Are You REALLY Thankful?

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be thankful and how I can make that more a part of my daily life. I find it helps me keep my focus on where it needs to be and it helps me keep a positive attitude in the midst of hard times or a really bad day.

When you are having a bad day, what is your response to that? I used to (and still some times do at times) get pretty upset and usually take it out on those around me, my husband or daughters, especially if one of them seemingly caused the badness in my day. But what if we responded with thankfulness in the midst of a bad day? When we turn and think about all that we have, it can (if you let it) cause you to realize that your day is not as bad as you may think it is. When I'm frustrated with the tightness of our budget, I remember that we have enough to pay the bills and are not submerged in credit card debt. Oh yeah and that my husband has a wonderful job with a family oriented company. When I get frustrated with my 3 1/2 year old's tantrums, I remember that she is healthy and is well behaved most of the time. When my 14 month old is constantly following me around ALL day wanting to be held and whining because she is not being held, I remember that I am blessed to have her and her sister in my life and that there are so many people in this world that ache to have the blessing of children in their lives.

I have also been trying to take time and remember the little things that I can be thankful for that I often take for granted. Things like windows, grocery stores, lotion, computers, trees, pens, my Bible, my health, my relationship with my husband etc. Remembering these things enhances my day SO much and makes a good day better and a bad day bearable! You can turn most negatives into a postive if you change your perspective.
Try out thankfulness and see how it impacts your day!

Just go with it!

I am a very structured person – when I want to be. I am finding that Alia is this way as well. I try and try and try to get her on the schedule that I would like for her to be on and though you can have a routine, you CANNOT force baby to be on a schedule that just does not suit them. This is especially true during a transition time such as dropping a nap. Alia is in the process of dropping her 4th nap. This has been a trying and confusing process for me. However, I believe that I have been making it more complicated than it needs to be.

She can sometimes stay awake for 2 ½ hours with no problem for her last wake time and skip her 4th nap and sometimes she cannot. It depends on how the day has gone and if she has napped well or not. When she does not take ideal naps she definitely needs that 4th nap. When she does take this fourth nap, it interferes with her bedtime which frustrates me. I am so ready to be done with the day at 8:00 p.m. that I get angry when Alia needs to stay up until 9:00 p.m. or so in order to be sleepy enough to go to sleep for the night. I really should not let this bother me, but I let it. Is it really that big of a deal if she stays up an extra hour or so in the long run? If it is every night for the next several months then yes, but if it is only for a short time while she is transitioning then it should not be a big deal and I should not let it bother me.

I am a perfectionist. If the entire day does not go the way that I want it to, I often get discouraged and even resent being a mom sometimes. And I can get that way even if only one thing goes wrong. Even if you try your hardest to do everything right, your baby or child is their own person and they are not always going to go with the flow or the routine that you have worked so hard to get them on. Don’t get angry or discouraged! Just try to relax as my wise husband would say and just go with it!

Welcome and Good Afternoon

So I am starting a blog to give my mind something to do when it screams for attention and a break from the numbness that motherly duties can bring. Plus it will be a way to document my daughter's achievements and the joy that they bring me even though taking care of her can be so hard on my sanity! I hope whoever reads this finds inspiration to keep striving in this life more than anything else because it really is worth it in the end.