Green

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

In honor of all things green, today I decided we could think about green. You know, if you want to.

Green has many things associated with it – greed, spring, eco-friendly, broccoli, grass, money – so many things.

What does green make you think of and how does it make you feel?

Today’s (totally optional) prompt: Green

 

 

When I was a kid, I found lots of four leaf clovers, which are supposed to be lucky.  I never deliberately  tried to find them, but as I walked past a clover patch, it was as if they jumped out  and into my field of vision.  And of course, I would have to immediately stop and pick the clover, because it went to that much trouble to get my attention.   Obviously, this meant that I needed them.  

After I picked them, I would bring them home to my mother, and she would smile.  It was one of the few times that my mom would do that; my mother isn't really the smiling type.  She is more of the German-American stoic type.  It was a big deal, then, to give my mom those four leaf clovers. Maybe that's why those clovers would jump out at me--so I could make my mom smile once in awhile.  

My mother would press them into books, so they would flatten out with all four of their leaves showing. Since my family never sells books, one day, when those books are mine,  I'll be finding those four-leaf clovers, ancient, but preserved perfectly between pages that smell dusty.  

Just the thought makes me smile.

 

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post (in the sidebar). .
• Link up your post HERE.
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

 

Stealing Time

 


I haven't had a lot of  "Me" time lately.  Between work and getting everyone ready for everything after work, I haven't had much time for me. I can't remember the last time I've been able to read uninterrupted for longer than five minutes.  By the time I've been able to sit down and work on my blog posts, I'm practically passing out at the keyboard.  I should just go to sleep and worry about it in the morning, but darn it, I need my time.  I've become very stubborn about that. 

I'm an introvert.  I need quiet on occasion.  I need to retreat inside my head for a little while every day.  That is just how I am.  When I can't do that, I get grumpy, then confused, forgetful, and anxious. I understand this aspect of my personality, and I do try to allow myself some of that quiet time. Unfortunately, life doesn't always cooperate, and my batteries get very low, and they stay low, just when I need to be on top of things. 

So how does one recharge a depleted battery when there's no down time to do so?  Perhaps a mini-vacation to a spa?  Maybe just a mental vacation, a few minutes of meditation.  Power napping?  Looking at pictures of sleeping cats?  Take the dog for a walk? 

Everyone seems to look to me for answers.  I should be able to come up with a solution for this, but my brain seems to be complete mush right now.  I guess I just need to sleep. And nap.  Maybe retreating into dreams will help me recharge.  I could dream about the quiet places...

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post (in the sidebar). .
• Link up your post here. 
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Life's Minor Interruptions

Blogging consistently gets hard sometimes, when you're a mom.  While I'd like to think that moms and dads divide the work of raising a family equally somehow, the fact is that most of the time, I'm the one the boy runs to for help.  It just ends up that way, through nobody's fault, at least for right now.  I'm also the one that the pets run to, as well.  I am pretty sure that this is only because I'm usually the one feeding them all, but there's always the possibility that they like me, too.  

While our cat Zena and our pup Maisy have bonded and do all of the wonderful racing around the house and the backyard, my cat Pounce has remained upstairs, under the bed.  She will come out when I am up there, and sometimes when Larry is up there, but she is afraid of Zane.   And Maisy. And she isn't really fond of Zena.  So I am, for the most part, her sole source of interaction, play, cuddles, scritches, and hugs.

So when I am in the computer room, after everyone has gone to sleep, Pounce creeps out from under the bed, and comes to find me.  I am typing away on my blog, and then there's a cat in front of the screen.  I pet her a moment, then put her on the chair next to me so I can finish typing. 

A second later, she is back, and this time she strolls across the key board, inadvertently deleting what I just typed.  I pet her while I say a few curse words under my breath, then I put her on the chair again.  Just as my fingers begin to retype, there's Pounce, and this time she is sitting on the mouse.  Since she is purring loudly, I know that she is wanting affection, but she is starting to drive me a little insane.  I want to finish my thoughts, hit publish, and go to bed.  Pounce has other plans.  I can't close the door to the room because it is late and she'll wake up the house with her meowing.   I feel sorry for her, that she is so locked into her crazy that she won't trust the rest of the house at all.  Maisy would love to play with her, and Zane is just waiting to pet her. 

