FYI - this is easier to do with more frequency. Anyway, here are a few I was reminded of this weekend:
* Spa night with Julia/Boys night at hockey (btw, I think I'm due for a real spa day)
* Post-secret Sunday
* Fruit Loops
* "I love you mummy - kissy? huggy?" (Julia)
* Colouring with Hunter
* Stories
* Sleeping in (even if only until 8 o'clock, I still appreciate it)
* Snow days.
Showing posts with label Optimist Project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Optimist Project. Show all posts
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Things that are Making me Smile
* Getting stronger, I can feel it even if I can't see it yet.
* Taking two good classes - good for entirely different reasons. The Friday one because it has all these full time students in it that remind me what it was like to have a million ideas for what you want to do when you grow up and just be hoping that someone will give you a chance. The Saturday one because it has a bunch of colleagues (indirect ones) in it and is taught by a political scientist. It's been a while since I've taken a class from a political scientist, it's refreshing. It's also great to experience the colleagues in a totally different environment.
* My monkeys, as always. Julia continues in her Hunter adoration and it's so much fun to watch. I think the whole copying what he is saying thing may be getting on his nerves a bit but I think he's also a little bit proud that it is he who she admires. Hunter's love for school continues to amaze me - he's actually excited to do his homework each night. It's also amazing to see how much his reading is improving (and I love that he reads to Julia and not only for selfish reasons).
* My wonderful and supportive Jason. I couldn't live this crazy life without him.
* Less important things like Glee and the Hangover winning awards. I must be getting older because stuff I watch is actually winning awards now. I maintain that this weekend sucked for football, though (okay maybe just two games in particular).
* Taking two good classes - good for entirely different reasons. The Friday one because it has all these full time students in it that remind me what it was like to have a million ideas for what you want to do when you grow up and just be hoping that someone will give you a chance. The Saturday one because it has a bunch of colleagues (indirect ones) in it and is taught by a political scientist. It's been a while since I've taken a class from a political scientist, it's refreshing. It's also great to experience the colleagues in a totally different environment.
* My monkeys, as always. Julia continues in her Hunter adoration and it's so much fun to watch. I think the whole copying what he is saying thing may be getting on his nerves a bit but I think he's also a little bit proud that it is he who she admires. Hunter's love for school continues to amaze me - he's actually excited to do his homework each night. It's also amazing to see how much his reading is improving (and I love that he reads to Julia and not only for selfish reasons).
* My wonderful and supportive Jason. I couldn't live this crazy life without him.
* Less important things like Glee and the Hangover winning awards. I must be getting older because stuff I watch is actually winning awards now. I maintain that this weekend sucked for football, though (okay maybe just two games in particular).
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Today's Smiles
* A husband that is willing to start the car for me in -37c weather. This is especially appreciated since he otherwise wouldn't have had to brave the cold. Incidentally, this only somewhat counterbalances the whole it's -37c, is this even human, thing.
* Watching the cat knock Julia's princess castle onto herself. It's one of those pop-up, tent-type things with a long tube to crawl in and out of. It has two doors. The cat loves it because she can hide in there and attack people who walk by or hide from the kids when they aren't playing in it. Today she leaped out of it and knocked it on to herself. Totally serves her right for trying to attack me. I swear that cat is crazy.
* Hearing from my Mum that there might be an Adrian Mole book out that I haven't yet. I love Adrian Mole!
* Crazy family dinners. These are an everyday occurrence, I'm just appreciating it today. One of the best parts of my day even though half of it is usually spent trying to get at least one of the kids to eat at least something on their plate and the other half is usually spent trying to instill some sort of manners.
* Blogs. In case it's not evident, I'm so happy to have rediscovered this medium.
* I almost forgot (how could I?) - there is a whole new person in this world. My friend had a healthy just under 4lbs baby boy today. After much worrying and an intentionally early arrival, the little dude is doing fabulous.
* Watching the cat knock Julia's princess castle onto herself. It's one of those pop-up, tent-type things with a long tube to crawl in and out of. It has two doors. The cat loves it because she can hide in there and attack people who walk by or hide from the kids when they aren't playing in it. Today she leaped out of it and knocked it on to herself. Totally serves her right for trying to attack me. I swear that cat is crazy.
* Hearing from my Mum that there might be an Adrian Mole book out that I haven't yet. I love Adrian Mole!
* Crazy family dinners. These are an everyday occurrence, I'm just appreciating it today. One of the best parts of my day even though half of it is usually spent trying to get at least one of the kids to eat at least something on their plate and the other half is usually spent trying to instill some sort of manners.
