Reality is, the day-to-day stuff is beautiful. All it takes is opening your eyes to see it.
Andrew and I recently had an extensive discussion about attitude. Bitterness in blogs, to be exact. I like to read other people’s blogs, their experiences about life and their children, their views on family and fashion and cities and politics (well not so much about politics it turns out… blech). Mostly about family and motherhood, because family and motherhood is what rules my life right now. But a HUGE turnoff for me is bitterness. I am genuinely troubled by the sheer volume of “I’m-a-stay-at-home-mom-and-my-life-is-in-shambles” blogs out there. PLEASE! You are giving the rest of us a bad name! Life is sometimes a little tricky, but focus on it and BAM! You are sucked into a self-pitying abyss of negativity and bitterness.
And your writing becomes your reality.
Choose your focus, choose your words, change your reality if you really think it sucks so much. Maybe life doesn’t suck as much as you think it does! Or maybe… your life only sucks as much as you THINK it does!
Okay, it’s off of my proverbial chest. Now on with the good stuff, for Pete’s sake.
5 months old…
and kissable as ever
Relaxing at Tryst this morning
…which is apparently very child-friendly on Saturday mornings!
We are enjoying another cold fluffy snowy winter day with each other despite 3 out of 4 of us fighting off colds and 4 out of 4 lacking sleep for the past two nights. But everything is peaceful and hazy around the edges. We move just a little more slowly, taking time for 4-people pile-ups on the couch that Ikea made just a wee bit too small on purpose (for sicky-days like this, I’m convinced) and games involving the construction of “Cootie-Bugs” and conversations about growing big and strong (later… too weak to grow too much right now) and making time for blanket-forts with flashlights and story books and static hair. And long, cozy naps.
Hope we didn’t leave too many germies behind.
And (we) hope you aren’t feeling too icky to enjoy your lives. Even the sicky days.
Beautiful person, beautiful daughter, beautiful wife, beautiful mother, beautiful outlook on life. Love, Mom
Lauren, thank you so much for writing that & for writing everything else you put on this blog. Most days, I’m happy in my life, but there are days I need a reminder and there have definitely been days when you provide that reminder. I hope we see you guys soon so the little ones can meet and we can catch up (our Oliver is very interested in licking your Oliver’s kissable cheeks…).
It is funny–G and I have talked about this exact thing before. I feel like a huge bit of being good parents (and you and Andrew are amazing) must be attitude. If you think of your kids as parasitic energy-suckers that is what they’ll become to you. It makes you wonder why some people even have kids! But having you both as examples makes us look forward to the day that we have a little being of our own. Hope you all are on the mend!
Well said Lauren. You are an inspiration!
Oliver = Chunky monkey
Amen Sista! Everyone has bad days and all Mommies know that! Attitude is everything…is really is the ‘Secret’ to life! Thanks for posting this and reminding me how lucky I am!
Well, when your kids NEVER do what you say and you’re forced to BEAT them into submission, and your husband just IGNORES your DESPERATE PLEAS for HELP AROUND THE HOUSE, and your MIND is ROTTING from ONLY SPEAKING BABY TALK ALL DAY LONG, YOU’LL BE BITTER TOO!!!!! Just kidding. I totally agree – happiness is where you find it!
P.S. You’ll have to secretly tell me who writes the bitter blogs so I can ridicule them.
WHOAAA….. I’m speechless….for real…..
fantastic post, lauren. i completely agree, and am looking forward to spending more time with you guys very soon…