The Reason for the Season?

It's Christmas time. The malls are crowded, parking spots are coveted, and bank accounts are emptied. We are so busy with events, and shopping, and lists that the season seems to fly by without time to really enjoy it. And what is it that we should be enjoying? A few material items wrapped up in pretty paper? Thousands of calories in holiday food?

For me, Christmas took on a brand new meaning when I had children. Children. Babies. A baby. That is what Christmas is really all about, right? A baby. The Baby. They joke in that Will Ferrell movie about praying to the baby Jesus- but really we should take some time to think about Jesus as a baby. He was vulnerable. He required feeding and nurturing from his human parents. He was a baby- a crying, hungry, wet, baby boy.

We hear it all the time in church.

For God so loved the Earth that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16

But, if you have children, that common bible verse takes on an entirely new meaning. I would walk through fire if it would mean that my child wouldn't have to. I would gladly take on any illness if it would mean sparing my child. And God gave the world this baby. A real live vulnerable baby boy. This baby that would grow up and make the ultimate sacrifice. The tables are turned and it is this baby that will one day be nailed to a cross and give His life in order that we should not suffer.

I have begun to look at my children as small living pieces of God. In their birth, beginning their lives as tiny fragile infants they begin life in the same way as the son of God. I cannot begin to explain the depths of the love that I have for my children. I cannot begin to make you understand how happy they make my heart. And I myself cannot quantify the intense fear and heartache that accompany even the thought that they will one day know pain and sadness. And now imagine God as a parent. Imagine the scope of the gift that He gave us. He gave us a baby, to be raised in what He knew was an imperfect world. In a world that He knew would crucify his only son. And yet he so loved us that he gave his son to all of us. I can only imagine that the love that God has for all of us, his children, is monumental compared to the love that I have for my own children. And I can only imagine that to feel that love will be like the light of the sun compared to that of a single candle. It is that overwhelming and unimagineable love that we should think about during this busy season.

Christmas is a time to remember an infant. A gift to the world. Not a gift wrapped up in a box or decorated with glitter and bows. A gift of love. And it is a time to share that love with our families and friends. So this Christmas remember that night over two thousand years ago when two frightened parents witnessed the birth of their first child. So this Christmas honor that baby Jesus and the sacrifices that He would ultimately make for us by doing the one thing that he most represents. Love. Love yourselves. Love each other.

And that is the simple answer. The reason for the season? It's love.

What a Wonderful World

There are days when you wake up and just feel good about things. Today is one of those days. It may or may not have something to do with the fact that I slept for ten hours last night but regardless today I just look feel so blessed. I was watching last night's 'America's Got Talent' this morning and one of the contestants sang "What a Wonderful World". That song is one of those songs that can just make you smile. But I noticed a line this time that I had never really paid attention to before.

"I hear babies cry. I watch them grow. They'll learn much more than I'll ever know and I think to myself, 'What a Wonderful World.'"

That pretty much sums up how I feel today. I look at my children and see in them limitless possibility. I can literally see them learn things from day to day. I have seen them take steps and heard them say first words. I can sit back and watch them figure out how things work and test their boundaries and limits. It's really probably the most amazing thing that I've ever had the honor to witness.

So while I hope to do something amazing one day I know that I already have done something amazing in its own right. Even though billions of people have done it before me I still look at my two boys and know that they are miracles. They are my legacy. And for that I am proud of myself. And I do think to myself, "What a Wonderful World"!.

Attitude Adjustment

There are some days when I wish I lived on my own little deserted island far away from facebook, family drama, traffic, and people in general. Then I realize that firstly that is not possible due to a severely limited budget but also secondly that I would be missing out on a lot of good things that way.

I am glad to live close by my family. Logistically it is a great boon because with two small children having built in babysitters makes my life much more manageable. I also love to see my children interact with their family and build strong roots. It's great to be able to share my two gifts to the world with family and I truly believe that my sons enrich the lives of all those who are close to them.