If only she would come out from under the bed when everyone is awake.



This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post (in the sidebar). .
• Link up your post here.
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Down Time

optional prompt: down time

There's quite a few things that nobody tells you about having children.  One of the big things that gets brushed over is the lack of down time. If you are a person who loves being able to enjoy a variety of activities, travel, and adventures, it might be good to put off being a parent for a bit.  From the moment you bring that baby home, parenting is a nonstop gig.  3am feedings.  Eyes peering at you over the bed in the early morning hours, wanting breakfast.  Demands for water at midnight. When school starts, there's projects and homework.  There's a never ending pile of laundry, and dishes are forever sitting in the sink, waiting to be washed.  When a child is sick, there's sleepless nights to go along with the rushing about days. 

All the things that I want to do, from reading a book to just taking a nap, have to be put on hold. When I do get to read a book, it is in short bursts, because when things get too quiet in the other room, bad things happen.  Occasionally I will have some time to sit at the kitchen table and work on my jewelry making, except that now 'my' spot at the kitchen table has become Lego-building central. My favorite chair, where I can sit and work on crochet while I watch my television shows, is now my son's favorite chair as well, and since needle work involves the throwing of elbows, I've had to abstain.  I love being a mom, but I've had some adjustments to make.  Most of my "Me" time happens after my son is in bed asleep, and even if I am exhausted I will sit at a computer to type.  Because I need my 'Me' time, however brief it is.  It's how I stay sane.

FIVE MINUTES. STOP.

There ends my 5-minutes Streams of Consciousness post. Want to join in? (We'd love to have you!)

There are just 5 steps...

1. Set your timer and write for 5 minutes.

2. Publish! (No editing. This is rough, unrefined writing.)

3. Click the Notebook Sisters button to go to their website.

4. Sign in with our LinkUP on Sundays.

5. Stop by the other blogs and say hey!

I'm In A Hurry

optional prompt: it's going to be a big, big day!


My son is at that magical age, where he suddenly starts to "get" things.  He now has more of an awareness of time, although his awareness involves "Before Christmas" and "After Christmas".   But everyday is a big, big day when you are five. 

He will wake up today, groggy, and he will remember that he has an early birthday party to go to.  The party will be in a park, with lots of playground to run amok on, to jump and laugh and just be alive.  

Then he will meet his grandparents at the restaurant of his choice, because every time a member of my family has a birthday, they get to choose where we go for Sunday dinner.  Zane chose a steakhouse as the place he wanted to eat, and since this will be one of the few times that I get to eat steak, I'm kind of happy about that as well.  

After lunch we will be heading to the nearest store that sells Skylanders, because there's a new version of the game coming out.  Zane saved up all of the gift cards and cash from his recent birthday, so he can buy this game.  He and his father have been talking about it for weeks.  

Once the family gets back home, it will likely be time for some video game playing and some snacking before bath, jammies, and storytime.  And as I kiss my son good night, I will whisper "Sweet dreams". 

 

FIVE MINUTES. STOP.

 There ends my 5-minutes Streams of Consciousness post. Want to join in? (We'd love to have you!)

There are just 5 steps...

1. Set your timer and write for 5 minutes.

2. Publish! (No editing. This is rough, unrefined writing.)

3. Grab our SOC button from the sidebar.

4. Sign in with our LinkUP on Sundays.

5. Stop by the other blogs and say hey!

A Fiver

optional prompt: about the dads!


It is Father's Day in Australia.  I had no idea that other countries had a holiday for dads.  I thought that was just an American thing.  We do love our holidays, if the greeting card companies are any indication. 

The definition of a good father has certainly changed over the years.  From just being a provider and protector but not much else, a dad these days is seen as an equal parent.  It used to be that the dad left all the child-rearing to the mom; not anymore.  Today you are just as likely to see dads walking with strollers as you are a mother.  You are just as likely to have a dad show up for the parent-teacher conference, too. 

