The piles are replicating I just know it.

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.
- Thomas A. Edison

Been a weird week around here. Not too productive due to a wonky schedules with kids and sick friends and extra carpool shifts and migraines and lack of motivation and oh so much  more...

Anyway, today after my three trips to HS, a quick zip through McDonald's for my daily Coca Cola and a VERY LONG shower, I got down to something that I have had on my mental to do list for quite some time.  I attacked a few of my many PILES!

I had one in the LR, three in my bedroom, a magazine rack full that had about an inch of dust on it and I still have two more behind the couch and what look to be another two on my desk.  I am sure that there are a couple on the dining room table too because that is just the way of my world.  Some of my piles are made up of books. Some are magazines and mail and a few and papers that have been sorted and resorted and will need to be sorted once again. The piles include coupons, receipts, good ideas, wishful thinking, hidden treasures as well as JUNK!

I recall my mother and father both having PILES in their lives when I was growing up. Dad's piles were mostly on his desk upstairs and tucked away. He had bills and reports and treasures in his piles too.  He also had some pretty amazing piles in the basement near his workbench. I don't recall ever seeing the top of that piece. Just the piles that covered it.  I wish I had taken notice of how his piles were doing when I was home last month. I bet he still has a few.  Mom's piles were on the buffet or when company was coming they were placed IN the buffet. We have always had a coffee table and sometimes piles could be found there too.

A pile on my desk that should be EASY to tackle since it includes 2 books.

In my house piles are part of the way I live.  Fred despises my piles and sometimes when I am away he takes all the piles and combines them for me.  Yep, hon I get the hint.  I still have to go through them though and I still need to decide if there are nuggets from that magazine that I could use. I need to put the coupons in the proper place so that I might SOMEDAY actually remember to take the 20% off coupon with me to Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Today I sorted and combined and not have two smaller piles where once there were four. I have put about 8 pounds of recycling into my bin to be taken to the garage and IF the rest of the day goes as I hope I could get through the piles behind the couch and on my desk.  Will they disappear? Not on your life! But will they be neater and have fewer expired items in them? Heck yeah!

I take the good that I can and hope that among all of the progress I find a nugget of inspiration and feel vindicated that I kept a little something in just one of my piles.

It's been a blur...

My last post was on the first day of school and now it is almost semester break!?  Wow! Slacker much Susan?

Well, to be honest I have been working my tail off. I have subbed more this year than any year previous. I have met some great kids, visited some new schools and earned some CASH!  Of course I get paid WAY WAY WAY after I finish the job but the money will come in handy when it comes.

Fred has been working away at his job and is getting good feedback and a few promises from his boss about what the future holds for him.  I KNOW he works hard and is a great employee and I think they see it too. Would love to see a compensatory raise and perhaps a car allowance to go with all that hard work. It'll come... it'll come.

Nic has had a roller coaster Freshman year thus far. Some AMAZING days and events and some real bummers. He is getting ready to participate in the show Legally Blonde the Musical this week for four shows. He has two roles and a solo singing part for one of them. It is new territory for him, musical on a BIG stage, and he is going to do GREAT! I will be sporting my show shirt for the rest of the week in support!  Grades have been steady with just a couple of hiccups. We are hoping for a STRONG finish so the semester averages are solid.  They are the ones that matter apparently.  Fingers crossed.  Socially he has met a bunch of new people but is still strong with the good friends from RMS. He has done well. I am proud.

WB is having a stellar 7th grade year.  He has the best teaching team and is really responding well to all of them.  He is LOVING ILA which was a class he loathed last year so I am SUPER HAPPY with that news. It is amazing that the same subject matter taught by a different person can be so much more enjoyable.  He is cruising along in the symphonic band assignment and actually just got a promotion to a new instrument.  He is now playing a tenor saxophone.He is having to relearn some pieces that the tenor part is a little different in. He is also working on a solo for a competition in February.  It's a little funny but he is getting nervous already.

I have been busy subbing her there and yon and doing PTA stuff.  I have taken part in a weekly Bible study going through Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.  I haven't been completely loyal but have tried.  Not sure if I will rejoin for the spring semester.  I would like to read some more fiction. That sounds selfish... Better pray about that.  I have also had some crafting successes and failures this last 3 months. In October I took part in LOAD1012 which stands for Layout A Day Oct, 2012.  Each day of the month I was given a prompt and challenged to make a layout. I was not required to follow the prompts but they were fun and stretched me at times.  I also went on an overnight Stampin Up retreat in October with some friends and made some fun projects for myself and to share. Sabrina and I tried our hands at a Pinterest project that was an EPIC fail but just this weekend I tried another one that was a HUGE success. You take the good and the bad I guess.

Slacker mom helped with these survivalist costumes. NOT! 
Boys were on their own this Halloween.

Well, as we move into December, just 3 more weeks in this semester, we will all prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas. No big time shopping going on here since we are already blessed beyond measure and tend to fulfill our wants on a pretty regular basis. Taking some time over the break to just breathe and enjoy each others' company will be my top priority. I am thinking a James Bond Movie Marathon followed by a Back to the Future Marathon the next day could be a perfect scenario.  Hopefully I will post a little something before Christmas. I'll do my best.

Family photo taken during our Thanksgiving trek to Indiana. 
Love a Baker boy/man smile.

It's real!

I am the mother of a high school student. I dropped him off this morning at THE HIGH SCHOOL! It seems like it was just last week that I was hearing his babble on and on about the Pangaean Puzzle in the Magic School Bus Travels to the Center of the Earth PC game.  He looked quite handsome today and the BEST part was that when he got out of the car he saw a FRIEND and lit up and faced his day.  I'm not sure if he was nervous. I'm not sure if he was scared. What I do know is that he is ready! He has broken the ice with kids through summer school and summer theatre camp and he has his supplies and schedule and he can get in his locker and he has lunch money in his account. He is READY!

My dear sweet Will was up immediately with his alarm and hit the showers and breakfast table with a smile on his face. On our way to school I asked if he was excited and he said he was looking forward to his new teachers! Who says that?  I expected, I'm happy to see my friends, or I'll be happy at 3:30 but no, WB was excited about his new teachers! It's going to be a GREAT year because he does have great teachers. No pressure Ms. Tran!  He traveled light today with just PE clothes that he doesn't even need yet but he wanted to be prepared. He also took with him the summer reading book that he has gotten through at least twice and possibly three times.  It was engaging and compelling and it was great for boys and girls. I wish i could have been in on the discussions today.  Bet they are going to be enlightening.  He left the rest of his supplies at school last week. He has got a handle on the whole MS thing so I am expecting great things.

I settled into my quiet house with a big gulp of water and two miles on the treadmill. No tears today but I will miss my boys. They are the light in my life and I want the BEST for them in everything. I am so pumped about the POSSIBILITY of a new school year. I pray that the boys have the day they have (don't want to put too much pressure on them) and that they come home ready to share the ups and downs with me. I am their biggest FAN!

