Perfection is not a win. It is not possible to be perfect in every way. The best we can do is our best in the moment and even that looks different from day to day, moment to moment. 

So what does a "win" look like when all our societal guideposts are tumbling around us? Determination. Effort. Waking up each morning and giving it our best go; that's a win. 

I have been struggling with a pulled deltoid and for several week I had given up on my rowing machine. It is my main form of exercise so the result was lack of exercise. The problem is, I am a better version of my self when I can release my stress through cardio. I was determined to figure it out and a few days ago I found a way to harness it so I could row one-handed. It certainly feels like a win!

My daughter has been struggling with the complete upheaval of her schedule. I have been determined to find the balance between maintaining our rules and boundaries while giving her extra love and attention. As always, it is my goal to do this without yelling (though I am human and therefore not perfect). Today, despite an abundance of tests to the rules that determination paid off. I can see that our consistency is beginning to give her that balance back. 

I have been determined to make time for me despite the twenty-four, seven family time. I have incorporated yoga into my morning routine, frequently enjoying my preschooler participating with me. I have enjoyed my workout during their nap. Yes, I do have a few more hours in the day since I am not working in the evening but mostly these things are happening because I was determined to make them happen.

I'm grateful for determination. I'm grateful for seeing all the little wins. I'm grateful to get some exercise for my mental and physical health. I'm grateful for lots of deck time this weekend. I'm grateful for sunshine and to get to plant a small vegetable garden with my family. I'm grateful for my little one's determination as she gets closer to figure out crawling. I'm grateful for my preschooler's passion and determination in everything she does, especially when we are on the same page. I'm grateful to know there is no room for perfectionism and plenty of room for determination.

What is your "win"? How do you accomplish what you need? 

May today highlight our wins. May we let go of what falls a little short. May we find our determination and go after what we need. Have a beautiful day!

I prefer progress. It comes in a thousand different forms. If I have learned one thing about myself though it is that effort alone doesn't reap the full benefits. It takes a healthy amount of effort but also time to reflect.

If I were driving somewhere I had never been I would get in my car, fill up the tank, and start out in the direction I wanted to go. Along the route though I would need to pause and make sure I was still heading in the "right" direction. I realize that this metaphor may be lost on today's generation of GPS navigating our every move. While I use that on occasion I definitely prefer still using a map and some common sense. Starting in the middle of the country makes it fairly easy to break down which general direction I need to go.

Growth in my life is the same. Whether it is a lifestyle change I am striving for or a new parenting situation I am navigating effort isn't enough on its own. Reflection is key to checking in with my common sense, emotions, and situation to see if I am moving in the right direction.

I'm grateful to reflect today. I'm grateful to let tears fall as I admit to my own weaknesses. I'm grateful to have a husband that is willing to hear me out through tears and frustration while I sort it out. I'm grateful for his insights and grateful for his ability to sit back and let me sort it out, out loud. I'm grateful to see where I am heading in the direction I want to go. I'm grateful to see where I need to make tweaks and full hard lefts. I'm grateful to remind myself I am in the drivers seat and I have the power to make these changes.

Where are you heading? What growth are you striving for? How often do you reflect and how much effort are you putting toward getting there?

May today bring balance in effort and reflection. May we move closer to where we want to be. Have a beautiful day!

I am loving how many opportunities have opened up, especially for parents and kids, during this lockdown. There are websites offering all kinds of different learning activities and science experiments for kids. There are videos of book readings. And Mo Willems, a children's author, is doing daily doodle instructional videos. 

I was a little skeptical on how well a drawing instructional video would work with a three-and-a-half year old. But as you can see in the pictures above, we did pretty well! Tomorrow we may try markers instead of colored pencil just so she can see her drawing a little easier but I was super impressed! 

There are online courses that some colleges are offering free which is amazing. I was also very happy to hear my Laughter Yoga community is having a call-in laughter conference the first ten minutes of every hour to help everyone release a little stress. I have not taken advantage of either of these opportunities yet but I'm excited for all these opportunities!

