Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love the playfulness of dressing up and getting to see what all the kids choose. And I love getting to give treats to anyone who makes it up the challenge that is our driveway.

This year my preschooler chose Moana, her favorite movie character. We dressed the baby as HeiHei, the chicken sidekick. And I dressed as TaFiti the volcano turned beautiful, lush, green island after Moana restores the heart. We had fun doing Trunk of Treat together but tonight was very cold as we got our first snow of the season this week. So I raced with Moana to a few houses in the neighborhood while poor HeiHei was left home in the warmth to help hand out treats.

I enjoy handing out things different from what most the houses are handing out. This year we handed out a variety of chips, fruit snacks, and applesauce squeeze pouches to the littles. We had some playdoh and dinosaurs on hand for kiddos that can't have the snacks. It was especially fun to listen to their surprise and delight at the different treats as they walked away.

I loved watching my preschooler give out treats to our visitors. It warmed my heart to see how generous she was for the holiday. I also enjoyed the humor of taking her trick-or-treating and see her more interested in what the neighbors' dogs' names were than the candy. 

I'm so grateful for a fun, playful night. I'm grateful to get to be a part of the family costume theme. I'm grateful for my daughter's generosity. I'm grateful for all the wonderful manners of the kids that came to visit. I'm grateful to see all the costumes. I'm grateful for the teamwork with my husband as we took turns handing out candy and going out in the cold. I'm grateful for the neighbors that had a fire pit going and were handing out warm cider. I'm grateful for another great Autumn season.

What is your favorite holiday and why? If you could dress up as anything, what would it be?

May we take the time to play and let our imaginations run free. Have a beautiful day!

My three year old is getting into telling jokes...except she has a different take on it. Tonight's line-up consisted of repeating the same punchline, without the first part, repeatedly and just telling us to laugh when she said it. She also tested out changing one word of the punchline to a made-up word to make it sillier. And telling us to say the silly punchline to her so she could laugh. 

There was a part of me rolling my eyes after the tenth and twelfth time hearing the same joke. For some reason it brought to mind "jokes and jokes and jokes and spaghetti!" by Chapelle. But ultimately it felt good to laugh and to hear my sweet girl laughing so laugh we did. 

I'm grateful for laughter at the end of the day. I'm grateful my daughter is starting to get into jokes and I'm looking forward to the hilarious progression this may take. I'm grateful for her beautiful mind. I'm grateful for her sweet nature and wanting to make us laugh. I'm grateful to get both kids to sleep and grab some dinner. I'm grateful for sleep coming my way soon. And I'm grateful for the excitement of Halloween tomorrow.

What is the silliest thing you have laughed at lately? The other day I saw a shirt that had the periodic table and it said "I wear this periodically." Between lack of sleep and love of corny jokes I laughed way harder at that shirt than I probably "should" have but it was worth it all the same. What are your favorite jokes?

​May today bring laughter and fun. May we take time to laugh even at the silly things. Have a beautiful day!

This morning, pulling out of the driveway, my daughter said, "Is that snow?" Last night's sleet had built up on the neighbors' rooftops and left a snow white covering. Her excited response was, "That means we can build snowmans today!" 

Never mind that there was no snow on the ground to accomplish that task. Never mind the cold or that the predicted snowstorms will mean no trick-or-treating. My daughter instantly saw the positive and found her little slice of happiness in this, misinformed, news.

My husband, upon hearing the news tonight that we may get up to three inches in the next twenty-four hours, responded "finally, Jeep weather!" There is no need to have a snow day when the Jeep can conquer just about anything. And my husband loves the cold weather so bring it on.

I would love to say I also saw the beauty in this transition. I gave a thank you that the Autumn weather held out long enough to get me through my birthday but I am not a Winter person. I enjoy the beauty of the falling snow... if I can stay inside cozied up and not leave until it is thawed. But alas, each year it comes sooner than I'm ready and it appears that time is now. Even feeling the way I do, there is some gratitude to be found.

I'm grateful to have had a warmer birthday. I'm grateful for safe travels last night in the sleet. I'm grateful the snow held off long enough for a safe family dinner. I'm grateful for my daughter's delight and my husband's perspective. I'm grateful for a happy family. I'm grateful to be reminded that one person's snowstorm is another person's playground. I'm grateful to do my best to nurture and mimic my daughter's joy over snowy weather to make the most out of it for both of us. I'm grateful to cancel tomorrow's playdate to just cozy up at home and see what comes.

