Learning to Stand Up

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Some of the values that I want to teach are girls are tolerance, diversity, and standing up for what you believe in--not sitting back assuming someone else will take on the status quo to effect meaningful change. Even if that change isn't about you personally - but about inequality and basic fairness. Stand up for your neighbor - one day you may need them to stand up for you.

We want to teach them to appreciate what they have—their lot in life. They were born to two educated parents. Live comfortably in one of the most beautiful (albeit expensive) cities in the country. They have two committed and dedicated parents who love them, food on the table, clothes on their backs, books, toys, and dance and soccer and..., For these things we should all be grateful. Our children were born with more opportunities and material things than 90% of the children in the world.

They are not entitled to these things. A lot of life is who you are born to and where you are born. Kids in war-torn Afganistan and Iraq are no less deserving than Rachel and Alex. Kids born to single moms, or poverty, or drug addicts, or abusive parents, or with disabilities - none are any less deserving than our children.

Along with tolerance, diversity, and courage, we want to teach our children to help others. People who face challenges in life that our kids won't. From the kid who is being bullied on the playground to the family who doesn't have enough food to eat or money to buy holiday presents.

Tweeting on the Blog

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OK - Have I forgotten how to write a reasonable blog post??

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Tuning In

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To many times I seem to find myself putting my kids off, asking them to wait while I finish this phone call, conversation, email or text.

2012: Tune in.

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Colorado Rocky Mountain Sky

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I just love the Colorado sky - so much character and color! Earlier this week the girls and I saw what looked like a hurricane in the sky.

It was amazing!! So glad I had my camera handy ;-)

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My little bug

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Birthday Hugs from Little Ray!!

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2012 & Three years from 50

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Today I turned 47. Wow that's a big number!

There are several things that I've been meaning to do for the past several years. Things that I know would make me happy, make me a better person, a better mother and wife. But...,

We all have that little word (but) that holds us back from going after what we really (or think we really) want. For me it boils down to a fear of failing. Which is crazy because by definition, not trying at all is the biggest failure there is.

And, if I'm being honest, a bit of laziness too. On this challenge I really need to just suck it up, make up my mind to move and get started.

So what are those things??

1.) Creating, launching, building my portrait photography business.

2.) Getting healthy. Exercise and diet.

Neither of these should be insurmountable. Neither of these are insurmountable. It's just a matter of getting started - starting now.

Words for 2012: Fit & Frugal.

Goals and milestones? I'll get back to you on this by Friday of next week.

Also - I'm reading the Happiness Project, which I hope will help spur me on.

xoxxo,
C

Exploring Colorado

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We arrived in Colorado more than 6 months ago and have easily survived what everyone is telling us was a 'very mild' winter. Spring seems to be coming our way - early, thankfully. The grass is starting to turn green and the weather is beginning to brighten and warm.

This weekend, the girls and I took an exploratory drive around Boulder County and found wonderful, happy things....,

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Absorbing family values...,

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Earlier today, the girls and I set out to give boxes of girl scout cookies to the homeless folks down on Pearl Street. On the way Rachel said, "Momma, I know it seems like they don't have anything, but they do have something. They have love - they can love, give love. So they do have something."

It was a day of lots of discussion. Alex asked if people were born homeless and I was about to answer her with all the adult issues of homelessness and its plethora of causes, but I stopped mid-sentence. "Yes, sadly, some babies are born to mommies and daddies who don't have homes." "We're lucky," she said. "We have a home. When we give them the cookies, I hope it makes them happy."

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My babies

My babies are growing up fast. They're now two little girls - not babies, not toddlers. Little girls with friends at school and an entirely separate life from us. A life outside of our home, beyond our eyes and arms. On some level, it's a leap of faith.

Time is flying too fast and I'm missing minutia.

Rachel looses her 1st tooth!!

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Little Rachel has FINALLY lost her first tooth. She's been waiting, semi-patiently - for soooo long.

It was quick mommy thinking when Rachel ran in to tell us that she'd lost her tooth and then began to cry when she realized that she'd SWALLOWED it!! (I didn't know people ever actually did that!)

"Rachel, Sweetie, let me see that chocolate egg," I said. "I'll bet you just lost it in that gooey center."

"NO! It's gone, I swallowed it!!"

There was some discussion about waiting until she pooped and searching for it there, but she relented and let me 'search' the chocolate egg. I took the egg ran upstairs and grabbed one of Alex's baby teeth, which, for some unknown reason, the tooth fairy kept giving back to me.

"Found it!" I called, and came downstairs proudly holding 'Rachel's 1st lost tooth.'

Crisis averted, we pulled out the Tooth Fairy pillow and prepared her tooth for pick up. She was over the moon!!

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