* Blogs. In case it's not evident, I'm so happy to have rediscovered this medium.
* I almost forgot (how could I?) - there is a whole new person in this world. My friend had a healthy just under 4lbs baby boy today. After much worrying and an intentionally early arrival, the little dude is doing fabulous.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Ooh, ooh More Little Things that Made Me Smile Today
* Cracking brand spanking new text books full of ideas and potential
* My wonderful, exhausted, Julia actually going to bed on time (and it only took cutting out her nap and a couple hours of napless crankiness) - there really is nothing sweeter than sleeping children
* Hunter's palpable excitement about going back to school tomorrow
* An afternoon much better than the morning
All in all, a net positive.
* My wonderful, exhausted, Julia actually going to bed on time (and it only took cutting out her nap and a couple hours of napless crankiness) - there really is nothing sweeter than sleeping children
* Hunter's palpable excitement about going back to school tomorrow
* An afternoon much better than the morning
All in all, a net positive.
Optimist Project
Savvy reader(s) may have noticed that I tagged my yesterday post Optimist Project. I am not naturally optimistic. I'm cynical, pessimistic and a chronic worrier.
I've been thinking that I have a million little things to be greatful for and that if I focus attention to consciously taking note of the little things that make me smile each day, I might not only hit the pillow more content each night but I might also, over time, condition myself to become more optimistic. You can expect to see these reflected on my blog.
Here's the trouble: I still have lots of things that make me crazy and there are going to be days where I just need to whine about the shit that is making me want to say fuck it and jump in my car and drive away.
Today is one of those days.
I don't want to drive away from family, I just want to escape from the job. Some days, it is the general soul-crushing nature of working in a bureaucracy that gets me. Today, however, it is the little things.
* It's the annoying Director from another ministry that calls my boss instead of me because his title is Executive Director - totally disregarding the reality that he won't know the answer to her questions because I am actually the contact for her ministry and on this file. The sense that it's the title that matters not the knowledge makes me nuts.
* It's the paper-flow processes that aren't working.
* It's the lack of clarity.
It's the sense of resignation all these things together create in me.
Huh. It's kind of like the opposite of my little optimist project. If the little positives together are what makes life worth living, maybe there is value in paying attention to the little negatives coupled together and thinking about what they, put together, do to me too. Huh. Need to file this away for further reflection.
To counterbalance the negative, this made me smile this morning:
* "Mummy, you look great!"
I've been thinking that I have a million little things to be greatful for and that if I focus attention to consciously taking note of the little things that make me smile each day, I might not only hit the pillow more content each night but I might also, over time, condition myself to become more optimistic. You can expect to see these reflected on my blog.
Here's the trouble: I still have lots of things that make me crazy and there are going to be days where I just need to whine about the shit that is making me want to say fuck it and jump in my car and drive away.
Today is one of those days.
I don't want to drive away from family, I just want to escape from the job. Some days, it is the general soul-crushing nature of working in a bureaucracy that gets me. Today, however, it is the little things.
* It's the annoying Director from another ministry that calls my boss instead of me because his title is Executive Director - totally disregarding the reality that he won't know the answer to her questions because I am actually the contact for her ministry and on this file. The sense that it's the title that matters not the knowledge makes me nuts.
* It's the paper-flow processes that aren't working.
* It's the lack of clarity.
It's the sense of resignation all these things together create in me.
Huh. It's kind of like the opposite of my little optimist project. If the little positives together are what makes life worth living, maybe there is value in paying attention to the little negatives coupled together and thinking about what they, put together, do to me too. Huh. Need to file this away for further reflection.
To counterbalance the negative, this made me smile this morning:
* "Mummy, you look great!"
Monday, January 4, 2010
Things that Made Me Smile Today
* High five wars with Hunter
* Julia's "I want to do [insert activity here] just like Hunter"
* Coming home to painted trim (thank you, Jason)
* First day back at work not being nearly as bad as I had anticipated
* Feeling more excited about what I might learn than overwhelmed by the workload of the two classes I'm registered in
* Feeling like I can't run another minute at 5K then making it to 10K
* Julia's "I want to do [insert activity here] just like Hunter"
* Coming home to painted trim (thank you, Jason)
* First day back at work not being nearly as bad as I had anticipated
* Feeling more excited about what I might learn than overwhelmed by the workload of the two classes I'm registered in
* Feeling like I can't run another minute at 5K then making it to 10K
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