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 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!

My husband is extremely helpful. He is a hands on dad and a big part of everyday tasks like cooking dinner. We work different shifts so in the evenings he is usually home alone with the girls, playing, making dinner, etc.

I have always been aware how much he helps out. Did I mention the dinner? It is really nice to come home from work at the girls' bedtime and have a meal waiting for me. It is equally nice to know my husband is not only capable of taking care of our girls but willing and truly enjoys his time with them.

For the last six days he has been helping me tag team our two sick kids, from sleeping in our preschooler's bed with her to working from home to be there to help if I need it. He is my rock and I lean on him a lot. 

Fast forward to last night and my husband has caught the girls' flu. I made the meals, tried to sanitize the house a bit, took care of two kids (one of which has rediscovered her energy), and tried to help him rest. It wasn't impossible by any means but it made it that much more obvious how lucky I am to have such a helpful husband.

We had gone through all the leftovers so meals had to be made. Luckily baby food is pre-made and in the freezer (again thanks to my husband who makes all the baby food). Lunch was soup and quesadillas but I needed something a little more enticing to get my preschooler to want to eat dinner. I got out the "Leprechaun Bowties" pasta I had been saving for next week. I cut up every veggie in the house to give a vitamin boost as well as please my sweet little veggie lover. I sprinkled it with parmesan and a little dressing and watched my preschooler gobble away. 

I'm grateful for all the ways my husband helps every day. I'm grateful I was able to give him some time to rest and take over the evening shift too. I'm grateful for the clients that have allowed me to reschedule them so I can take care of my family. I'm grateful to still be cruising through all this with my health. I'm grateful for the Leprechaun pasta that tasted great and (luckily) encouraged my daughter to eat. I'm grateful for veggies and to have a preschooler that loves them as much as I do. I'm grateful to know this will pass and my family will be in good health again soon.

Who do you lean on for help? What "luck" or little tricks do you use to help your day go more smoothly?

​May today remind us to say thank you to all those who make our days easier. May we find some lucky charms to get us through March with smooth sailing. 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!

I try to use creativity when it comes to meals and snacks. It is fun for my daughter and adds some fun to my day as well. I could give my daughter a plate of cheese, crackers, fruits and veggies and be done...or I could make a face! 

Our fun with food has translated into her telling me what animal she wants to take for snack when it's her turn to provide for her class. We then figure out how to make that animal. We have done everything from butterflies to bears and even things like boats. It is a lot of fun and keeps things playful. 

Today we were attempting bear snacks so yesterday we made bear shaped pancakes with blueberry eyes. Banana chunks completed the noses. They weren't perfect but we sure had fun working together to make them.

Most of the time when we do pancakes we make "cloud" pancakes. That means I pour them in lumpy cloud shapes and then we try to guess what they look like, as you would with passing clouds. Imagination is a great tool.

My day is much the same way. It looks how I make it to look. I could look outside at the grey clouds and feel the drag of my lack of sleep this week. I could make my day "blah". Or I could look at the fun creative things my daughter and I did today. I could focus on my husband's help or the baby's cuddles. I could even focus on getting some time to get a few things done today. I could "create" my day in a beautiful way. It doesn't happen every day, but when I remember to use my creative side I can make my day look pretty great just the way it was.

I'm grateful for a good imagination. I'm grateful my daughter has a great imagination to keep me on my game. I'm grateful to strive to make things fun and playful. I'm grateful for the energy boost it gives me to find fun activities and playful snacks. I'm grateful for a playful day. I'm grateful for how the schedule worked out smoothly today. I'm grateful for my amazing husband that came to my aid. I'm grateful to (maybe) get a good night's sleep!

What are you creating? How do you choose to make your day, your drive, your dinner?

May today add a little fun to the schedule. May we spark our creativity in whatever way brings us joy. Have a beautiful day!

For those of you that missed my posts back around Halloween, my oldest daughter went as Moana and I went as Tafiti (the volcano to which Moana restores the heart). I had posted how fitting it was because my rainbow baby (my oldest) fills my heart with such love. 

Now fast forward to the tough phase we have been going through the last many weeks. It has been challenging but through it all I have done my best to let her know I love her no matter what. 

We stayed home today. It was much needed, both because there was so much I needed to get done and because we all just needed a day without rushing to get ready and running six different places.  

We cooked the snack for my daughter to take to school tomorrow. We made cupcakes for my husband's party. I cleaned and did several loads of laundry. But most important of all was taking time to play with my girls. 

The beauty of staying home is that I have two baby nap times to juggle all that needs done instead of just one. Even with her struggling at the afternoon nap today I still managed. Afternoon nap for baby means one on one time with my oldest. 

As usual we went downstairs so we wouldn't have to be quite as quiet. We played around with a mini obstacle course and got some energy out, we colored, and we did my oldest's new favorite thing, we had a tea party! 

At the end of the night I asked her what her favorite thing was that we did today. She couldn't decide and asked me what my favorite thing was. I loved hearing her laugh as we played tickle fight and our one on one time but I had to be honest. Lying there in her bed with her snuggled up in my arms, feeling connected to her in a positive way, all I could say was, "This." I felt a little choked up. This moment, holding my first baby girl, being snuggled and knowing how fleeting this time is..."this". So much this!