What is your reaction to the first snow of the season? Do the people around you have the same reaction? What is your favorite thing about snowy days?

May today keep everyone cozy and warm that wants to be. May those that enjoy the snow be filled with joy and gratitude at the first flurries of the season and may the rest of us enjoy their glow. Have a beautiful day!

Our family theme seemed to be sleep today. It is a theme I really love being on the same page as my kids. We all decided to sleep in this morning. For me, waking at ten 'til seven was amazing! Even more amazing was that I had to wake both kids at eight when it was time to leave. 

The sleep must have been needed for us all to sleep so much passed our normal wake up times, especially the three year old. It made all the difference in the peacefulness of the day. 

I thought for sure my preschooler wouldn't nap but she proved me wrong. She got a good hour and a half nap and still fell asleep quickly, for her, at bedtime. 

The baby on the other hand has struggled with daytime sleep the last week. For the first hour of her nap she was up and fussing every ten minutes for a few minutes before drifting back to sleep. Finally I took pity on her lack of good sleep and went and snuggled her in our big cozy rocking chair, only to wake up an hour later needing to leave for work having missed my alarm. 

The sleep did us all well and I'm hoping more will come tonight. I hope the kids are still on the same page, though the baby is struggling to get to sleep tonight.

I'm grateful to catch up on some sleep. I'm grateful the girls got some much needed extra sleep too. I'm grateful for the happy moods today. I'm grateful to grab a nap that I obviously needed more than I realized. I'm grateful for these beautiful days where we are all on the same page and taking care of ourselves. I'm grateful for more sleep tonight. I'm also grateful to have made it home tonight before the roads got slick. I'm grateful Autumn held on through my birthday. 

How much sleep do you usually get? Do you have set sleep in days or just catch it when you can?

May today allow us to all wake refreshed and renewed. May our slumber be deep and rejuvenating. Have a beautiful day!

Some weeks life just throws ridiculous curveballs and demands. The picture above is of a game called "I Can Do That!" In the game the player draws one card from each of three stacks and then tries to perform the challenge. Given that this weekend was full of birthday celebrations; I found this set of cards particularly appropriate for the representation of the week. 

I was so excited to get to have dinner with my girlfriends this weekend. The night of I found myself rushing like a mad woman to leave work early enough to come home to feed the baby (who is refusing to take bottles), then peel the three year old off my leg (crying that I was leaving again) to race down the road to meet my friends. During the drive I felt guilty for taking this time to myself and yet I returned a renewed person ready to face the night of two clinging babies with patience and grace.

At a three year old's birthday pool party I found myself walking the lazy river holding a sleeping three month old on my shoulder and my other arm looped around the waist of my three year old so she could pretend she was swimming it. And while there were moments that felt a little overwhelming, mostly I was feeling calm and proud as I navigated my own "river". 

I talk a lot about perspective and finding the good in things. But being overwhelmed is a legitimate feeling and I don't want anyone to think I am recommending ignoring the signs. When my cup runs so low that the demands feel too much, forget the I "should" find the positive in this and instead look for where I can give myself grace and self-care. 

I did not post at the end of last week. It wasn't that I couldn't have found things to be grateful for in the blessings around me; it was the overwhelm of the whole family being frazzled from the baby's screaming wail all week and wanting to be with them in support rather than wonder off to try to make a post. 

All last week there was a pull trying to uproot me. There were definitely tipping moments but overall I was so proud and grateful to stay grounded. I'm so happy I made the choice to be there for my family but also fill my own cup. 

I'm grateful for celebrations with friends. I'm grateful to commit to taking my daughters to enjoy their friend's party. I'm grateful for all the support and love I get from friends and family. I'm grateful for my awesome girlfriends that I couldn't live without. I'm grateful to fill my cup. I'm grateful for all the support my husband provided so I could accomplish that task. I'm grateful for my loving girls who want to be with me all the time. I'm grateful for moments of grace and truth. I'm grateful for perspective but I'm also grateful to be honest and take care of my needs.

What helps you stay grounded against the pull? What aspects of life have you trying to walk with a cake between your legs? (I really do enjoy this game though!) 

May today allow us to take the steps necessary and eat our cake too. (haha) May we find the positive in the situations we can and give ourself grace when we need to just take time to care for ourselves. Have a beautiful day!

