Technology...

I have a love/hate relationship with technology.  Although so many aspects of it have made my life and so many other lives easier, it is also the cause of so many headaches...especially in this house.  

I have one child in particular who is addicted to technology.  He is 10, he has been diagnosed with ADHD and he and technology, primarily video games, are not a good combination.  Although we have worked very hard to control the usage in this house and only allow screen time (of any nature) on the weekends, it's a never ending source of frustration and discussion in our home.  One of his most common phrases being, "It's so not fair mom, everyone else has devices and can use them whenever they want!"  

Out of respect for our privacy, especially our 10 year old's, I will not go into any other detail about our lives and video games.  I will just say this...I would be perfectly happy if all video games were nonexistent.  I can't stand them!  Everything is so easily accessible to children, and it's a full-time job to "police" our kids.  I'd be happy to cross that particular task off my parenting list.  

And in case you need some reasons to dislike technology, here is a link to 10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Should be Banned for Children Under the Age of Twelve.

Our Superstar...

When Little Miss told us she wanted to play soccer again this season, we were very surprised.  I asked her several times if she was sure she wanted to play, secretly hoping that she would change her mind because I dreaded the thought of her being miserable every week when it was time to leave the house.  The last time she played she didn't seem to enjoy it all that much and she generally liked to practice her acrobats instead of dribbling when she was on the field.  She often played for a short time and would then give herself a time-out for the rest of the game.

This session she played every game and some of the time she actually seemed to enjoy herself.  She especially liked playing goalie.  

 Although our Little Miss is not a superstar athlete, she is our superstar, and, it was great to watch her put some effort forth and gain confidence and skills.  We are proud of her for sticking with it, even when sometimes it wasn't her favorite thing to do.

 During the last game, she even came close to scoring a couple of goals, and I had some proud Momma moments.  

It made me forget that she had a meltdown 5 minutes before leaving for the game because her cleats were too small. 

 And now she is already talking about playing again...

 "No one succeeds without effort...those who succeed, owe their success to perseverance."

-Ramana Maharshi

That's a wrap...

Another October, or shall I say Pinktober,  has come and gone.  It's time to move on. Although being surrounded by pink all month has its emotional challenges, I do generally love the month of October.  The natural colors that surround us in New England are really beautiful.  

I took E and Little Miss to the water treatment facility nearby to snap a few quick photos...it was on a whim. I was able to get a few that I really love. You can see some in my new blog header.

 

Conquering the mountain...

Several times since I've returned to work, I have had people say things to me like "How are things going?  Just like you never left right?"  To these comments I usually say something like, "Well..." because the truth is...

It really does not feel like I never left.  I mean the job itself is much like a soap opera...it continued almost in the same place where it left off.  The thing that is different is the person playing the part. I don't like to continuously wallow in my own self-pity and review the traumatic events of the past 3 years, however, I think it's also important for me to acknowledge the fact that things are not ever going to be what they once were. I'm still in the process of finding my groove, and I will tell you, some days it's not the easiest task.  I still get in my car at the end of the day, take a deep breath and think, "I did it, I made it through another day", well half of one anyway, because then I get home and the 2nd half of my day is just beginning.  

I'm still trying to find the balance.  I'm trying to get myself to a point when it doesn't feel overwhelming to look at the day ahead of me, when I'm ok with a not so clean house, lots of laundry and thrown together meals.  This transition phase is hard, especially for someone who likes everything to be just so.  I'm trying to be patient with myself as I continue to make this adjustment and work through the glitches.  A special "thank you" to those of you who are also patient with me as I continue to adjust...I know it's not always an easy task to be along side me on this journey, especially when the terrain is not always smooth.  Thanks for packing your bags and coming along for the hike as I conquer this mountain!

*Above photos taken at Hill Orchards.

Duesy...

Thankfully my cousin shared the proper spelling and origin of "doozie" with me a couple of weeks ago, because today was, once again, a duesy of a day.

"It's duesy based on the car manufacturer Duesenberg who made every vehicle completely custom tailored to the buyer. This expense and luxury coined the phrase, "that's a duesy," in reference to incredible things."

The good news:  It's already Wednesday tomorrow, there are still many many things to be grateful for (this is true even on the worst days) and we now all know the proper spelling of duesy (even though my spellcheck keeps underlining it).

Here's to a boring Wednesday!

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I finished...

Yesterday, we participated in the Gloria Gemma Flames of Hope Run.  Thousands of people were there to support the cause, all wearing their pink.  

E and Little Miss ran in the Fun Run.  They both finished with smiles on their faces.

 The Rhode Island State House is a beautiful backdrop to the event.

 Mom and Dad came to support.

 Here we are at the start of the race, still smiling and able to breathe.

 And, here I am right after finishing, yes finishing...

I thought I may vomit at the very end of the race and I had to walk for about 10 seconds at mile 3 to regroup, but who cares about all that...I finished! 

 Thank you to Shannon for running along side me, yesterday and in everyday life.

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.

Audrey Hepburn

The 40 Project...

My cousin Jason has taken on a mission in celebration of his 40th birthday.  He has chosen to raise awareness and funds for 9 organizations that he has a personal connection to; he is calling it The 40 Project.  He is currently raising money for my Relay for Life team, Bosom Buddies. For the next 40 days, he hopes to raise at least $1,000.  Perhaps you can help.

Click on over to the Indiegogo Site to watch a Bosom Buddies' slideshow and read more about The 40 Project.

"We are love, we are one, we are how we treat each other when the day is done."