I'm grateful for this. I'm grateful to be honest. I'm grateful to get to hold her and snuggle her and feel connected. I'm grateful for a smooth-er day. I'm grateful for all the time we got to spend together. I'm grateful she is a great helper. I'm grateful to have so much love for her and to get to express it. I'm grateful for a productive day in so many ways. I'm grateful to get some one on one time with the baby too. I'm grateful for her sweet laugh and all the sounds she is making. I'm grateful to get to be home with her to witness all the mini-milestones getting us closer to those big (moving) milestones...and I'm grateful she isn't moving quite yet.

What is your "this"? What fills your heart and makes your day shine?

May our day be filled more with the "this" and less with everything else. May we take time to acknowledge and bask in our "this". 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!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, or Happy Hearts Day as my daughter calls it. It is a day of love and giving. Rather than go on about what I will be doing for the holiday; I'd rather give a "gift" to you. 

I would like to give you a gratitude challenge. When you wake up tomorrow morning, before you get out of bed, pause and ask yourself this question. Who am I grateful for? It could be someone there with you or perhaps someone from your past. Who made a big impact on your life? Maybe there are several people. If they're around, tell them your grateful for them. It is the best gift you can give.

Then as you start out your morning, take a glance in the mirror. What is one thing you are grateful for about yourself? There is only one you and that means the world would be missing something without you here. What are some of the beautiful things that make you special?

Perhaps as you are showering or preparing breakfast you might pause and notice all these little things that get taken for granted each day. What tool or appliance (or vehicle) makes your day go so much smoother? 

I challenge you to continue to ask yourself these kinds of questions throughout the entire day. What makes your heart happy? What are you grateful for? 

I'm grateful for a place to share my gratitude with you. I'm grateful for each of you who read this blog. I'm grateful for the ways you make this a better place. I'm grateful for my husband who is my rock. I'm grateful for my parents and family that support me in all that I do. I'm grateful for my daughters who help me grow and learn each day. I'm grateful for a day of sharing love. I'm grateful for a day to make my heart happy with gratitude. I'm grateful to offer you this gift.

May today fill our hearts not only with happiness but with gratitude and love. May we share the love we have with ourselves and those around us. Have a beautiful day!

As I reflect back over the day I can honestly say I mom-ed like a boss. I really felt like I had it together today.

I kept my cool through many, many crabby remarks and three-nager attitude from my preschooler. I shoveled the front steps and a path of the driveway for visitors to make their way up even as the snow was still falling. I hosted a playdate with four other kiddos, made everyone breakfast, and had activities prepared.

After that I fed my girls and got them both down for nap, got the house picked up, ran the dishwasher, then prepared the "snowman" eggs (hardboiled egg with black olive eyes and carrot nose) my daughter requested for her snack day at school tomorrow. I followed that up by a quick workout and then collected the trash and recycling and took it to the curb before heading out to work.

Am I bragging? Yeah, I guess I am a little bit. I have had several "parenting fail" moments in the last couple weeks and I have been honest about the missteps so I'm definitely taking credit for this "success". But what is success really?

When it comes to being a parent there isn't really a clear line of success and failure. The "scoring" line is in our own mind. What I have found is that success is more in how it feels. It wasn't the volume of stuff I got done today that made it a success, it was doing it and not feeling overwhelmed or overly stressed. Success was going through the day feeling good about the flow I was in and catching some adult conversation time with mom friends in the process. 

I'm grateful for a successful day. I'm grateful to say "I'll do that if..." and the Universe offered it to me as asked. I'm grateful to get some perspective from my friends. I'm grateful to keep my calm with my daughter while mentally observing and trying to find long term solutions. I'm grateful to get to host friends. I'm grateful my daughter did a pretty good job with sharing and playing with her friends. I'm grateful for a little mess in the name of art. I'm grateful to be in the flow and just try to stay in the moment and do whatever I could do. 

How do you gauge your success? How does success feel?

May we celebrate the "wins" in each situation. May we gauge our successes only on ourselves and how it makes us feel and let comparisons go. Have a beautiful day!

I find myself in a balancing act of hold and release. This week we've been filling out forms for my older daughter's next year of preschool. We have been encouraging her to be independent with getting dressed, brushing her hair, pouring her cereal, and clearing the table. 

At the same time we are working with the baby to help her fall asleep without being held. This was a skill she used to do fine until sickness and travel got her off schedule and out of her comfort zone. She has also started her first foods over the last week or so. 

Even as I encourage my girls to be more independent I find myself pulling them back in other ways. The better the baby does with independently falling to sleep, the more I indulge my older who likes to be cuddled before going to sleep herself. 

As I watch my girls growing much faster than I prefer I am both proud and a little weary. I'm loving this stage for each of them and all they can do now. But I am equally loving how snuggly each girl still is for their mama.

I'm grateful for snuggles from my girls. I'm grateful to watch them growing to be strong and healthy, independent gals. I'm grateful for my oldest's personality that allows her to be fiercely independent and still a snuggle bug. I'm grateful for my baby's ability to put herself to sleep and equally grateful she enjoys being "worn" around, snug to my chest. I'm grateful to see the benefit and beauty in this balance. I'm grateful to try to stay in the moment as the days fly by. I'm grateful for the privilege of being their mom.

What balance do you see in your life? What areas are you holding on to and which areas are being released?

May today help keep balance. May we see the beauty in the push and pull, the ups and downs, and the hold as well as the release. Have a beautiful day!