Well as I work through the third day of things just being "off" (see my previous two blogs) I can't help but think I must be in retrograde or something. For those who don't know what this is, I don't really either...but I'll explain as best I know. Retrograde is when the planets align in a certain way and then everything goes "wrong". Yeah... you would probably be better off googling it.

Anyway, based on my understanding and the amount of things that are just going sideways I using my excellent skills of deduction to call this a retrograde. My first clue should have been Sunday when (as pictured above) the rainbow appeared to have fallen off the "bow". Okay, I'm just kidding about that one. 

Today started off with everyone waking very early, me needing to change the crib sheets twice in less than an hour, and making cheesy scrambled eggs for my preschooler who was begging for them...only to finish and be told she wasn't hungry and hadn't really wanted them. 

On the bright side, breakfast is ready for tomorrow and both kids are napping well after being up so early. Off in the shadows is a very tired mama who wants a nap but still has work to do. I was lucky enough to make it to storytime at the library today and even get snippets of adult conversation with a grandma that was there. Tiny bits of adult conversation can really make my day!

I don't have any grand themes for this blog today, mostly because my brain is a little foggy. So for today I am putting the retro in retrograde and finding some "old school" gratitude.

I'm grateful for cheesy eggs but also for cheesy dance moves. I'm grateful for the Sprinkler in particular. I'm grateful that flower bellbottoms are not in style right now. I'm grateful for disco lights but even more grateful for simple crystals that cast rainbows on the wall. I'm grateful to find gratitude in random things based loosely off a word that I'm not even sure I understand. I'm grateful my brain doesn't care about these "particulars" right now. I'm grateful my kids are sleeping...this should always be in style. I'm grateful just to be grateful and I'm grateful for those of you who have stuck it out with today's blog and are still reading.

What are your random thoughts today? What is your favorite retro clothing or activity? What does retrograde really mean? 

May today at least bring some dance moves with the funk. May we take time to celebrate the random. Have a beautiful day!

Today started out on bumpy ground. Between frustration at dawdling to the emotions of watching my preschooler once again struggling with goodbyes at school drop off I already felt my energy pulling before it was even 8:30. By 9 a.m. I had picked up what I thought was the wrong lab request and completed the "off" energy by falling down the basement stairs. 

As I sat there feeling out my rolled ankle and rubbing my bruised knee I knew I needed to find a way to shift this energy funk fast. Tis the season for pumpkin symbolism so I decided I needed to decide right there what face I was going to carve into my jack-o-lantern today. I don't mean physically, I haven't even bought the pumpkins yet. I mean symbolically, as in how will I choose for my face to react to this day. 

While I do love the lopsided, jagged-mouth traditional look I decided my own reaction would be best served with a smile, a laugh, or at least a maniacal grin. Shortly after this decision my day turned around. The energy shifted in my favor and things started running more smoothly, or at least my interpretation was more positive. Did my preschooler have several more meltdowns? Yes. But I handled most all of them with grace and patience, I mean I am still human.

I'm grateful to recognize the need to set my intentions for something more positive. I'm grateful to clear the funk that was following me. I'm grateful for being young enough to bounce and to be okay after my tumble. I'm grateful for the ability to laugh. I'm grateful for my girls' smiles that brighten my day. I'm grateful to have patience and respond with love to my preschooler during her struggles. And I'm grateful to give myself grace for being human when I lose some of that ability. I'm grateful to be humble enough to apologize when it happens. And I'm grateful for forgiveness. I'm grateful to have had a good day and had a few chances to remember to slow down and just be in the moment.

How do you set an intention for your day? What symbolism speaks to you? 

May today remind us our intention and our perspective are very important to how our story is written. May we choose to carve happy jack-o-lanterns and write a story of love and gratitude. Have a beautiful day!

Today was one of those days where things just didn't go quite as planned. Ends didn't meet where they were supposed to, transitions didn't flow, and things seemed to be missing or not working at every other turn.

What do you do when your day is going this way? What special resource do you "turn on" to help you get through days like this?

For me, humor is what I need. I need to laugh to release some of the tension because most likely if I don't choose laughter there will be tears instead. My emotions tend to run high and a physical relief like laughter is a great way to keep things positive. 