Back 2 School

It is almost like January around here. There is a sense of new beginning. There is an opportunity for a fresh start. There are new schools, new classes, new teachers, new routines.  There are new clothes, new shoes and new friends.  There are new habits and new opportunities.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE back to school time. I love school supplies and freshly sharpened pencils and a clean notebook. Many years that I send the boys off I wish deep down that I was the one with a new teacher and new things to learn.

I am learning though. As I trudge along in my serving and working I learn each and every day. I have learned that it is not my job to make people happy. I have learned that by saying yes to sub jobs I do make people happy. I have learned that rules are guidelines and that there are no PTA police but there are best practices. I have learned more about 501 (c) (3) stuff and tax exempt status and what it means to be incorporated in the state of Texas that I ever wanted to know! The good news is that because I have paid attention and worked through the processes of the last year I can HELP someone else if they are faced with the challenge. I hope I never need to be that mentor but I would if I was asked.

My goals and aspirations for this school year are many.

1. I hope to support my boys in being successful in Middle and High School while allowing them to fail just enough to LEARN a lesson or two.
2. I hope to work enough to contribute to the bottom line for my family while taking enough time to enjoy being a SAHM and professional volunteer.
3. I hope to fulfill my responsibility as PTA President with professionalism and continue to develop the middle school PTA to 100%. Family Engagement, Advocacy and Parent Education.
4. I hope to manage my household in a way that is pleasing to my family. To keep clothes are the hangers, warm dinners on the table at night and toilet paper rolls full.

I'm sure I need to plan on more than that but it looks like a good start. Good luck to anyone and everyone during this season of fresh starts!

Today looks...

It looks like it is half way done but really there is so much more time to accomplish what I want and need to do.

Nic is at Jr. Theatre camp this week as a counselor then Shakespeare workshop in the afternoon. 

Will is trying not to spend the WHOLE day gaming.  It ain't easy!  I hope to hear a saxophone note or two this afternoon. 

Fred is at work and I am plugging along with my mental to do list.  I think I'll type it so I can go back and check it...

Laundry  - In process
Pick up Dry Cleaning  - CHECK!
Call IRS re REvoked status
Email TX PTA after I talk to IRS
Marinate chicken for dinner and plan sides
Cut up strawberries in fridge before they spoil
Clean up LR (vacuum, dust, straighten)
Cull through SLS items to make piles for follow-up and recycle
Scrapbook (I need 7 more pages to meet July goal)

Well, looking at that list I guess I'd better get off this BLOG and get busy!

Setting a goal to blog 10 times in August. Gotta try.

Back to normal please.. whatever that is.

Will is home from leadership camp and so we are a family of 4 again. It was nice sleeping in a full house again last night. I may pine to sleep alone in my bed but sincerely, we work well as 4 and it should be that way as long as it should be.

So, this fine Saturday not too much was accomplished. I did my best to keep myself busy enough to stay away from a garage sale at a local scrapbook store. I need NOTHING in my stash. Even at 50 cents I need NOTHING. I actually spent some time this week looking for some creative fuel to help me accomplish some things up in my space. I signed up for a free webinar that was informative and did inspire me. It was about putting together page kits. Not page kits as I was used to. My page kits usually included photos and specific paper that I wanted to put the photos on. This technique involved putting together paper and embellishments in some sort of container THEN finding photos to use.  I have such a stash of papers that I HAD TO HAVE that I just need to USE!  I then bought a couple of other mini sessions and one was about GETTING THINGS ON A PAGE!  Not waiting for the perfect page or waiting to find that other photo that goes with the first one. Holding a space for the ticket stub is fine but don't let that hold me up from getting the rest of it on the page. 

So last night I started to put together some page kits. I have patterned paper in them and need to go back and add solid base pages and embellishments. I am going to make 10 kits then challenge myself to use the random photos that I already have printed and get through those kits. I think, based on my schedule that I should be able to do that in July. I hope to get 20 pages done. That will be a combo of single and double page spread across a variety of albums. I wanted to try to catch up on one or both of the school albums but that probably won't happen. Time will tell.

Well all this writing has me itching to go upstairs and accomplish something. First I will go water the neighbor's plants then I will get in my pj's and get busy filling out those kits. If I begin July with no excuses that will be a great way to begin July!

Ready for some SIMPLE summer time.

Well we have hit both coasts and had lots of fun so far this summer but it has been far from SIMPLE.  I am ready for some simple summer fun.  I am hoping to SWIM soon. I would say I am hoping to sit outside and read a book in the hammock but.... The hammock broke a couple of months ago and it is 104 degrees out this evening.  There will be NO reading outside for quite some time.

William is away at his leadership camp and I MISS HIM TERRIBLY!  I cried when I dropped him off last night in Austin.  He was less than enthusiastic about attending and it is further away then camp last summer.  We were both pretty nervous about the new location of the camp itself and the fear that comes from new things.  He handled it better than me. He is there with a friend and I have complete faith in the adult staff. He will have fun. And I know if her doesn't I will hear all about it.

He returns to us on Friday. Camp is done at about 1. My fabulous neighbor Meredith will bring Will home to us. A BIG part of me wants to drive down and pick him up but it makes no sense. He can get a ride home with the Smiths. I'll have him back home soon enough.

Nic will enjoy being an only child this week.  I have no major expectations. He has some dog sitting responsibilities and a new video game so he should stay out of trouble.  Nic will begin summer school next Monday. We signed him up for Speech. He will take a semester long class in just 14 days. 5 1/2 hours/day.  It will be intense but good to get that out of the way. Hopefully he can take another semester class next summer and be able to have a little flexibility further along in his HS career.

Fred hasn't been traveling at all for work lately due to some unrest in Mexico. I am happy to have him safe and in town but some nights I really want to sleep in the middle of the bed alone.  Is that a bad thing?

Simple is working

I had a pretty significant To Do list yesterday. Mondays can be like that. The good news is that I was able to handle everything on the list. I volunteered, took care of business for my family, made it to a meeting, fed my boys a home cooked dinner, and took a few minutes to pet the cat.  The last item wasn't really a choice. Dear Griffin pinned me between one errand and another and MADE ME STOP and relax.  I thanked him for that. Then I went and got the lint roller.

Will take the time to read this magazine.

I think that this attitude of SIMPLE is probably a much more healthy approach to my life these days. It is a reminder that I can not be in more than one place at a time. That will planning I can do all things and that a life plan of SIMPLE will allow me more time to rest and enjoy all of the awesome things going on around me.

So, it is time to look at SIMPLE improvements and attitudes that will help me keep my family and friends satisfied and keep ME happy as well. I think it's going to be a great experience for everyone!

It took a few days but....

I have my new word. SIMPLE.  Yep, it's the one. It involves very little pressure and a whole lot of peace. It is good for the  body, the soul and the psyche. It will benefit my family, my friends, my organizations, my community and ME!

I have dusted off a few titles about simplification and will skim them as I have time. I think that soaking in the work is a great place to start.

Looking at my calendar for the week and seeing no less than 37 commitments that I have written down and I am not even worried. Do you know why? Because I know that I can not be in more than one place at a time. Because one person can only do the tasks of one person. Because I know that it takes time to get from point A to point B and I will sing along to the radio between those points. Simple joys await me this week.  I hope I can see those simple joys and perhaps even stop long enough to take a picture.