I think I've always known this to be true but until recently have been unable to actually implement it in my life but I now embrace the fact that I cannot not control what other people think and do but only how I react to them. In other words I am giving myself an attitude adjustment. I think that our society that is so obsessed with tweeting our every move, posting our every thought on facebook, and yes even writing blogs seems to just breed animosity these days. And since we lurk around facebook checking out everyone's lives there is little of substance to actually talk about when we do get together in person. I know it's a bit late for "New Year's Resolutions" but I will make a mid-year resolution.

Today I resolve to observe the world around me and do my best to engage only in the positive experiences. I resolve to take time every day to think about all the good in my life and try not to focus on the negatives. I resolve to have real meaningful conversations and to enjoy every moment with the family and friends that I love. And while I cannot promise not to daydream about that deserted island I will do my best to create my own island right here by not wasting my time on bad thoughts, negative people, or frustration and anger.

We Could All Use a Little Bit of Make Believe

Have you ever thought about the phrase "make believe" before? It is used so often that I don't think most people really contemplate how important it is. I'm not just talking about pretend play here but actually believing that you can make something happen. We are taught as children that make believe belongs to the land of fairies and Prince Charmings but I think that if we as adults practiced playing make believe more often we would all be better off. If there is something that you want to do. Make Believe. Believe it and make it happen. It's the power of positive thought turned it up a notch.

It is the combination of the two words that make "make believe" so empowering. We are sometimes told that the power of positive thought can be a catalyst to getting what we want. But if you believe in something hard enough all that happens is that you believe, a lot. There is something missing in that philosophy. You have to act upon that belief.

As children, make believe is all about fantasy. And at that point in our lives that is what is important. Children need to learn to stretch their imaginations, hone their desires, and learn to hope. With limited life experiences a child may make believe that she is a princess in the tallest tower waiting for her Prince. What I am telling you now is that although you grow out of fanciful notions about warding off dragons, becoming Sleeping Beauty, or having magical powers does not mean that you grow out of playing make believe.

Be your own advocate. If you want to write the next great American novel don't just dream it- do it. If you want to turn the radio on and hear your song playing but you don't even own a guitar- what are you waiting for? When your dream of running a marathon gets pushed back from year to year- stop! Make it happen! This goes for anything. Be a better mom, a better husband, a better daughter, or employee. Earn more money. Fall in love. Paint a picture. I'm not saying that just because you believe that you will be the next Picasso that it's going to happen. I'm just saying that if you never try- you'll never know. And the world could miss out on something pretty amazing.

My Toy Story Experience: Metamorphasis from Child to Parent

Toy Story has spanned across the part of my life with the most dramatic changes. When the first movie came out with its breathtaking 3d animation and the ability to show things in a way that no traditionally animated movie ever could I was in fifth grade.

I was astounded by the visuals and it was great to experience the new technology but that still isn't what stole the show for me. The characters and the relationships were so much more real than in other family movies. Watching Toy Story was like being a child around an adult who still treats you like you are important and intelligent. I saw in Toy Story the joy of being a child. For me, it was the first movie that really resonated with both my mind and soul.

Then they came out with Toy Story 2. I was in ninth grade by then- maybe too old to be attending a Disney movie. But I saw that in the theaters as soon as it came out. And although I was completely expecting a disappointing sequel, I fell in love again. Toy Story 2 caught me at a point in my life when I was leaving childhood behind. The grace with which they showed childhood as beautiful but ephemeral and fleeting tugged at my heart strings. I found myself in a strange place. I was still hanging on to my childhood and the comforts represented by childhood toys but I was standing on the precipice of adulthood. I knew that I would be leaving behind the happiness that only a child can feel, the ability to create entire worlds with just my imagination and a few toys, and mostly the feeling of safety and contentment that children feel. The montage ending with Jessie being donated still stands out in my mind as one of the most moving moments in any movie. I ate up every second of that movie and have since come to love it even more than the original.