Now, did I do this at every misstep today? Nope. There was some frustration, a few moments of near tears and lost patience but overall I did well at reminding myself to take deep breaths and even laugh a little. 

I'm grateful for some humor to save the energy of the day. I'm grateful for getting the bumps out early in the week so the rest the week can run more smoothly. I'm grateful to have found my wallet. I'm grateful to learn you can still check out the seventeen books your child picked out at the library even when your wallet is missing. I'm grateful the dishwasher started. I'm grateful for all the things that run and work without a second thought from me. I'm grateful for my husband's patience as we work through some bottle rebellion from our little one. I'm grateful for friends and family that I can count on to be there whether I need to vent, ask advice, or share some humor. I'm grateful to be so loved and so blessed. I'm grateful to crawl into bed at the end of the night and know all is ok.

So what do you do to diffuse a rough day? What coping strategies do you use and who do you reach out to for support?

May today supply humor without the frustration. May we find healthy, fun coping habits to guide us on the bumpier days. Have a beautiful day!

Today I celebrated another birthday. Okay, let me be honest, this weekend I celebrated another birthday. I don't know how some people fit all their celebration into one day. 

I know people that stopped "celebrating" their birthday when they reached a certain age. To me, every birthday is worth celebrating because each one is one more wonderful year I was blessed to be here with my family and friends. And as luck would have it I was born during my favorite season so there is no shortage of festivals, pumpkin patches, trick or treat events, and just great weather. 

The morning started beautifully with my husband running defense with the kids so I could sleep an extra hour. When I got up I also was blissfully surprised to see he had made one of my favorite omelets for my breakfast. My preschooler sung me happy birthday and I got lots of baby snuggles. 

I got to have lunch with my parents and family at a delicious Mexican restaurant I love. I spent the afternoon dressed as Tafiti (from Moana) with my daughters (Moana and Hei Hei) trunk or treating at my preschooler's school. Then we all wrapped up the evening with some amazing steak made by my husband. It was an amazing day following a wonderful weekend of other celebrations!

I'm grateful to have a husband that is an amazing chef. I'm grateful he likes to cook for me. I'm so grateful to get to sleep in a little. I'm grateful to have a playful weekend full of celebration. I'm grateful to get to have so much fun. I'm grateful to have a birthday at such a wonderful time of year. And I'm grateful to be blessed to celebrate another year. I'm so grateful for my amazing family and my girls that literally are my dreams come true. I'm grateful to close out the weekend with some quality down time.

How do you like to celebrate your birthday? What is one thing you like to do every year? 

​May today be the first of another beautiful year. May we all cherish each moment we have with the ones we love. Have a beautiful day!

As I watch my daughters growing up so fast and I see the pages of our calendar flying by I cannot help but wish I could put on the breaks. Yet even as I wish that, I know it is in my power to do something about it.

I do not need to have our calendar so packed that we are always in a rush. I don't need to add that extra playdate or make it to library story time every week. We have our school and swim lessons commitments each week and there is nothing wrong with taking a couple days to just stay home. 

Time is not only determined by where we spend it but by our intentions. Today after preschool I told my daughter that her and her sister needed to take baths after lunch, before naps. Normally it would take a full hour to just eat lunch. So it was no surprise when my preschooler asked, "do we have time?" Of course, her hope was that nap would be skipped today but I told her we had time for both. 

The weird thing about setting this intention was not only did lunch go faster but we also made it to the nap-time routine early and got to read an extra book together. I said we had enough time. I didn't look at the clock or rush and prod us through each step. I just said it and moved forward. It was self-fulfilling. 

Now where else can I make this commitment? Where can I give awareness to making my time count? Somehow by giving this time intention I also find myself more present with the time I have. Perhaps that is felt by my girls too and also helps move us along.

I'm grateful for this gift of time. I'm grateful for how fluid the concept of time can be. I'm grateful to not feel rushed today but rather intentioned. I'm grateful to not waste time looking at the clock and instead trust that we had the time we needed. I'm grateful to "stop and smell the roses". I'm grateful to spend time with my girls. I'm grateful to get to watch them grow. And I'm grateful for a weekend coming up to spend with my family.

Where would you like to intentionally commit your time? What parts of your day need to slow down? Where can you use a little reconnection or relaxation?

May today allow us to play with time. May we experiment with how it looks to be more intentional with the time we have and may we spend it doing the things that bring us joy. Have a beautiful day!