I am moving into my day with such excitement and feeling very light about having let go of INTENTION. It was too much. I know that now. My SIMPLE life is going to be amazing!

I think I'm changing my word...

I have been thinking about it for a few weeks. Probably really a few months. Since I chose it. I recall second guessing my words each year but this time it is different. I think I'm really going to change it.

I fear that the PRESSURE of INTENTION is too much for me right now. I need to cut myself some slack. I need to take it day to day. I need to have some FUN! INTENTION is just too serious and business like. My boys are growing up to fast. My hubby and I haven't been on a FUN date in who knows how long. My friends think that lunch with me is like and Amway sales pitch. Something is wrong here. I need to right the course. Gonna sleep on that and make a new plan to start out my MAY.

Stay tuned!

What has INTENTION done for me?

Maybe that should read what have I done with INTENTION. I have pulled together Easter outfits that suit each member in my family yet still coordinate ever so slightly. I haven't coordinated my family in a VERY LONG time! Maybe since our directory photo for St. Thomas A Becket in 2003. We looked so nice and stood so tall. It was cool. I even convinced the family to stand still and let me figure out the timer on my camera. See results below...

Easter 2012 Frisco, TX

I also managed to create a few scrapbook pages this week thanks to my pal Sabrina. She invited me to a crop on Friday night. They have one at a scrapbook store nearby and we have never gone. She brought it up then we both kind of forgot. I then brought it up again later in the week and we ACTED WITH INTENTION and reserved spots and pulled our stuff together and got busy! Sabrina's OLW is CREATE so it was a good night for both of us. I completed a couple of pages for William's school album and also did a few pages in the 10 Things that Define Me album. I added a few pictures of 5 Fashion Fads from when I was a Teen. SCARY stuff!

Mock turtleneck and an AWESOME Granny!

My final INTENTIONAL act was filling my boys' Easter baskets. I generally go a little crazy with Easter. Boys have received videos, games, candy, pj's, clothes, books and more in baskets over the years. This year I was a little stumped but did know of one item that I knew I wanted to include. I presented each boy with a Bible in their basket this year. The boys have had Children's Bibles and we have a beautiful family Bible but neither of them has a personal Bible. I probably had one by the time I was their age from going on a retreat. I used to get a new Bible each time I went on or facilitated a Quest retreat back in the day. My boys are attending a church that preaches about Bible stories each week. They attend a weekly youth group that is also biblical based and may soon be joining a Sunday morning Youth Bible Fellowship group. They needed Bibles. I made a special trip to Family Christian Bookstore a couple of weeks ago hoping to find just the thing but what I found was that Bibles aren't cheap! Not that they should be cheap but I was hoping for reasonable. Especially since I needed two of them. The ones I thought were acceptable at FCB were $35-$40 so I walked away and kept searching.  Last week I was at the mall and before I went I came across the last three gift-cards for Barnes and Nobles. These gift cards are about 3 years old and were bought to replace books that were lost in the fire. I took those gift cards and bought some VERY IMPORTANT books for my boys, Bibles!

Neither boy was disappointed with the sparse basket this year. I think that they "get" that Easter is the most important religious holiday of the year and one that should be celebrated but not commercialized. Yes, they received their Bibles in their baskets but I look on it as a gift of SPRING and new life and hopefully a fresh young relationship with Christ!

INTENTION is hard work

So I'm not going to bore anyone with excuses and reasons for not writing in the past month. I am just going to say that living a life of INTENTION is only worthwhile if there is ACTION included.

I have great INTENTION to volunteer at the library. I have INTENTIONS to send a nice note to the crossing guards who take such great care of the kids in my neighborhood. I have INTENTION to send cards and notes to friends who are sick, celebrating and even mourning but I don't do it! I have INTENTION to serve with grace. I have INTENTION to CREATE something each week. I have INTENTION to spend quality time with my amazing family.

It is not that I can't. It's not that I don't sincerely want to. It is simply that I DON'T follow through. So I can have the best INTENTIONS on the planet and it doesn't mean a damn thing if I don't act!

This is my wake-up call. I have spent the first quarter of the year learning and trying on my OLW and now I need to walk the talk! I need to make my INTENTIONS my "To Dos."

I have 9 months left to get this to be a habit. 9 months to improve myself and make a difference in my own life and hopefully the lives of others as well.  I am excited about this! I am OPTIMISTIC and hoping SERENDIPITOUSLY that I am able to act with GRACE and INTENTION each and every day.

P.S. Words in all caps are previous OLWs from years past, Just trying to come full circle.

Life of INTENTION is busy.

I feel like a real slacker this month. At least I have an extra day!

Working hard and playing hard makes the rest of the day fly by.

I have subbed many days this month and last and am now hosting my MIL this week. I'll have another busy week coming up then a breather with spring break. Hoping I have time to do some INTENTIONAL spring cleaning during that time.

Promise I'll write something meaningful soon.

Ash Wednesday. No ashes here.

Today is Ash Wednesday. I ordered, and intended to eat, a burger for lunch. Ordered it medium and got it rare. Didn't eat it. Told my friend it was a sign from God that I was skipping my Ash Wednesday lesson. She disagreed. I love her for that. She also let me eat some of her chicken.

So we continue on the quest for a new church home. We have attended Crosspoint a couple more times and tonight the boys went to youth group there. They came out talking and smiling and begging, yes BEGGING, to return next week! WOW. I am humbled. I am happy. I am hopeful.

I am planning to attend a "What we believe" at the church on Sunday night. I have some questions. They will surely have answers. We'll see if we are in alignment. I want to know if it is a good fit. It feels good but obviously I need to look more closely. This is a big decision. As it should be.

Working on this BIG ROCK with such INTENTION has been very challenging personally. Lots of questions to myself about me questioning so much. Lots of thinking on my part about how I thought it was okay to stick around in the Catholic church so long when I have long held fundamental beliefs that differ from catechism. Obviously these things take time. My faith is important. Fostering faith with my family is important. I am glad in my heart. I am hopeful. I believe.

SLACKER!

I was talking about myself don't worry. I haven't blogged in 10 days! I have thought about it many many times but just haven't taken the action. My INTENTION has been other places I guess. Sadly, I must admit that one of those places has been my DVR. It was almost full again and I had to spend some time watching Extreme Home Makeover's final episode and get caught up on the oh so terrible Private Practice. There is so much I don't like about that show but somehow I get sucked in and watch. Ugh!

I have also been working a bunch lately! I have worked three-four days each week this month. It's going to pay off really well but not until April. That is REALLY far off. It does take a lot out of me to work that much but it has been fun at the same time. I have spent some time in second grade where I haven't been all year. These are the kids I had when I subbed a bunch in Kindergarten two years ago. They are all so much BIGGER and wiser now. It's been fun. I also spent a little time in music, PE, 1st grade and 5th grade. I am taking a break though. I have to. I have COMPANY COMING!

My mother-in-law Carolyn, SIL Mary Sue, BIL Rick and his mom Pat are coming for a visit next week. I have some cleaing and straightening to do before they arrive as well as some meeting this week. While they are here I will stay home to host Carolyn and help her with some baking that she plans to do for us while she is here. We haven't had company since my parents were here last August so I should probably dust the guest room.