I'm grateful that so many people and organizations are opening up these great opportunities for everyone. I'm grateful for all the people reaching out through YouTube. I'm grateful to see so many creative ideas floating around from fellow parents. I'm grateful for so many ways to fill our days. I'm grateful to be slowly figuring out a new normal and new routines. I'm grateful for all this time with my kids getting to really watch them grow and see their strengths. I'm grateful to be doing my best to see the beautiful opportunity this lockdown is and share some of my creativity as well.

What opportunities are you finding during this time? If you are locked in, what are you finding to fill your day with joy?

May today keep our creativity flowing. May we find the beauty in the opportunities available to us. Have a beautiful day!

Today was an interesting day as my family begins settling in and finding a new routine and a new normal. It is a little surreal. We are not officially on lockdown or anything here but with my job halted and my husband working from home we are camped. 

As I hear about all the struggles as people search for the supplies they need, I'm grateful for all the little things we already had in place. I'm grateful for a deep freeze that holds some extra food for my family. I'm grateful to have bought several things of soup and frozen veggies when my family had the flu a couple weeks ago. 

I'm grateful to have cloth diapers. While they were used more with my first born, they will definitely be used now as we save disposable diapers for bedtimes. I'm grateful for a good cleaning system already in place for cloth diapers that will work if we should run out of wipes. 

I'm grateful for family and neighbors that have checked in to see if we need anything. I'm grateful to know that we are thrifty and can find a way through this. I'm grateful my husband and I have different strengths and talents that cover a wide array. 

I'm grateful to be using my creativity to think of ways to fill our days with fun, adventure, and learn new skills all within these walls. I'm grateful to brainstorm ways to help others who may not have the same backup plans in place. I'm grateful to be solution focused now and letting the fears settle down.

How is your frame of mind? What are you doing to alleviate stress and focus on solutions? What backup plans do you have in place that can bring you some relief?

May today remind us we may be separated but we are still in this together. May we look out for each other and find comfort in what we do have already. Have a beautiful day, in whatever way you can. 

There has been a lot of talk lately about catching bad stuff. The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) has reached my area and there is a lot of stories about how to not catch it and how many people have already caught it. At home, with my girls sick there has been plenty of "wash your hands so no one else catches it" talks. 

Yet there are plenty of things that I WANT to catch and today I have even had the opportunity to catch a few of these. I feel like that is a good thing to celebrate since some of these are tough on a regular day, let alone with the added duties of sick kiddos. 

Today I caught a quick, hot shower. I caught up on some laundry. I caught a cute little girl being ornery as she goes in and out of feeling like herself again. I caught a couple laughs at the hilarious commentary of a preschooler. I caught a glimpse of my husband (who is working from home today). I caught my breath and even rested my eyes a bit. I caught a few extra zzz's this morning sleeping on the nursery floor again. I caught a diaper just before blow out and saved an outfit. And I caught up on some much needed dog snuggles (well, maybe I could use a few more...). 

I'm grateful for all I've caught today. I'm grateful for hot water (and soap) and plenty of food packed with vitamin C and other nutrition. I'm grateful my girls have rounded the corner and are beginning to feel like themselves again. I'm grateful they are still catching up on sleep and letting their bodies rest. I'm grateful to stay home another day from our normal routine to give them more time. I'm grateful to still be feeling healthy and even somewhat rested. I'm grateful for my dog's patience at our busy schedules. I'm grateful to catch the things I want and let the rest pass by. 

What have you caught today? What will you choose to try to catch?

May today allow us to stay healthy. May we focus on what we want and not what we don't. Have a beautiful day!

There is something about being a mom that both stokes my anxieties and gives me a boost a bravery. Things that I may not have tried, I do to raise little explorers. I want my girls to not only explore their world but be empowered in it.