Now I have my own son who loves Woody and Buzz. The idea of passing the toys on to be loved by another generation of children really touched home for me. There I was sitting in the theater with my almost three year old son (at his very first movie) and we were both glued to the screen. Woody and Buzz literally had been passed down a generation in my family. My son was riveted. He sat up on edge when they were in peril. He laughed when were silly. He loved every second of it. And when it was time to say goodbye to Woody, Buzz, and all of their friends I saw not only my childhood which by this point is in the past but I saw the beauty of every moment of make believe that I have the privilege to share with my little boy. I saw the almost three years of my son's life that have already slipped by pass before my eyes. I suddenly found myself empathizing with Andy's mom and saw Woody and Buzz as metaphors of parenthood.

We get to share moments of complete joy and all encompassing love with our children but they grow up so quickly. We will always be important to them but it will never again be the same as the day that we held them on the day that they were born. Or the moment that they took their first step. The moments of make believe will be replaced and the firsts become more and more adult as they attend their first day of school, have their first love, and one day have kids of their own. The way that Toy Story 3 said goodbye to the characters that have literally been with me on my journey from child to parent was poignant, simply stated, and honestly perfect.

I am so glad that I was able to share Toy Story with my son. His first movie going experience was the best that it possibly could have been. It was magical- which is what Disney is all about. So goodbye Woody and Buzz, I have loved you and I will make sure that like Andy's toys I will enjoy the time that I have, soak up every minute that my son chooses to devote to me, and when the day comes that he too grows up I will make sure to be there for him... whenever he needs me.

Dylan with the toy Woody
that my mom bought me when
the first Toy Story movie
was released in 1995.

Patrick's Party!

Thanks everyone who was able to make it to the party! It was so much fun and I can't believe that our little guy is going to be a year old on Thursday!

The party was a blast! We had a carnival complete with moon bounce, popcorn, funnel cakes, balloon animals, and carnival games! What a fun day! Here are a few of the many (359 to be exact) photos. I know, I need help.


Photos are of-
Patrick's New Cozy Coupe from Mimi and Pappy, his gift from Mommy and Daddy, his new big boy seat from Mom Mom and Pop Pop and his balloon hat that Daddy made!

1. I was shocked and surprised to see so much negative reaction to Lost. Both by loyal Losties and people who thought we should be worried about more "worldly" issues.

2. I have found the simplest and best thing to cook. Uncle Ben's whole grain rice that you boil in the bag. Literally you just throw the entire bag in some boiling water.

3. I can't STAND it when people say "I seen that".

4. My son told me this week that he wants to change his name to Shake-o James Ben. I look forward to telling him that one day.

5. I can say the alphabet backwards. Probably faster than you can say it forwards ;)

6. Our tiny little baby has turned into a bottomless pit. He honestly eats more than I do.

7. If I could get rid of only one bug in the entire world without disrupting the ecosystem it would be ants. I know, you'd think misquitos right? But no- ants.

8. I stole this from Mama Days which led me to check out lowercase letters which I think is awesome! Hooray for finding new opinions and ideas to check out!

The Things We Leave Behind

I don't have a lot of physical reminders of my grandmother, but she died 7 years ago tomorrow and I've been thinking about her and a little bit about death in general. I have a few lighthouses here and there only one of which belonged to her and a picture on my night stand but sometimes a lot of time goes by without me consciously thinking of her.

I don't mean to suggest that she wasn't important to me or that I've forgotten her. I was thinking more about the unconscious thoughts of her. While I value the few things of hers that I may have it is the parts of myself that she helped to mold that mean the most. Every time I find myself playing a game I think of her. I am fairly certain that I inherited her love for all card and word games along with her competitive drive. If you knew my grandmother you knew that she took her games seriously. Very Very seriously. God help you if you got in the way of a game of Canasta or interrupted her while she was online playing Slingo. This included a love for game shows on tv which is why to this day I can't pass an episode of "Press Your Luck" without turning it on.

