So I'm sitting here thinking about how much of a slacker I've been in regards to posting on my blog. When I first started this blog, I was pretty good about keeping up with it. I'm not sure what went wrong along the way but I promise to be better this year!!
I'm sure a lot has occured in the 5 months since I last posted, but I honestly can't remember very much. I know that we celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's in the usual way...surrounded by family and friends. I wouldn't change it for the world. I will chalk my lack of memory up to being excessively busy.
Anywho...back to the present.
Gavin and Olivia are growing up so quickly. Olivia got a phone in her room for Christmas. I haven't had to answer the phone since we hooked it up. I know it's a girl thing! She's so funny about it all. She has called her Aunt Renee' just about every day. I finally had to tell her that she has to ask me or Joey if she can call anyone. Then we introduced her (along with Janice, Chuck and Rick) to Skype. I will admit it's an awesome concept. A free video phone program. We can call anyone and talk as long as we want for free. The video quality isn't stellar and the program has some glitches, but to be able to see the Arizona gang while we talk to them is worth it all!!! She is starting to remind me of a teenager with the way she talks and wants to dress. I don't know if I am ready for all of that. We went shopping on Martin Luther King day and I just kept thinking about what it will be like in a few years with her. It kind of freaked me out!! I barely have the patience for all the drama now!! Oy vey!!
Gavin is doing well. He is still very much into his video games. He amazes me by how smart he is. This year he made it into the Gifted and Talented program at school. I was so proud of him (and still am). We like to pick on each other sometimes. I was teasing him the other day about how he runs like a monkey. It was a Friday afternoon, and I was picking the kids up from school. As most of you know, he is only allowed to play video games on the weekend and during school breaks. Well, he came flying up to the car rider line with his hands waving over his head. It was HILARIOUS!! He looked like the monkey in the Clint Eastwood movies. He even makes noises like a monkey. I've always called him my monkey boy. When he was little, he used to hold his bottle with his feet so he could drink it. That's where it began, but him running around just brought it all back. I couldn't help but pick on him about it. Of course he was in the back seat pretending he was embarassed and Olivia had to throw in her two cents. I love those moments as long as they don't turn into a sibling smack down in the backseat that is!
What can I say about Joey? He is the same as he always is. You gotta love his consistency. Although he has discovered Facebook (Mafia Wars) and Ebay. All I have to say about that is..."bad things man...bad things."
Now about what I was really wanting to say.
I decided this year to not make New Year's resolutions. Let's face it, by now most of them would have been broken and you would be feeling like a failure. Who needs that kind of blow to their self esteem? Instead, I decided to approach the year in a different way. I decided to have a why not kind of year. I am always afraid to do things because I constantly worry about something. I worry about what others will think. I worry about all the other things I should be doing at that very moment. You get the idea.
I decided that when life is asking you why you should learn to respond with why not? I'm not encouraging reckless behavior or anything like that. I am stopping to ask myself is that worry or chore really worth it? Should I really care what others think? Is the laundry that important? When I think of things in that way, I realize that none of it matters. What good is being alive when you're not enjoying all that life has to offer? Are you really living?
One of my favorite quotes is "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, 'WOW . . . What a ride!' " It's been a while since I have lived this way. I think the last time I said why not was back in 2007 when Missy and I dropped everything and drove to Florida on a whim. It was such a surreal experience. I kept thinking to myself on the drive down "did we really just do that?" I had a blast on that trip. Mom has referred to it as our Thelma and Louise moment. That's how we wound up with tattoos. We just decided why not?
You are ONLY as old as you let yourself feel!! I personally want to feel like a 21 year old again. I have let myself fall into the rut of being a wife and mother only. I have forgotten that I am much more than just that. That is why I thought of this idea. So far it has been paying off. I have rediscovered my real laugh and my fun side. Instead of feeling like a 50 year old when I wake up I think I am down to a 40 year old. That 21 year old is just around the corner :)
I encourage everyone to ask themselves why not when faced with a decision. Sometimes you just have to go for it. Remember, you don't have to be reckless and abandon your life. Just try to have a little more fun and try new things. Don't let yourself get stuck in a rut.
Remember this, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." I love that quote!!