I have also taken some time in the last week to work on a scrapbook about ME! It is the 10 Things kit and I am slowly but surely filling it in with tid bits, fact, feelings and goals. I need to find some photos to go with all of my words but that will come.  I am going to get the chance to be even more creative in a couple of weeks. I passed along an email to Fred about a Stamping Up! stamp retreat that I wanted to attend and he got the hint. He also shared the link with Troy so Sabrina and I are going to attend together and CREATE for 24 hours. Well, we'll sleep for a few of those hours in our HOTEL room. I am excited to spend time with my friend and meet some new people too. It should be a creatively productive time that I will look forward to with much anticipation.

This is a sneak peak of something that we will be creating!

Well the week ahead looks promising. It's got to be good since Monday is a holiday! I have a PTA president's lunch that I will attend on Tuesday. I enjoy the time to connect and share and learn about PTA and the district. Wednesday evening the boys are going to try out the youth program at the church we have been visiting the last couple of months. I am excited for them. Youth group was such a HUGE part of my growing up and I want them to have that safe haven in faith and the good influence of other kids who believe the same. Thursday Will has baseball practice then Friday we will get ready for our company. The crew arrives on Saturday evening.

So, nothing too strenuous and a few things FUN FUN FUN!

Prayers

Seems like there are so many people in need of prayers these days. People I know and love, people I see on the news, people who I know exist but I don't know their whole story. I don't need to know. They still need my prayers.

My prayer journal is a wonderful place to write names of specific people, many are often repeated, and write praises for answered prayers. It keeps me focused and allows me to look back and see progress and maybe see where I need to be more specific. Not that God needs to answers all of my requests. Obviously, He know better than I what I need in my life. He knows if my prayer for success needs to happen just that way or if failure is necessary for the next success to be that much sweeter. He will heal in his own time. He will see the reason for the journey.

Prayer can be as simple as my list written on a piece of paper or in a journal. It can be a meditation on one thing. Prayer can be time spent with soft music and candle light, inviting God into your life to walk through each day with you.

Light a candle or light a dozen. Set a peaceful mood.

A few years ago I prayed to God for a refrigerator repair man. (I was looking back on old posts today.)  Tonight I will pray for healed hips and recovery from diseases. I will pray in thanksgiving for school guidance counselors. I will ask for patience and guidance as I sub in 2nd grade tomorrow. I will pray for safety for travelers, especially for those related to me. I'll pray for families trying to have babies. I will pray for children who are in need of families. I will pray for hospice patients and their care givers. I will pray for my sweet neighbors who have been married for 50 years, that they enjoy each other for many many more. And I will pray for you. I hope that you will do the same for me.

Things here are looking up!

Not that we were on the down side or anything. Just a comment that things are going good here at the Baker house.

Fred just bought a new gun safe yesterday. He was able to get a SUPER GREAT deal on it with some "connections" through our Liberty Mutual agent. It will be delivered later in the week. He spent some time today rearranging his office to make room for it. It should be a nice addition to his space. He was also able to wrap up our federal taxes and submit those today. It'll be nice to get that refund direct deposited to our account in just a few days. We have done direct deposit the last few years and it usually shows up in less than a week!

Nic spent Friday and Saturday performing with his advanced theater class in their one act version of Harvey. He did an excellent job playing Dr. Chumley, looking quite distinguished in his white lab coat and again in a fedora and trench coat. I was pretty amazed that he could walk so tall on stage. The play received a superior rating in the contest yesterday. All of the kids did so well. The lead actor won Best Actor of the Day, Dr. Sanderson won an Honorable Mention medal, a lighting tech won an award and Nic won an All-Star Actor award. It's a neat medal that is engraved and everything! So proud. So very proud!

William continues to do great things in band. The beginner band students had two rehearsals last week to prepare for their first concert this Tuesday. He reported that they sounded great together and I heard similar news from other students and the director. He did comment on the fact that the trombones behind him are loud but hopefully he will get used to that. He's used to playing in a room with just saxophones and sometimes they combine with the french horns.  Can't wait to hear the three pieces on Tuesday.

We have a couple of meetings this week about high school class selection. I am in a bit of denial about being the mother of a high school student. I realize that even with denial Nic will proceed to this milestone in his life but I just can't believe we are there, or here, as the case may be.

Okay, I'm off to watch the last few minutes of the Super Bowl. I do not care who wins I just want to see Indianapolis host this great party. Lots of FB posts this week with photos and tales of the week. I was able to talk to Denise tonight and she put it all in perspective as we talked about what streets different events were being held on. Sounded as great from her as everyone else is saying. Such a completely different experience that we had in Dallas last year. Snow and ice and spread out venues were awful in comparison to location location location in Indy as well as surprisingly mild January weather. Way to go Indy!

January wrap-up

Well 31 days into the year and I already have a better blog record than all of last year. Feeling good about that! Guess that means that I am giving a little attention to at least one of my big rocks, my Happiness Creativity and Exercise rock. In reality this last week has been a little slim in the writing category but that is because other important things have been prioritized naturally through LIFE. So another lesson in living with INTENTION. Even my best INTENTIONS can get disrupted by LIFE!

So, an update on my BIG 5!

1) Marriage - It has been an interesting month. Some arguments, some dates, some discussion and we are reading a book simultaneously. That is HUGE! Fred is not a book reader but we found a book that peaked his interests so we are reading it together. I think he has taken the lead. But I'll catch up soon. It is a relationship book. Good to get another perspective on some things. Not sure if we both "buy" in 100% but we'll have something to talk about that's for sure.

2) Boys - My boys are amazing. I have tried to do some stuff with each boy this month. Nothing major but something that allows us to spend some time together. Will and I went to Sam's one day and saw a movie another night. Nic and I often have alone time on the way home from play practice. We did some volunteering together this month. Things are good here!

Got the people idea from Pinterest and made it my own.

3) Happiness, Exercise and Creativity - Well, I am pretty happy right this second. I have been exercising a bit this month. Not as much as I should or could but my pal Susan and I have walked and laughed and done some good moving "therapy" and I am pleased with that. I have taken some time this month to create a few things. I made a map family that shows where each of us was born. I also made a map of all of the major cities Fred and I have lived since we were married. It doesn't show all of the addresses but just the cities and states.  I have also been working on filling in a scrapbook album that I assembled a while ago. It was a kit and was 10 Things That Define Me. It have some stuff as surface as my 4 favorite movies and as deep as my 2 greatest fears. I am jumping around a bit and piecing it all together. It'll be cool when I'm done.

Picked up the cork page in Indiana last summer and embellished with my new favorite, paper rosettes.

4) Relationships with close friends and family - The friend stuff is going well. I am fostering them as much as I can considering my schedule. Working a bunch recently has limited my access to some friends but if I work hard enough I can squeeze in time. I grabbed a friend last week and we went to a movie late. We missed all of the previews, I NEVER do that, and had to RUN out at the end to get home in time to get her daughter. We both needed to escape. It was worth the effort.