The first "grown up" or non cartoon movie that I can remember loving was 16 Candles. I watched it with my grandmother on VHS cuddled up in her bed. In fact when she moved I finally found my long lost blankie "woogie" (no need to comment on the fact that I named my baby blanket) under her bed surely left there after an afternoon watching movies or all the game shows that she has recorded that week. We had our very own personal game show network years before that channel was introduced. It is these seemingly unimportant things that I look back at most fondly now.

My grandmother was a lover of words and learning. I used to write short stories as a child and I remember always being excited to show them to her. She was very encouraging and spoke to me like an adult. I not only valued her opinion but loved sharing a special time with her. I try every day to emulate her in the way that I speak to my children. I want them to feel like I did around her: important, intelligent, significant.

I feel like there is a piece of her buried somewhere in everything I write. I feel her spirit every time I win a game of canasta. She made me feel special when we spent time together and although I may not think of her now as much as when she was still around she is as much a part of my life as ever if not more as I grow older.

It is in this contemplation that I have truly discovered for myself that it is not important what things you own or what you have to leave behind when you go. It is how you affect people, how you make people feel, that will carry on long after you are gone. So I hope that I too will encourage people in their passions. I hope that I will make someone feel important, smart, and loved. And today I will remember my grandmother for being all those things and more. I will take time today to thank her, not for the possessions that she left me but for the memories, the passion for learning, and the ability to kick your butt in any word game out there.

Little Boys and Little Girls

A little boy walks with purpose
From one thing to the next.
A little boy pretends to be
A Tyrannosaurus Rex.

A little boy lives in his imagination
Where all is pure and good.
A little boy is all about doing.
There's no should or would or could.

A grown up questions everything,
Each choice a labored one.
A grown up forgets how to pretend
And skip and jump and run.

A little girl knows that she is beautiful
In her sparkly jewels and regal crown.
A little girl knows only how to lift you up
Not how to put you down.

A little girl tells a story of what a person is.
There is no fixation on what they say or what they own.
A little girl believes in love and truth
And that she can be anything when she is grown.

A grown up has forgotten
The promises of youth.
A grown up lives in fiction
While the children live in truth.

As grown ups we must try our best
To remember the important stuff.
For we once were those little boys and girls
Before life got so tough.

We should take time every day
To believe that the world is good.
We should spend our days doing
So that we know we could.

We should see people for what they are
Instead of for their possessions.
We should believe that we are beautiful
And not defined by our professions.

We should take a lesson
From those little girls and boys.
And make our lives into music
Instead of just white noise.

Children have beliefs and purpose
While some adults just drift astray.
We must hold onto childlike dreams
Before we float away.

So today I urge you- grown up,
To take a minute to pretend,
Believe that you are beautiful,
See a beginning and not an end.

It's all a matter of our perspective.
When we are small we look up toward the sun.
So all that I ask of you today is to stop,
Look up, and remember that life should be fun.

To Be A Mom

Looking in through the window glass
My life seems simple and unimportant.
And if you look into my past
You won't see much of anything.

I do not work a "9 to 5".
My bank account is far from big.
But I'm happy just to be alive
And watch two beautiful children grow.

It is in their faces that I see my worth
And in their eyes that I understand God.
My definition of importance changed at the birth
Of the two boys who now define my life.

Some may think it sad
That I define myself by them.
But it is the most important job that was ever had
Just to be a mom.

Paperless Society?

This post may not be entirely eco-friendly of me. It might not seem tech savvy. It may seem a bit hypocritical, the electronic glow of the computer screen the only light as I sit here typing this at 3 a.m. But since finishing a book tonight I have not been able to get these thoughts from my head and so I submit them to you.

I look at the new e-readers and cell phone applications designed to put thousands of books immediately at your fingertips and instead of the excitement that some feel I can't help but feel a bit sad. There is a comfort in picking up a book. The weight of the book matches the expectations for what you may find between its covers. The heft can seem a bit daunting upon beginning but after finishing it feels like a badge of accomplishment. A new book with a pristine spine is like a new acquaintance, opening to you slowly and requiring some effort. But a book that has been well loved, read and re-read over the years will show you all the familiarity of an old friend. And whether it be the quick turn of a page from a reader dying to resolve their curiosity, the languid turn of a bored student flipping through a text book, or the heavy handed thunk of a toddler turning the thick pages of a picture book there is simple joy to be found in the feel of those pages between your fingers.

While I am not often moved to tears by movies, I am a sucker for a sad book. In this there is something else that an electronic version of a book or poem will never have. There is something almost poetic about teardrops on the page of a book, concrete evidence that something written on those pages has touched you as you touched those pages.

There are also certain sounds that come with reading. The sounds of the turning pages of different books are as varied as the voices of different people. The crackling of the spine of a book is like cracking knuckles. I enjoy a lot of sounds. I love music and the sound of rain coming down on the roof. I love the contented sighs of a sleeping baby. I actually like the creaking of an old wood floor. I love laughter and the sound of cards shuffling and the early morning sounds of the beach. But I can't think of anything more personally satisfying than the soft thud of closing the back cover of the book that you have just finished. And I find that the more books I read, the more chapters I take in, the more lines I ingest, the more words I devour- the more I cherish that sound.

It seems however that we have entered a digital age. People are beginning to prefer digital photo albums and digital picture frames, electronic copies of books and magazines, and doing crossword puzzles online. But I hope to one day write a book. I don't know what it will be about. I don't know when I will write it. But I can tell you this;

I hope that one day if I ever do write a book it will touch people's imaginations, their hearts, and also their hands.

Reminders

A friend of a friend is going through something terrible right now. She is burying her husband of only ten months, the father of her two month old baby girl. The worst part is that this wife and baby girl have been sharing their Marine with us, with our entire country. He never even got to hold his daughter.

God works in mysterious ways. My heart breaks for this young woman who is dealing with more heart ache, sadness, and pain than I can even imagine but my heart also swells with love for my husband and two boys. I hope that we can all not only take time today to pray for Rachel, daughter Ariana, and all of Cpl Jonathan D. Porto's family and friends but also to take inventory of all the good we have in our lives. Let's think about how lucky we are for the time that we have with loved ones.

The title of my blog, "Live. Love. Laugh. But Mostly Love." is how I feel about this sad news. I hope that everyone who reads this takes time today to love someone and to celebrate life and love. I pray that in Florida Mrs. Porto has found the strength to do the impossible- to celebrate a life that was ended too soon.

My prayers and thoughts will be with Rachel today though I've never met her. I will take time to pray for all of the soldiers, sailors, and Marines that sacrifice everything for us. But I think even more importantly I will take time today in honor of Cpl Jonathan D. Porto to love my family, to kiss my children, to talk to my husband and to really truly and honestly do my best to live, love, and laugh.




Here is a link to Mrs. Porto's blog- http://www.alittlepinkinaworldofcamo.blogspot.com/
And if anyone is interested in making a donation there is information there on a trust fund being set up for two month old Ariana.

To Love and Be Loved

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

-From Margery Williams' The Velveteen Rabbit

The Velveteen Rabbit is another book that is as endearing to adults as it is to children. Looking at this book from the perspective of a child (when did that become so difficult?) it is a love story between a child and his play thing, his source of comfort. As an adult it takes on so much more meaning. That rabbit begins to symbolize ourselves. We understand how the rabbit feels when he is snubbed by the "fancy" mechanical toys for being plain. We know the joy he feels when the boy chooses him to love. We know the heartbreak that he feels when he can no longer be with the boy.

To me the most memorable part of this book is when the Velveteen Rabbit first sees the real rabbits. He realizes that although he loves the boy and being his toy that there is something beyond that. Although in the story the Velveteen Rabbit is parted from the boy because of an illness I look at him leaving the boy more as a metaphorical death. The rabbit has been loved, is old and tattered, is worn and tired. He is all of us in our old age and although he is no longer with the boy he becomes REAL. He becomes a rabbit who can dance and hop and leap and twirl. I would love to imagine Heaven as a place where we can leave behind all of our limitations, where we can become everything that we have always wanted to be and I think that is the reason that this book is so well loved.

The Velveteen Rabbit faces feelings of inadequacy, hopes for love and finds it, lives a long life with the boy, and then after he and the boy are parted finally gets to dance and jump as high as the sky. This book is a wonderful metaphor for life and I hope that we all have such a happy ending.

Help Me if You Can- I've Got to Get Back to the House at Pooh Corner by one...

Continuing along in my series of children's books I will focus today on "The House at Pooh Corner". I chose to highlight this book rather than "Winnie the Pooh" which preceded it because I find Pooh Corner to be a little deeper and more rewarding to an adult reader. It is a tale not only of make believe but also of growing up and having to leave those dreams behind.

If the only Winnie the Pooh that you are familiar with is the one portrayed in the Disney movies I hope that one day you will read the books. A.A.Milne writes with particular wit and poignancy about the endless imaginings that occur in the mind of the very young. The difference between the books and the cartoon movies is like the difference between a stuffed version of the "Disney Pooh" and the "Classic Pooh". Classic Pooh may be less flashy and less recognizable but he is also more believable. He could be the stuffed bear of any small boy or girl, maybe even a bear that sat on the shelf of your own childhood bedroom.

The House at Pooh Corner is a chapter book that introduces us to Tigger as well as continuing the stories of the characters that we met in Milne's "Winnie the Pooh". In this book our friends play Pooh Sticks, build Eeyore a house, and go on a great many adventures. Though the characters are simple their relationships are deep. I could go on for ages but I think this passage from the book speaks for itself.

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh," he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, "I just wanted to be sure of you."”


Again, I could turn this into a manifesto on Pooh so I will just keep to what I think is the driving force in this book, the ending of childhood.

The last chapter of "The House at Pooh Corner" is also the last chapter of all the Pooh stories. Earlier in the book when discussing the game of Pooh sticks we learn about the stream that they play the game in.

By the time it came to the edge of the Forest, the stream had grown
up, so that it was almost a river, and, being grown-up, it did not run
and jump and sparkle along as it used to do when it was younger,
but moved more slowly. For it knew now where it was going, and it
said to itself, "There is no hurry. We shall get there some day."

This is a beautiful metaphor for growing up and indicative of Milne's style. This book is full of witticisms, life lessons, relationships, and wisdom without seeming too heavy or forced. And like the stream knows that it must one day become a river Milne knows that Christopher Robin must grow up and that the stories of Pooh must come to an end. At the end of the book there is a heartwarming conversation between Christopher Robin and Pooh in an "enchanted place" and you are left with a sense of biter sweet sadness. I question whether most readers understand that they are sad not only for Pooh who must say goodbye to Christopher Robin but also for themselves and their own lost childhood. But in the last lines Milne wraps the story up very nicely leaving us with the hope that in some ways our innocence and imagination live on. It is a testament also to the written word as through this book Pooh takes on a life of his own and becomes not just a little boy's plaything but a friend to children everywhere. Incidentally the same words that end the book were read at the funeral of Christopher Robin Milne.

"So they went off together. But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest a little boy and his Bear will always be playing."

The Wisdom of Children's Literature

There is a reason that Alice in Wonderland is going to do well in the theaters as it comes out this weekend. We love to revisit the stories of our childhood. Is there something in the act of writing for a child that brings out the best in authors? Some of the truest and most profound things I have ever read are written for children.

The books that live on through the ages are those that a parent re-reads to their own child and in so doing discovers new meaning, renewed exuberance for literature and life. So I hope to go over some of my favorites and re-read them myself and maybe for the first time to my children this week. If you have children I encourage you to read these books again or maybe for the first time. I will try not to spoil the books for those of you who haven't read them but just to highlight what I love about them. So today I begin with "Le Petit Prince" or the Little Prince because this book encompasses the spirit of my list. It teaches us that "grown ups" often subscribe to the importance of numbers, "worth", and importance and the little prince reminds us that sometimes it is best to think like a child, see with our hearts, and to remember that we were all children once.