Today was a small step as we explored the zoo. My older daughter wanted to pet the stingrays. We were lucky enough to arrive at feeding time. 

It is so interesting to watch a young face that is both so eager and so intimidated to do something wildly new. So I volunteered to go first and talked her through what it felt like and what to do. She tried three times but always dropped the fish and pulled back before the stingrays actually got to it. It didn't matter, it was a big step.

I want to celebrate each big step my girls take in their growing and exploration. I want to celebrate the little steps too. The making a new friend at the playground without prompting or going down a slide that results in putting her not just out of sight but on a whole different story of the building have a multitude of big and little steps mixed in. I want to nurture it all.

I'm grateful to get to be the one with my girls most of the day. I'm grateful to get to witness their big steps and their little steps. I'm grateful to be there to pick them up when they fall. I'm grateful to get to celebrate and victory dance with them. I'm grateful to make an effort to not let my own fears get in the way. I'm grateful to be their cheerleader and I'm grateful for the little explorers they are becoming.

What big steps have you taken lately? What little steps do you take each day? 

May today be celebrated for all our steps forward. May we keep the growth mindset and an explorers heart. Have a beautiful day!

There are stages, as parents, that we pray to get through a little faster. Yet overall we pray for time to slow down. Kids grow so fast! The early years fly by in a blur for the most part. 

My baby is nearly eight months old. My other baby is three and a half! Time is going so fast and while some days and some stages are rough, I still want to slow down time. I want to memorize their baby laughs and cherish these days while they still want held. 

Well, my wish was granted in a sense. This year was a leap year. I got one extra day before I have to accept my baby is eight months. I got to enjoy one more day this year than last year. 

On top of gaining a day, we got to spend some of that time celebrating my husband and playing some cards with friends. We shared laughter and great food. It was a wonderful way to spend an extra day.

I'm grateful to have this gift of extra time. I'm grateful to recognize how special it is to have an extra day with my girls, family, and friends. I'm grateful to notice the little things like this will most likely be the only time a nurse a baby on a leap day. I'm grateful to get one extra day before admitting my girls are at the next age. I'm grateful to enjoy laughter and even meet some new people. I'm grateful for these little blessings that help renew and refresh my spirit.

What did you do with your extra day? What is something you did that you probably won't be doing any other leap day? 

May we cherish these little gifts. May we celebrate each day we get to spend with family and friends. Have a beautiful day!

The other night I was helping my older daughter learn how to do a maze. I had her trace with her finger each route before selecting it with the pencil so she could see dead-ends versus the open path. 

It was going well until I noticed the only path forward was doubling back on itself. I don't mean winding deeper into the puzzle, but actually doubling back on itself. There was no way out. 

I thought I had made a mistake so I tried working backwards from the finish. It was all dead ends. The puzzle could not be completed. 

Perhaps it was lack of sleep or perhaps it struck a cord somewhere deep within me symbolically, either way I found this hilarious. I could not stop laughing as I showed it to my husband.

My daughter, who is very intelligent and needs things to work the way they are supposed to, was not amused. She was very upset that she could not finish it. Yet she was perfectly content with my explanation that she just needed to choose which dead end to "jump" to get to the finish.

We like tidy paths in life. We like to "win". We like things to be predictable, at least when it comes to the big expectations. But that isn't always how real life works. In real life sometimes we have to jump a couple dead ends. We have to be willing to make the best out of what we have and carve the path when one isn't available for where we are trying to go. 

I'm grateful for this maze. I'm grateful for the humor it struck in me. I'm grateful for the symbolism it gave me. I'm grateful to have fun activities like this with my daughter so she can experience what to do when the expectation is broken. I'm grateful for learning opportunities for me. I'm grateful to know my path is still movign forward even as it sometimes feels it is doubling back on itself. I'm grateful to be enjoying the journey.

What are you navigating? How do you expect it to finish? What will you do to get to that finish line?

May today provide determination with a splash of humor. May we recognize when we need to bend and follow the path and when we need to jump the "wall". Have a beautiful day!

Children are such a great way to get a better look at ourselves. Not only do they provide a physical reflection but also chances to hear our own words coming back at us. They model themselves after us and we get to take a very real, very raw look at our own habits, words, and interactions through this imitation.

Sometimes this reflection is hard to witness, like when an irritated tone snaps back words I know I have said. Other times this reflection gives us a glimpse of what we're doing right, like my three year old saying "oh, excuse me." at the store when she realizes she's in the way of a shopper. There are moments of denial when I say "nah, she must get that from her dad." And then there are moments like this afternoon when all I can do is laugh because this beautiful mess is so much her mama. 

In the middle of dancing this afternoon my daughter realized she had to go potty. She was running in to the bathroom but turned back to tell me something and ran right into the doorway. Whimpering she came walking back because she needed a hug only to stop two feet from me because she saw a piece of glitter! I could only laugh at what a perfect mini mirror she is of myself and laughed harder at her sweet confusion as she asked why I was laughing. How many times have I asked that? Oh how I love this child!

Children give us the mirror for the ability to choose what we want to change and what we want to love and accept as is. I want to teach her to have good self-care, self-esteem, and self-control but I do this by modeling not by talking about it. So these have become my own priority as well.

Children provide a glimpse of our own imperfect perfection so we can embrace being ourselves. We can laugh at ourselves when we do something silly and we can bask in our own weirdness. 

I'm grateful for this beautiful mirror. I'm grateful how accurate a reflection she is for me. I'm grateful to see where I need to take more time to model virtues. I'm grateful to laugh at my own follies. I'm grateful to have a tough child to balance the doorway crashes and stubbed toes. I'm grateful to love this child so much and to learn how to give this same love to myself. I'm grateful to do my best and give myself space to change as well.

What does your mirror show? Who provides the best glimpse of you? How do you embrace this gift?

​May we see the beauty in our own reflection. May we change the world by changing ourselves. Have a beautiful day!

I recently got a new rug for under our table in the kitchen. Yesterday I finally got around to cleaning the floor and putting the new rug down. I love how much better it compliments the curtains than the old rug and as a bonus it now matches the rug by the sink and one by the back door. 

I didn't think too much about it as we ate lunch yesterday and then we were gone at dinnertime. This morning at breakfast my daughter asked for cereal with milk, which I give to her in a cup so she can pour it in her bowl herself.

As she went to pour the milk her aim was a little off and a little splashed out onto her chair. A few drips made it down to the rug so after handing her a towel to clean up the chair I dabbed at the couple drips on the rug. In my mind I was thinking, "wow, glad it was just a few drips since the rug hasn't even been down twenty-four hours." 

Just then a bowlful of milk and cereal came pouring down onto my head, my clothes, and yes, the rug. Apparently as my daughter was turned to wipe the chair she hit the bowl with her elbow. I couldn't help but recognize the humor in how the universe had responded to my thought. I mean it was only a matter of time, especially with two young children. 

A rug is just a rug. While I would love to keep things clean, it isn't worth crying over spilt milk. Besides, I would much rather have a lived in and loved in home that an immaculate one. My daughter seems to feel the same as we cleaned jasmine rice off it after dinner.

I'm grateful for the lessons my daughter continues to teach me. I'm grateful to know my child is much much more important than a clean rug, even as I work to instill some cleanliness practices in her. I'm grateful to have the rug christened on the first day so there is no built up suspense as to what will happen tomorrow. I'm grateful to let it go. I'm grateful for my new rugs and to make these little touches and changes to our home. I'm grateful for the "never a dull moment" that life brings with kids.

What stories do you have about kid christening moments? What thoughts is the universe helping you explore? 

May today be created consciously with love ,laughter, and maybe a few shrugs. May we let go of the small stuff and focus on what's truly important. Have a beautiful day!