When The Lasagna Hits The Fan...

Tonight as I was making dinner the above happened. Ok not so dramatic but you get the idea.

I managed to spill and splatter the contents of an entire pot of bolognese sauce all over my kitchen cupboards, walls, floors and myself. There was a time in my life where I would have been mad. Where I would have blamed everyone within close proximity, yelled, sworn and it would have ruined my day. I'd have been angry for hours. Now, nope, not a thing.

As it happened I smiled and thought 'Oh well, great excuse to clean those cupboards!'. I even surprised myself with this thought and how far I've come. I don't know who or what puts these thoughts into my head but I love them. I much prefer these thoughts than the thoughts I use to possess. The thoughts of fear, anger and blame!

Today I was again reminded that you CAN your thoughts. It takes practice, it requires discipline but its possible and so worth it.

My life’s a holiday!

Sitting in the sun today, a good book in my hand and a green tea in the other I thought to myself … life is good. I also thought to myself that every day of my life is like a holiday. Don’t get me wrong I still spend my days cleaning toilets, wiping bums and hanging around little people but its also full of so much fun and joy!

Life is what you make it I have heard people say. Well if it is I have made mine one huge holiday and I love it! 

Holidays to me are times when we get to relax, enjoy and spend time with those we love doing fun stuff. Well you know what …I do that every day!  Every day is a holiday for me and it isn’t because I don’t ‘work’ … believe me I do (although my ‘job’ isn’t a paid job, it’s a job!). I may not be employed at the moment but that isn’t the reason my life’s a holiday because even if I started tomorrow in a ‘paid’ job my life would still be a holiday!

Every day I make time for me. Every day I make time for my boys and those I love and every day I make time for fun. It’s that simple. As for the housework, cleaning, paying bills and all that others tuff … well that fills in the rest of the time. Life is here to be enjoyed. Enjoy it. Your the only person ever stopping you from doing it.

Today At The Playgound.

I wanted to share something that occurred today as it’s in relation to what I was saying yesterday about the messages we are sending our children. Although most of us never ever intend to send these messages to our kids we do it so frequently without even realising. Take today for example ….

I decided today to pick my eldest up from school 20 minutes early so that my 17 month old  and 4 year old could play in the playground. Not long after arriving a young boy around 2 years old ran up to  my youngest and gave him the biggest cuddle. It was so big that it became a tackle and knocked him over. My 17 month old fell backwards and hit his head on the ground and the young boy landed on top of him. His mother came running over and began to apologise to me profusely. But what she did next is what upset me.

She began to yell at her son. She told him how naughty what he did was and how bad he is and gave him a little smack on his bottom. As I stood there all I could think of was her son and what he was being taught in that very moment.

I explained to the mother that my son was ok and how beautiful and loving her son was. I explained to her that her son was only trying to cuddle and give my 17 month old love and that it was really sweet. She apologised again saying she doesn’t know what’s wrong with him and walked off.

The rest of the time at the playground all I could think about was what this boy had just learnt. He learnt that seeing someone you like and love and giving them affection is naughty, wrong and makes you bad person. He didn’t mean to knock my youngest over and to fall on top of him he was just a little too enthusiastic with his love, and if you ask me there is nothing wrong with that. The world needs a little more enthusiasm when it comes to love.

This sort of thing happens every day. I too am guilty of it at times, like with Julian and his vegemite and cream and how tempted I was to tell him it was wrong and he was silly for wanting it. We have an important job as parents, the most important of all jobs - we are raising our future. It is our children that will take this world in the direction we want it to go and quite frankly I can see where it’s heading if we continue our old ways …..

Do You Know Best?

Today I gave my youngest boys pikelets for lunch. My 17 month old had Jam and Cream – the only way to have them and my 4 year old, well he wanted vegemite and cream. 

I was about to say no and tell him that he had to have jam and cream as vegemite and cream would be disgusting and that it was a silly idea. But I stopped myself and thought about it and how often I do this. How often I insist that ‘my’ way is the right way. That I know best. I do, but I only know what’s best for ME, not others. 

Personally I couldn’t think of anything worse on a pikelet than vegemite and cream but for my 4 year old perhaps it was the best combo ever. So I made it - vegemite and cream and he ate the whole thing. 

Had I made him what I wanted and thought he should have had what would this tell him? On a deep level it would tell him that he doesn’t know what’s best for him, that he should always do what others tell him to do and not what he wants to do. Not a message I want to be teaching my boys…

I do it so often to, insist my way is right and that I know best, but I’m slowly learning and re teaching myself that I only know what’s best for me and not others.