"That is the hardest thing of all. It is much harder to judge yourself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself, it's because you're truly a wise man."

The Little Prince. written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, has been translated into more than 180 languages and sold more than 80 million copies. [1] This may be a bit of a stretch as it is arguable that this book was not really written for children but nonetheless it is in the format of a child's story. If you haven't read this book or haven't read it for a long time I highly recommend it. The basic plot is that a "little prince" visiting Earth from his home on an asteroid comes across the author in the desert and tells him stories of his home and his travels. The little prince astonishes the author with his insight and depth and makes several points that all of us "grown ups" could stand to re-learn. The author also provides simple but beautiful illustrations that match the tone of the novella. The lessons The Little Prince teaches are extremely relevant in today's society. In fact the recent media coverage of Heidi Montag and her plastic surgery reminded me of something that The Little Prince tells a rose, "You're lovely, but you're empty". I could go on and on with the lessons that the Little Prince could teach those "celebrities" that our nation obsesses over but I will leave you to come up with your own moral musings.

I will just leave you with a few of my favorite passages and hope that you too will fall in love with the story of the boy from asteroid B-612.




"Grown-ups like numbers. When you tell them about a new friend, they never ask questions about what really matters. They never ask: 'What does his voice sound like?' 'What games does he like best?' 'Does he collect butterflies?'. They ask: 'How old is he?' 'How many brothers does he have?' 'How much does he weigh?' 'How much money does his father make?' Only then do they think they know him."

"One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."

And mostly.... I hope to remind you...

"All grown-ups were children first. (But few remember it)."

Spread the word to end the word. 3-3-10

March third is the day of awareness for the "Spread the word to end the word" campaign, an attempt to remove the word retard, which is used almost exclusively as a put down, from our vocabulary. Check them out and spread their message.

As a mother I understand that love is unconditional and that I would do anything to protect my child. So advocating this event is a small, small, attempt to provide support to people with disabilities with special reverence of their loving families. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to deal with the hardships that come with being disabled or having a disabled child. But I know that just like any other disability people with intellectual disabilities are just people trying to get by, enjoy life, find love, to prosper. The last thing that a person with an intellectual disability should have to hear is someone using the word retard as a slander.

It saddens me that a child who may be labeled as "mentally retarded" should hear that word being thrown around with such disregard. I've used the term myself but when I take even a second to think about what the repercussions of the word are I know that I will never again use the term in such a thoughtless hurtful way. I just keep picturing myself as the mother of a child with an intellectual disability and I know that it would break my heart for them to hear the way that people use that word. So March third I will be spreading the word to end the word and I hope that you will too. And I hope that you will take this pledge with me today.

I pledge and support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.

Hello, My Name Is...

I've wanted to start a blog to chronicle my daily life for quite a while now. I may be a bit behind in doing this as a New Year's Resolution but as a mother of two children under the age of three I'm usually a bit behind in everything that I do. But nonetheless, here it is- the story of my daily life. This isn't necessarily all about babies, children, or family but I'm sure that those topics will monopolize most of my posts. But here you will find out about what I'm reading, what my beautiful boys are doing, things I like and don't like, and my opinions on a myriad of other things. I hope to leave you with things to think about, things to smile about, things to laugh at, sometimes things to fume over, but mostly to share my love with you.

I hope that I can articulate the love that comes with being young, married, and the mother of two as well as the frustrations and headaches that sometimes accompany that. I hope that I can convey one tenth of the happiness that I feel when looking at a sleeping child or one tenth of the heart ache that comes with their tears. I hope to bring laughter as I share the sillier moments. I hope to share the sense of what's to come, the unlimited possibilities that are children. Mostly I hope I can show you that although you may look at me and see nothing spectacularly important I feel like the luckiest woman on Earth.

I would like to end my first official blog post with this. Take from it what you will. And please, please, if you haven't read Shel Silverstein go out and buy a book of his poetry.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.