing friend Shelley. I have been seeing her for Belief Re-Patterning sessions, which are so powerful. Shelley gave me a copy of the new book about this technique, by Suze Casey (who is also in Calgary – yay!). Thanks, Shelley!
• Dr. Brene Brown and her wonderful blog and books about vulnerability. If you get a chance, read her post from April 15. I loved it.
• Crying with my kids while watching “Hugo” today. They are so sweetly innocent, still.
• Selling a bunch of my paintings recently! I am grateful that there are people who enjoy my art and wish to hang it on their walls. Here they are:

 
The first two are paintings I made for Matt and Meghan.

Here are the paintings in their new home:

I sold these two paintings to Amy:

Deborah bought these two:

And these are two that I sold to Monica. (I am also making a large painting for Monica, and I am very excited to see how it is turning out! More on that later!)

Gratitude Tuesday and Happy Birthday MOM!

Happy Birthday to my amazing, beautiful, creative and inspiring mother, a.k.a. MA! My mom has given me so much: my love of rainbows, my competitive streak, my parenting style, my scoliosis survival, my knitting and crochet knowledge, my love of yarn and books, and the list goes on and on. Thank you Ma, for everything you do. I love you. xoxo

Today, I am grateful for:

1. My mom spending last week with us and taking care of the kids and cooking while I danced for 6 days straight during the Core Connexion teacher training! My mom rocks!

2. Spending the weekend dancing with my BFF, Angela!

3. The supportive and wonderful dance community.

4. Warm weather is back!

5. My back supports me.

6. The feeling of slipping between freshly laundered, high thread count, sheets. Oh, and our amazing mattress.

Twins! Tears! Tiring!

We went to visit our friends’ baby twin girls yesterday. When we arrived they were lying on a nursing pillow while their mom fed them their bottles. Their eyes were closed, their little mouths were sucking, their teeny necks looked so fragile. Well! I did not expect myself to cry, but I just couldn’t help it! They reminded me so much of our twin girls (who are 10 now) and I had the sense that I missed so much back then. I was so happy to hear how well these parents are doing, and how grateful they are for these babies – I think they are getting the most out of their time with them. I wish I could go back in time, just for a bit, to really appreciate those little bundles! It just reminds me so much to appreciate who they are right now.

I held Jenna for most of the time we were there. While I loved holding her, one thing is clear: I am done having babies! I don’t think I have the energy for that any more. The whole time I was holding her, I was thinking, “How do you do this, with two babies?” How easily I have forgotten!

Here are the paintings I made for the girls: