Perspective on Happy Matters!

Perspective on Happy Matters!

via The Joyful Mother

Domenic turned to me just a few days ago and said "You haven't been blogging recently!" Not a beat went by and I said, my blog is called Happy Matters. I only like to write when I'm happy!

Then I realized that I've been doing a poor job at being myself!

Maybe thats unfair. Maybe I need to cut myself some slack. Maybe it's my wonder woman role I like to assume! Maybe it's being self-absorbed! 

I like to think of myself as a bright, cheery, positive, silver-lining searching, happy, helpful, "I can tackle any challenge!" person! 

And I've been struggling....with all of it!

Brightness dims quickly
Negativity seeps in
Happiness and smiles 
     take back seats to frustrations and sighs
There's struggle to find silver linings
I'm not helpful to others
And I'm feeling like I'm losing daily challenges!

*I feel like I need to write that my life is completely balanced! There is no need to worry! My children are wonderful! My husband is amazing! Our families are healthy and amazing! I am just a control freak and things haven't gone as planned the past few weeks in one teeny tiny area of my life! 

Unfortunately, to a fault, I let this area of my life absorb me often. 

So yesterday I went to get my hair done and while the dye (to cover my extreme grey hair) was sitting I decided to catch up on reading the blogs I subscribe to. 

Little Miss Momma is one of my most favorite blogs around right now! She's a mother of 2 boys who writes about her adventures and her meltdowns of being a woman, wife and mother! She's way craftier than me! She's a stay at home mom! But I feel like we have so much in common. Often I'm reading her words about her experiences and I forget they're not my own. 

So I'm sitting in the hair chair and I'm reading about one of her bad days and her rescuing another mom from a tough moment and her story about why she blogs, and  tears start to stream down my face...in the hair chair! She wrote, 
I like to be positive.

Not unicorns and princesses positive,
but I like to find the silver lining in all of life’s lessons.

When I have a bad day,
I write about it.
And by the time I’ve finished the post,
I’ve usually found that silver lining.

And I thought...I need to go home and write! Enough of this feeling sorry for feeling challenged! I was inspired to write about my challenges to help myself find the silver linings!

Then I came home, told Domenic about what happened and we laughed about what a crazy person I must've appeared to be!

I sat down on the couch after putting the boys to bed, checked facebook and a friend posted this as their status...

I know I'm lucky for many reasons. This is a good time to remember to remember. - N.M.

And so I'm back! Writing when I have the time! 

Writing about my adventures, my struggles, and my happy matters!

September 11th...

September 11th...
A day to remember..

     Where you were....
          Who you were with....
               What you watched....
                    How you felt....
                         Everyone's story is different....
                              And none will be forgotten!

I say my prayers 11 years later 

for the little boys and girls

and the husbands and wives

who had a parent or a spouse

 be a hero that day! 

Never forget!

The real to do list....

The real to do list....

When I'm feeling so overwhelmed I can't possibly sort my thoughts to make a coherent or manageable to do list....

I find this!

BREATHE!!!!!!

Everything will always work out!

Always!

And always Sing 1st!!!!

(With ice cream not far behind!)

What a week...

What a week...

Sometimes this is easier said than done!

It was quite an eventful week!

Everyone had their first days of school!

Most importantly....

Luke's 1st day of 1st grade at a brand new school!

(He did great!)

And Nicholas's 1st day of Nursery school!

(He loved it!)

It was overwhelming at times!

Exhausting at times!

And wonderful at times!

I loved walking through the door each afternoon 

and hearing about the boys days! 

All the little adventures and activities that filled their days! 

As I was preparing to begin my 10th year of teaching, 

I was confident and excited!

My first day left me feeling challenged and defeated!

I put on a smile, 

pushed my worries into my back pocket 

and promised to try harder tomorrow! 

My baby sister said it best...

Only 1 way to go from here! UP!

 I so agreed!

Still I tried to not dwell on my daily adventures 

(adventures they were indeed...unexpected and spontaneous)

and I focused on being there for my boys!

Asking about Luke's day...

checking in on if and how he was loving his new school...

He was loving it!

The science lab is his favorite!

His teacher taught him about fluency! 

(such a big word coming out of his little body)

And he was making new friends!

Asking about Nicholas's day...

checking in to make sure he was being a good listener 

and making new friends!

He was and he was!

Domenic's days were wonderful, as usual!

I'm sure the girls love him!

I know I do!

I'm writing about remembering the little things 

because there's a good chance 

my days will be tougher than my nights 

for at least the 1st few weeks 

as we get into our routine as a family!

I need to remember that 

no problem is big enough to get you down all day

and when my day is over

I still have 3 men that need my love, patience, 

understanding and cuddles!

And those are the things I'll remember!