5) Faith - Well, I am happy to say that I have working on this enough this month. I could spend more time in quiet contemplation, many people could, but the fact that we went to church TWICE in one month made my heart happy. The fact that my prayer journal pages are filling quickly and I am seeing results from my prayers is amazing. I have always prayed and have listed special intentions for as long as I can remember but only recently have I begun WRITING them in black and white. It is powerful and shows my INTENTION in not only saying "I'm praying for you." but actually doing it! I will probably have a few volumes for the year but that is okay. I have plenty of blank books and note pages around here to fill with every little request and praise for HIM.

So looking back at 31 days I am pleased. 2012 is going well. I am juggling my big rocks, little rocks and keeping the sand to a minimum. I do lose myself in DVR'd shows on occasion but that is okay. I am allowed to do that. I give myself permission to escape. It is good for the soul.

Looking ahead to February. I am thinking about special ways that I can express my LOVE for my family. I am thinking about special menu choices and maybe some poetry. Maybe. I do have every INTENTION of getting my New Years Cards in the mail. The envelopes are addressed, cards are signed, the letter is written but needs to be copied and I need to print the photos. I spoke a deadline to my pal Denise of Valentine's Day. Still completely doable.

I'm still around...

I plan to do a little first month wrap up tomorrow of my life of INTENTION. I've been subbing a bunch lately and working on my BIG rocks. Tomorrow, I promise!

Wiped out on a Wednesday. (Warning, it's wordy!)

What a week and we are only 1/2 way through. Sunday  morning I got a call to sub 1/2 on Monday afternoon and accepted. I love 1/2 day sub jobs and I love advanced notice. Well. Monday afternoon turned into Tuesday afternoon and also Wednesday afternoon. I had a great three days with my first grade friends. I am helping host some popcorn parties for classrooms that won our Box Top and Labels for Education campaigns for collecting the most. After the popcorn gets bagged I'm thrilled to have lunch with some girl friends then home to clean off the dining room table AGAIN. Friday I am subbing at a different school all day. It's a g$$d week for working!

Fred has been working long hours and weekends for a bit taking care of a BIG presentation at work. Today was D-day and he reports that it went well. Since he was up making improvements till 1AM this morning I would expect nothing less than greatness! This is Fred we are talking about.

Over the weekend I spent a little extra time with William. I dragged him away from the Xbox to join me at Sam's Club on Saturday then he and I went to see War Horse on Sunday. Nic was meeting some friends to see Hugo and rather than drop him off and leave him completely unattended at the mall, Will and I stuck around, grabbed him some baseball gear then caught the movie.

Funny story about War Horse. Will had mentioned at some point that he had read the book. He told me this last year. Before its release I planned on seeing the movie with him. Thinking that he would enjoy seeing the book adapted to the big screen.  So on the way out of the show he fessed up. Nic was talking about having read the book and Will copped to the reality that he had only read two pages. I was duped! He liked the movie very much but so much for the adaptation lesson.

Will did recently read The Hunger Games. Nic and I read the series a year or two ago and have been planning to see the first movie at whatever midnight premier we can get tickets to. I told Will that he couldn't join us unless he had read the book. The good news is that he liked the book and devoured the second in the series and started the third without delay. I always hoped that Will would love reading as much as Nic and I but we just hadn't seen that spark yet. Maybe, with the right subject matter he can become engaged. Finger crossed! So now we are all going to the premier on a school night and they think that is PRETTY DARN COOL!

Getting late. Time to sleep. I'll be back tomorrow!

I missed a few...

I slipped but I'm back. I thought about blogging about SOPA/PIPA on Wednesday but I couldn't figure out how to block out my banner so I just said skip it. Another day perhaps.

Yesterday I just had too good a day to stop and blog. I think that is a good thing. Today is going gang busters too but I'm going to pause while I wait for my lunch to be delivered.

Yep, lunch. delivered. My pal Jeanne called on her way out to get herself  lunch and she offered to get me something too. Just a baked potato but it sounded good and hey FREE delivery can't be beat.

My day started off choppy. Got the kids up and moving. Sent them and Fred out the door and headed back to bed. I slept poorly last night and the sub calls started coming at 5AM! There were MANY sub calls and they were all on the west side or at the middle or high school level. Nothing I felt motivated to respond to in the positive. So, I slept a little longer then had planned to meet my pal Susan at 10 to walk. Well, Griffin came a snuggled at 9:55. A sure sign that I wasn't supposed to walk today. I texted Susan a picture and she wasn't buying what I was selling. Damn. I dragged myself out of bed and we walked. We ran into neighbors, dropped off dry cleaning and had a great 3 mile walk. It was worth the effort. Thank you Susan. Sorry kitty.

Once I got home and cooled down I took care of some lingering PTA business. I have a few more things on my PTA to do list but after lunch. I'll still get them done today. Lots of time.

I also have laundry going and I have a dinner plan! It is shaping up to be a banner day. I hope the boys have a good day at school. Nic is having to say goodbye to a friend who is moving to NV. She has been his buddy for 3.5 year and we will miss BonBon as she moves along on her life adventure. They wanted to have a party at lunch today but the school said no. So, they are gathering in a teacher's classroom after school to hang and snack and linger just a bit longer. I think it is sweet. They come up with the plan all on their own and with just a little prodding got the details worked out. Good stuff.

The weather here in Frisco is AMAZING today. The sun is shining. There is a slight breeze and the sky is BLUE BLUE BLUE. My life is good. No, actually it is AMAZING! And I am so thankful for all of the blessings I have received and hope to continue to receive.

Today is Tuesday.

This kid is cooler than anyone knows. This boy knows how to scare his mother but also knows the way to my heart.. hugs and puppy dog eyes. Sweet sweet William. Always ready to offer up a well played sarcastic comment. His timing is amazing, which I consider genetic of course, and his smile is endearing. What more could a mom ask for?

Working at the quarry on my BIG rocks.

So I was working on my big rocks yesterday when I gathered my family and we attended church. Together. We haven't been too regular in the feeding our faith department in the last 8 month or so. It was time. We went to church on Christmas eve because it wouldn't be Christmas without going to church but hadn't been in quite some time before that.

I have been a BELIEVER my whole life. I have never questioned the existence of God. I have never considered the story of Jesus to be anything but historic and true. I was born into the Catholic religion and served and worshipped that way faithfully for about... 37 years. I have left and returned. I was even once called a heretic during a speech contest at my Catholic college but still was allowed to participate. I have gone so far as to long to be a nun, or better yet a priest, at the minimum I wanted to be an alter server. I have professed my faith in the blood and body of Christ. But my longing to be a mother won out over church doctrine and I married Fred. The ceremony was blessed by the church and we eventually started a family. From there I served in the church where and when I could. I was a lector, a communion minister, I subbed in religious education classes, and helped raise money for the needy.  More recently I have looked more closely at my beliefs and I do not see myself aligning completely with the Catholic church. Truth be told it has been a long time since I blindly accepted what they were telling me.  My boys were baptized in the Catholic church and have each taken part in the sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharist. Fred the same. But all those sacraments don't make us any more christian than our own personal beliefs do. As the spiritual leader of my family, not necessarily by choice, I am feeling the need to replant ourselves at a new church this year. To get back to GOD. We could have stayed put and been "cafeteria Catholics" that pick and chose what we agree with and what we don't. I have been in that group for a while but never felt good about it. Never felt pure of spirit. The guilt over the guilt was just too much.


The church we attended yesterday was called Crosspoint. It is a nice church, not too far from our home. We know a few families that attend there. It is VERY contemporary compared to what we are used to. However, since the majority of what I listen on the radio in the car is Christian music we were all pretty much able to sing along. The service started with 4-5 songs. Then a bit of prayer, another song and then the meat of the service, a sermon from Pastor Mark. He had a little help from some members of the church who were encouraging people to consider giving of their time and talents to the children's ministry. A common plea no matter what church you attend right? Pastor Mark preached about Luke 22: 24-38 and spent about 25 minutes explaining to me the significance of  14 verses from an AMAZING book full of significant verses. The boys did great at engaging and paying attention and a conversation later in the evening showed direct application of the messages of the sermon. I was so thrilled. Most days that we went to the Catholic church the boys could not even tell me what the reading was, let alone what the homily topic was. My heart filled with joy.

I am not fully satisfied the Crosspoint is where we will stay and worship. I need to learn more about them and they need to learn more about us. They may not want us. I'm not sure I want to participate in early childhood ministry. 

Today I am grateful for the choices that we have as a family. We will continue to search for a faith community that feels welcoming. A church where we can worship and serve, yes I heard you Pastor Mark!, and join in christian fellowship with other believers. I am looking forward to the next portion of this faith journey that we will take part in together. The boys' opinion count and I want them to feel comfortable wherever we land.

New signage

I have a No Soliciting sign on my front window. It works pretty well. I need to update it though. I want it to read...

No Soliciting unless... you are a Girl Scout selling cookies.

Then after cookie sales are over I want to change it to...

No Soliciting.... even if you are giving away GOD for FREE!

Always something to learn...

I like to learn new stuff. I have talked forever about taking an actual class in ___(insert something creative here)_____ ,in order to learn something new. Alas, have not done anything of the kind. Well, even without the "formal" educational process I have learned more than I ever needed to know about a few topics. Then I turn a page or have a conversation and learn another tidbit.

Photo by Zeetz Jones on Flickr

I do love the idea that I am going to sleep a little more informed tonight but I still have so many questions. Questions that Siri might be able to answer. That is kind of a funny thought. Siri has been a part of our lives ever since Nic upgraded his phone in November. She isn't really that smart but we have utilized her ability once or twice with success. A couple of weeks ago we asked her who invented the drinking straw. Will had asked me the question when we were riding in the car after a trip through McDonald's to get drinks.  Siri completed a web search and shared an answer. Of course I can not remember who it was. No Jeopardy win for me. But it felt smart at the time to ask a question and even with the help of artificial intelligence, get an answer.

I feel like the blog is going to force me to learn a few things this year. If I keep up this pace I'll need to do some research and become more informed in my writing. That could be a really good and fun thing. At least in the end I won't be graded nor will I need to defend a dissertation.

My life of INTENTION

How much is enough? INTENTION that is...  (Spoiler alert, there is no answer at the end of this post. Just a bunch more questions!)

Tonight my family went to Chick-fil-A to support our elementary school in their monthly fundraising night. We eat, we pay, Chick-fil-A cuts a check to the school for a portion. Seems like a real win win. I do love their lemonade.

Well, my posting of this event on FB received a number of responses and one really made me stop and think. A FB friend announced that he no longer eats at CFA since they reportedly made a significant number of contribution to anti-gay religious groups.  He said "$2 Million for anti-gay rhetoric aint righteous."  I did some checking and found that there are factions who believe that by making donations to religious groups who denounce gay relationships and marriage they CFA must support that same ideal. CFA denies that and, Chick-Fil-A president Dan Cathy defended the chain saying, "We're not anti-anybody... Our mission is to create raving fans."

As a person who believes in equal rights for everyone. I take pause. Does that mean I shouldn't eat there? That they don't need my money to back their donations? That I shouldn't attend CFA Leadercast in May? Hmmm?

I have never been too political. I mean, I vote. I gave my first donation to a political campaign last year but it was a non-partisan local election. I have personal conviction but do I act with INTENTION about those each and every day? Do I make choices with my spending of time and money that are in line with my convictions?  I have choices. I could become more informed. But can I know enough? And do I have the fortitude to act on all of it?

Well, I guess not yet. I eat at Chick-fil-A. I shop at Target. I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian (obviously, I eat chicken and use honey on biscuits). I make donations to Susan G Koemen but not the March of Dimes.  I watch Ellen, and sometimes go to church but I also read books that include references to sex outside of marriage and I watch R rated movies full of cursing and violence. I even let my kids play "questionable" video games. Does all of that make me a hypocrite?

I think that in this year ahead I INTEND to consider about these issues and so much more. Perhaps I should have just made my word for the year GRATITUDE.  (Please respect the the unwritten and maybe even written OLW rules say that you can change your word.)

Today is Tuesday

There is catnip on that sparkling ball.

Have you met Griffin Gifford Sammy Nosey Parker yet?

Last fall our family adopted Griffin from a friend of mine. She is going to have a baby any second and she wanted to get rid of her more "active" cat before adding the new baby to her family. We were in the market and the stars aligned. We adopted Griffin in October and when I was telling my pal Sabrina about the cat she accidentally referred to him as Gifford. Nickname #1 was born.

Fred and I both caught ourselves calling the cat Sammy when he first arrived. The last house cat the Fred and I shared was Sammy who was part of our family way back before the Fabulous Baker Boys were around. Griffin and Sammy have very similar features. Easy slip.

Catnip is long gone but the playfulness lingers.

Well, then we got to know Griffin and what we know about him is that he is VERY NOSEY! If you open a drawer he climbs in. If he is curious he may just open a cabinet all by himself and explore the depth of it. We have yet to teach the cat to close the cabinets. (I'm not optimistic by the way.)  Nosey Parker is a character from Skinnamarink, a kid show from the Canadian Broadcast Network that we used to see up in Michigan. She was a nosey neighbor that kept an eye on kids in the park. Griffin is Nosey Parker about everything happening in this house. He has explored the attic, loves to sneak out into the garage and is also quite a climber.

Now you know the story behind the cat's full confirmation name, Griffin Gifford Sammy Nosey Parker.

Honestly, truly, I love you!

Is there such a thing as over sharing? Of course I know that the answer to this is YES! I try not to go there. I try not to be an completely open book. Who really cares?  I kind of figure that very few people actually read this blog and it is more a of a diary for me. Something for me to look back on and get reminders of the good and the bad over the last 6 years. I do share though, that is the intent of this blog. But who really visits my little 'ol blog? To be totally honest I have no idea.

I do know that my husband sometimes reads it and if he saw the post from yesterday he might be mad at me. Probably more than might. He thinks I share too much. I'm sure he'd be ticked that I shared his uncensored comment. But here's the thing. I am not mad at him for making the comment. I love him for making the comment. For finding a way to tell me something that is on his mind. To share with me like no one else can. 20+ years into our relationship and this is what I signed up for. He is like the 10X magnified make-up mirror with side-lights that Jennifer and I had when we were in HS. Scary but necessary. Sometime I wish that other people in my life would be that honest. And of course there are times when I hope that they aren't. I know that there are times that I need to be more honest with my friends or family. It's hard, you know? Well, of course you do.

I feel that you should consider your motivation behind the need to share your opinion and the intention behind the oh so honest comments. If the need is selfish and the intention is cruel then shut up and move on. If the need is one of perceived protection, and the intention is love, then tread carefully and gently and forge ahead. Fred and I tend to be honest with humor. It stings less but you do have to make sure that your special someone gets the joke.

I was talking to a friend recently about an instance in her life where someone had the opportunity to be honest and wasn't. Their holding back actually hurt much more than their honesty would have. In the end both parties held grudges and suffered. It could have gone differently had someone been honest with themselves and then honest with my friend.

I am not suggesting that you need to mention every little thing to every acquaintance that you have. Make it meaningful, don't seek the opportunity but if it comes about... If you have a chance to speak with concern and love then do not hesitate. Fred didn't and I love him for that!

Things that make you go hmmmm. Or maybe it's just me.

A random conversation with my husband today leaves me wondering. I will probably never have an answer to my pondering or perhaps I will. That may not be a good thing. Read on...

Fred jumped in to help me fold some laundry today. Jokingly he mention that thong underwear would be so much better then briefs because there would be less material. His argument is totally CRAZY but my response was my standard. I do not want to walk around with the feeling of something up my butt all day. Standard, canned, 10+ year old answer. His response to that is what has me wondering. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, "well people probably think you do anyway." He was not saying that people think I wear thong underwear. He was saying that people think I have a stick up my butt!

Is that true?

He went on to say that some of the ladies that I work with, certainly referring to my PTA cohorts, might think that I am a biatch with a stick up my a**. I had never considered it. I had never thought of it. I was mortified. What if it is true? If my husband thinks that and actually said it then maybe it is. He is safe. He can say things like that with a free pass. Not a totally free pass but you know, spousal leniency. We have the right to share those things with each other after being together for 20 years. Like I can tell him if his breath stinks or that I think he needs to stand up straighter or be nicer to our kids. He can tell me if I am being a biatch. So is that what he just said? Do people really think that?

I'm going to be checking over my shoulder for a few weeks wondering. Am I being stuck up? Am I being sincere? Am I sending off the vibe of a goody two shoes? Am I acting as a servant leader or a dictatorial snob?  Certainly there should not be bitchiness in my life of INTENTION.

Do Something Saturday!

Saturdays can go down in history as awesome or lame. I remember before kids when Fred and I used to stay in bed till noon, watch Saturday movies till 4 then shower and head out to dinner. That scenario hasn't played out in about 13 + years. More recently I tend to use Saturdays to play catch up on laundry, changing sheets, grocery shopping, PTA work and keeping boys on track with doing something productive.

Sometimes we all head to a movie or someone has practice of some type or another. Sometimes we all stay in our pj's and just order pizza for dinner. I would rather put my head to my pillow at the end of the day feeling like I have accomplished something. Now and again that happens.  Today was one of those days.

Fred and I both crashed before 10 PM last night. I slept REALLY well until 8:30. It felt great! I had made plans with my neighbor to walk for about 45 mins this morning starting at 10. We have been trying to motivate each other. It goes better and actually happens when we have someone counting on us. Well, Susan texted me at 9 saying our 10 o'clock date was a no go. I wasn't too sad as I lay in bed reading the news on my phone. I replied a note of disappointment and settled in. 20 mins later she texts again and tells me she is back in. Darn. No excuses, it was time to get up.

Susan and I had a great walk that ended with warm drinks at Starbucks. Upon my return, Fred and I loaded up his truck with some materials to go to the recycle center. We got rid of our plastic bags, cardboard and CFL and florescent light bulbs. However, in the process of saving the planet I bit the dust as I tripped over a rock. I am such a klutz! We returned home where I attempted to sooth my aches with a HOT shower. After a little sit down I ran to the grocery for a few necessities. I was going to beg for a kitchen pass but ended up figuring out that I had all the makings for lasagna. Everyone ate well.

I was on a bit of a roll so I harnessed a bit more energy and tackled a pantry clean-out that had been on my to do list all week. The recycle bin was full, the trash was full and the shelves are in order. For tonight at least. I DID SOME THINGS today! I'm gonna sleep well.

I did my part... and some sappy too.

So in my attempt to live with INTENTION I am trying to diversify my volunteering. Instead of limiting myself to just school and PTA activities I have stepped up and lent my hand to the City of Frisco as a community volunteer. Last fall I helped out at the annual Storytelling Festival. Today I acted as a hostess at a local hotel for fans coming in for the NCAA Division 1 Championship game being played locally in Frisco. The hostess gig was pretty slow. I greeted less than 5 fans. It will be a much bigger deal to have hosts there tomorrow. Unfortunately I only signed on for today.

I'm not sure how much volunteering I will do with the City but it is a fun diversion from PTA politics and the occasional bit of drama. It would have been more fun to do it with friends, like the wonderful ones I have in PTA, but maybe I'll take a few of them with me into the city volunteer opportunities.

Tomorrow I will work on my INTENTION of contributing to my family by working and earning REAL MONEY! I am subbing in 4th grade and can't wait. It's Friday so I get to wear jeans. I'm subbing at Ashley so I can even run home for lunch. I get to see some of my favorite kiddos, who don't belong to me, throughout the day. Subbing is such a wonderful opportunity for me. I have said for years that I wanted to be a school secretary but since that job is currently full subbing will have to do. I like to believe that I am a good sub and I sincerely try to attempt the teacher's lesson plans. Some days though I feel certain that they could not even get through their plan. No way I could either. This took some time to learn but I have.

Two more things to say then I'm off to the going to bed routine, you know the fifteen things you need to wrap up before you actually get into bed. One random and one sappy.

First, I swallowed a Jolly Rancher nearly whole tonight and now have a tummy ache. Ugh. Nic was ready to offer me the Heimlich but I was not in danger. I was just bummed that I didn't get to enjoy the candy longer.

Second, I love my husband with my whole heart. He is such a hardworking and supportive man. He knew when he met me that I was a crazy person who volunteers and offers to help at every turn. He supports me in my crazy and works really hard for our family so that I can continue being this way. I just want it known that I recognize this and am grateful beyond words and measure. I was talking to a friend this week about "replacing" a husband if he dies to soon. My friend and I agreed that no one could replace our guy. He is one of a kind.

My Life of Intention

So what I have found in four short days is that living life with INTENTION takes work. I might have assumed that before I chose  my word but it has been confirmed. Living life with INTENTION means being very truthful and honest with yourself and of course with other people. Now you might be thinking, how hard can that be? As a person of virtue and a follower of Christ surely honesty is who you are each and every day. Well... I have an example that actually has a little something to do with Christ Himself.

A couple of years ago my dear friend invited me to join Moms in Touch. This is an international group with local "chapters" that meet weekly to pray for their children and the schools where their children attend. We pray for our kids, the kids of the other moms there, the teachers and staff and the events at the school. MIT has a formula that they use for the meetings and I knew from the first time I attended that the formula, the manner in which they pray, was well outside of my personal comfort zone. I am not a Bible scholar. I do not frequently expound with extemporaneous oral prayer. I do not close my eyes and feel Jesus speaking through me. God bless those who do. I am in awe.

Well, MIT meets weekly during the school year and I attended about 4 meeting my first year. The second year I may have attended a few more but each time I would be nervous and anxious and feel inadequate. Thankfully my friend who invited me to the group tweaked the formula a bit and that helped but I still struggled with the vocal prayer part. Really really struggled. A representative of the area MIT organization came to one of our meeting once to pray with us and she pretty much told me that my fear was me listening to the devil whispering on my shoulder telling me that I was not good enough to speak to God.  WOW!  I think she was wrong but I certainly didn't feel any more holy or prayerful at subsequent meetings. But, I also didn't give up.

Fast forward to this past fall. Both Baker boys in middle school and the MIT group was new and my pal wasn't the leader and the formula was back in place. Ugh, what do I do?  I love the idea of praying for my kids. I like the idea of praying for the other kids and the moms and the teachers. The principle of MIT is sound. I just didn't feel safe and sound when I was there. I joined up again, and even invited others to join me. I attended regularly enough but often accepted sub jobs with glee when they fell on MIT days, avoidance much?

So we are starting a new year and the MIT meeting was scheduled for this  morning. Last night when I received the reminder email I just knew. I knew that in my INTENTIONAL life I needed to be free of this. I can pray for my kids any day and all day. I can pray for any other kids in the world or on my street at at my schools. I can read the Bible and find inspiration and act when people ask me to pray for a special intention that they have in their lives. I can do all of those things in my own home, in my own heart and I do not have to utter a single word out loud. I can be a follower of Christ alone and have a relationship with Him where I am today. I made this choice with all of the INTENTION I could muster and the leader accepted my leave with all the grace she could. I was being dishonest with myself and with God. It wasn't fair to me or with Her. I am free now. AMEN!

Oh my! I need to

Oh my! I need to update my profile. I'm not a late 30's mom any longer.

Today is Tuesday

I have never really minded Monday. I am usually ready for a "normal" day after a weekend of less structure so Monday is actually a good day in my book. Tuesday on the other hand isn't always TERRIFIC! Sometimes by Tuesday I have lost my way. My To Do list is usually long but my motivation is short. I often have meetings on Tuesday.  So what I am thinking is that on Tuesday I will give myself a blogging break and just post a quick quote or story that I enjoy. Something that made me think or gave me a shiver or perhaps even made me SMILE.

Tuesday will be cut me some slack day around here. Hope you think, or shiver or SMILE right along with me.

Nic playing Ralph Herdman in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Within that role he played Joseph in the Christmas Pageant. So sweet to see my boy on stage.

Big Rocks

So there is a story that I have heard before about filling a jar with rocks. If you put small pebbles in first, then mid-sized rocks, then the large rocks they won't all fit in the jar.  What a person should do is put the largest rocks in first, then the mid-sized rocks then the smallest pebbles fill in the space that is left.

So when I consider living my life with INTENTION I want to look at a few of the most important components of my life (the BIG rocks) and put them at the forefront of my life. Not saying that I can't put some medium sized stones and lots of little pebbles in my jar but I need to make sure I place the BIG rocks first.

My BIG rocks include
1) my marriage to Fred
2) my sons Nicholas and William
3) my personal happiness, exercise and creativity time (Yes, that is a category on my calendar)
4) my closest and most important relationships with family and friends.
5) my faith

My mid-sized rocks include
1) my "professional life" as a substitute
2) my "volunteer life" as a PTA and community volunteer
3) All the other little things I do for others
4) Creating and documenting my family story in scrapbooks

My little pebbles are
laundry, cleaning, ironing, movies, anything on my DVR, and a whole lot more. 

The littlest of pebbles are not inconsequential things. They have their place in my life but they are not BIG rocks. Can you name your BIG rocks and do you place them in your jar first?

Living a life with Intention

Plan, purpose, forethought, investment, direction. Words within my OLW for 2012. I plan to live with INTENTION. To travel through my days with purpose and direction. I have a plan that relates to much more than just a "To Do" list of tasks. I want my "Daily INTENTION" list to be broader and more meaningful.  I want to put things on this list like, check in with William to see how he is feeling about life.  We can do that over a lunch-time meal, or emptying the dishwasher together. I just need to connect and find the answers all day long. Sure, I'll still need to do the laundry and run the errands this year but perhaps with a shift in my own engagement, I can see the deeper meaning behind such mundane tasks and respond to that with more meaningful engagement on my part. I will however use connecting with my children, REALLY REALLY engaging with them, as an excuse ANY DAY to not do the mundane and sometimes it will even trump the slightly more important stuff.

I loathe cooking. It's not even really the cooking part. It's the prep and clean-up that get me. I need to look at feeding my family as more than just putting a meal on a plate. I need to consider that this food that nourishes their bodies may be the best thing they eat all day. That the time we spend together around the table may be the most meaningful interaction that my boys have all day. They need that. All three of them. The INTENTION of the family meal is so much more than just meat and some sides on a plate. (Wonder how long that mind-set will last?) I think I'll need a plaque in my kitchen to remind me daily.

Living with INTENTION is going to take lots of work. I am going to need to better understand my own purpose and direction to keep my real INTENTION at the forefront and understood. I will need to weed out some things that don't fall within my new limits of focus. That may hurt a little. I won't be too drastic but I will be INTENTIONAL.

Nic and I are going to NY this year on a Theater/Art trip. The INTENTION of this trip was originally pure fun. I think that will shift. Nic and I are going to experience something together that no one else in the family has. We can find meaning in that beyond three Broadway shows and a couple of museums on very little sleep. The purpose/INTENTION of this excursion may be to connect Nic and I in a special way. To prepare him for HS knowing that his mama has got his back. That we can share and communicate on a level all our own. That we will always have NY in the summer...

I think that one reason I chose the word INTENTION is that when I made my long long list of possibilities I saw many areas of my life that deserved great attention this year. My HOME, my FAMILY, my LOVE. I think that INTENTION allows me to direct some personal energy toward all of those things and more. A monthly "date night" with my husband. An annual road-trip with my boys, or perhaps some planned ME time to create, or even to do NOTHING but sit in the quiet and listen to GOD.

I am going to take some time in the coming week to flesh out my plan a bit. In the meantime I can work on some reasonable decluttering that is usually inspired by a new year. Today I can clean out some drawers and cabinets in my kitchen. Maybe if I know and appreciate the tools that I use to prepare those meals for my family it won't be such a chore? I also hope to do some menu planning as a family and maybe just maybe even give the boys some directives on what they can do to help after dinner beyond putting dishes in the dishwasher. Perhaps this INTENTION stuff could wear off on everyone.