Dads seem to be more defensive about their child's behavior than mothers.  I know that when my husband and I are at conferences for my son, Larry wants to make excuses for why Zane does what he does, and he expects the teachers to make accommodations accordingly.  I don't always think that is a good idea.  Larry seems to expect the world to learn to fit Zane, instead of Zane finding his own place in the world.  If Larry could he would 'give' the world to his son. 

I guess that is a new definition of a good father.

There ends my 5-minutes Streams of Consciousness post. Want to join in? (We'd love to have you!)

 

There are just 5 steps...

1. Set your timer and write for 5 minutes.

2. Publish! (No editing. This is rough, unrefined writing.)

3. Grab our SOC button from the sidebar.

4. Sign in with our LinkUP on Sundays.

5. Stop by the other blogs and say hay!

Overwhelmed

Streams of Consciousness Sunday is here again.  The Notebook Sisters have this link, and I am participating.  You should too!  I don't know about everyone else, but I have a tendency to agonize over every sentence and worry about the nuance of every word.  It all has to be perfect!  This sort of an exercise, in which you just set the timer and start typing, is great for getting out of a writing rut. 

The prompt for today is: Overwhelmed.

Women seem to feel overwhelmed more than men. I am not sure why, but perhaps it is that we tend to "take on" the issues or projects of those closest to us.  For example, when my husband is running around like a chicken with his head off because it's the day before school and he can't find his favorite pair of pants, I tend to experience his emotional distress, even if I pretend that I don't.  I don't want to feel stressed by his lack of planning or his tendency to never put things back where he found them, but he's my husband.  I love him and want him to be happy.  That marriage thing is about sharing burdens, instead of pointing and laughing. 

My son is the same way.  He will forget where he put something, or he will leave something upstairs and want me to rescue him by getting it for him.  Part of me wants him to be happy, so I put a foot on the stair.  The other part of me, the one that wants an independent child to become an independent adult, points upstairs and tells my son to go and get it himself.  I still feel his distress. I seem to collect the distress of my loved ones. 

It is Sunday before the first day of school for my husband and I, and the first week promises to be overwhelming with new routines and new tasks that must be completed.  I want to start the week off right, so Monday morning is not completely overwhelming. I will put all of my things out that I will need for Monday, and I will tell my husband to do the same.  Maybe this will alleviate a little of the stress, and I won't feel so overwhelmed. 

Want to play?  There are just 5 steps...

1. Set your timer and write for 5 minutes.

2. Publish! (No editing. This is rough, unrefined writing.)

3. Grab our SOC button from the sidebar.

4. Sign in with our LinkUP on Sundays.

5. Stop by the other blogs and say hey!

Celebrations

Today's SOC Prompt:  How do you celebrate?

I'm not known for my exuberance in the face of celebrations.  I am more of a sneaky celebrator.  Oh, I will hug people, and smile a really goofy smile, one that seems too big for my face when I see pictures later.  But I tend away from screaming, jumping up and down, and getting hysterically happy. 

It's not that I'm not excited and happy.  It's that I'm an introvert, and our celebrations tend to be more of a quiet affair.  Inside my head, I'm jumping up and down or doing cartwheels, which I can ONLY do in my head.  Inside my head, there's confetti and champagne and dancing on the tops of furniture, maybe with a handsome fella like my husband.  On the outside, however, I just smile very big and laugh a lot more than expected, and the laughter may sound a bit forced. I'm often overwhelmed by my happiness or my excitement. 

When I was pregnant with my son, I had to hold my happiness inside for five months. We were worried about the outcome, and so my husband and I didn't tell anyone.  Each day I was happy and excited that my boy was growing and that everything was going wonderfully, and I couldn't do anything but smile.  Maybe that is why my son is such a happy child--all of the joy that I kept inside for so long seeped into him. 

I celebrate him every day, at least on the inside.



This is a weekly link up from the land of Oz.  Yes, the Notebook Sisters are from Australia.
Want to join in? (They'd love to have you!)

There are just 5 steps...

1. Set your timer and write for 5 minutes.

2. Publish! (No editing. This is rough, unrefined writing.)

3. Grab our SOC button from the sidebar.

4. Sign in with our LinkUP on Sundays.

5. Stop by the other blogs and say hay!