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Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Saturday smiles

Saturday smiles: Little people laughs edition

February 9, 2013

With everything that’s going on in our lives (or not going on, really is more like it), my stress levels are higher than are probably healthy. And even when our little people contribute to that stress, I’m thanking God for the comic relief they offer. This week, they’ve given me reasons to laugh. Loud.

One of my favorite things is to just listen while they’re playing together, especially if they don’t know I’m listening. That’s when I find gold. Like:

Where’s the floor? Daddy needs to Zumba.

There is no floor.

Okay, Daddy will Zumba in the bathroom.

My husband overheard that nugget while the kids were playing with the Dora house.

Then there was the declaration while they were coloring:

Brown is for Broncos.

Broncos are yucky!

We watch a *little* football in this house, and we are unashamedly Bears fans. We are teaching them well.

And every time our son is in the bath, he requests a shampoo mohawk from whichever adult is available. Then he yells, “Izzy, Mommy, come see, come see.”

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Worth it every time.

And when I tell him to clean up his trucks, he organizes a parade.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I’m probably forgetting a dozen or more other moments from the week. But if I stopped to write them down, I’d probably still miss them.

So, today, I’m simply thankful that these two kids are in our house, in our lives, and that they give us as much joy as grief. Some days, it would be hard to rise from the mire without them.

Filed Under: Children & motherhood, Saturday smiles Tagged With: reasons to smile, simple joys, things kids say, zumba

Saturday smiles: Back in the swing edition

February 2, 2013

I’ve been on a sort of self-inflicted protest from this particular weekly post. The last couple of weeks have found us settling back in to the humdrum of life, and frankly, I didn’t have the emotional energy to pay attention to the things around me that are worth smiling about. We’re still in a tight spot financially. We’re not sure what to do about it specifically. The future doesn’t look all that bright or hold much promise. All that to say I’m feeling kind of stuck right now.

But this week offered some reasons to turn my grumpy attitude into a reluctant gratitude. Here’s a short list:

  • My husband taught our kids how to eat crackers off the table using only their mouths without touching the table. This is a trick he’s been sharing with future generations for years, and it makes me laugh to watch our kids try to imitate his antics.
  • I got to have coffee and baklava at the best coffee shop in town with a friend. A couple of hours out of the house is always good for a mood change.
  • A friend called just to check in. Adult interaction, even if by phone, reminds me that I’m not in this alone.
  • I had some meaningful online interactions this week, too. I know it’s no replacement for face-to-face, but in desperate times, it’s a connection to the outside world.
  • A stack of good books I’m currently plowing through.
  • Time to write. And a story I can’t get out of  my head even when I’m nowhere near a computer.
  • My artistic and creative children.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHer brother did this to her.

Also, it’s Groundhog Day, which is a silly holiday but still makes me smile a little. I still want to visit Punxsutawney sometime before we leave Pennsylvania.

It’s not a lot but it’s enough to get me through.

Here’s hoping for many more smiles in the week to come.

 

Filed Under: Children & motherhood, Saturday smiles Tagged With: art, baklava, coffee with friends, friends, groundhog day, sweet spot cafe

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Hi. I’m Lisa, and I’m glad you’re here. If we were meeting in real life, I’d offer you something to eat or drink while we sat on the porch letting the conversation wander as it does. That’s a little bit what this space is like. We talk about books and family and travel and food and running, whatever I might encounter in world. I’m looking for the beauty in the midst of it all, even the tough stuff. (You’ll find a lot of that here, too.) Thanks for stopping by. Stay as long as you like.

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