Ode to Joy

Though I missed linking up last week, thought I'd still share
From Mama Kat, Prompt 5: What brings you joy in good time (and bad)? Inspired by Oprah.

Joy: noun: 1. a feeling of great pleasure and happiness; 2. a thing that causes joy

What brings me joy.......

Waking up between Sean and Lucy
Lucy's laugh
Sean's laugh
Clean sheets on the bed
Laundry folded, ironed and put away
Sean's smile
Lucy's smile
A full belly
A table surrounded by loved ones
The sound of Lucy running across a room
The sound of Lucy and Sean talking to one another
Seeing Sean walk through the door each night
Seeing Lucy run across the room to me
Knowing my loved ones are safe and sound and have their health
Being a wife
Being a Mum
10.27.04, 11:40pm
04.16.09, 11:35pm
05.26.07, 1:30pm
Hugging
Sun Showers
A bowl of blueberries and strawberries
A plate of good cheese, a few figs, a handful of grapes and crusty bread
A full moon in a sky full of stars
Christmas Morning
Lucy holding my hand
Sean holding my other hand
Buying/giving presents for/to other people
Books
The Public Garden
Playgrounds
Ice Cream
A clean desk
An empty In Box
Sand between my toes
Sean
Lucy
Sean, Lucy and I together.....happiness.....JOY

Maria the Mum

Hugging

Conversation at the dinner table last night.......
(preface: we were talking about Lucy's friends who are mostly boys...Caiti may be the only girl she actually considers a friend)

Daddy: Lucy, is Logan your boyfriend?

Lucy: NO Daddy! My Boy is! Brendan!

Daddy: Brendan is your boyfriend?!?

Lucy: (giggle giggle tee hee tee hee) Yeah Daddy! Brendan is my boyfriend!!

Mummy: Do you even know what a boyfriend is Lucy?

Lucy: FOR HUGGING!!!!

If only life were that simple.....

Maria the Mum

Hit It!

See that Facebook 'Like' button up there? Go on…you know you wanna click it…

Girl's Got Skills....all but one....

Do you know what my day job is? I'm the office manager/controller/business manager (whatever you call it in your world) for a $20 million dollar company

I oversee payables and receivables, I monitor the bank activity, I control a $1.5 million dollar line of credit. I have total signing authority on bank checks and company documents. I prepare weekly and monthly financial statements, review job profitability reports, work with our accountant prepping for year end close out and corporate taxes. I file sales tax reports, OSHA reports and register us to do business in states we've never worked in. I've implemented a new software, switched out computers and programmed office phones. I deal with employee benefits, commercial lines of insurance, audits, Union Benefits, and job searches. I can order office equipment, change the toner in the copier and faxes, clear paper jams, and the Unions....

Know what I can't do?

Figure out how to add the silly Facebook LIKE button to my blog

Maria the Mum

Whatever Shall I do?

As inspired by another blogger I read on a pretty regular basis, Metropolitan Mama, who asked
What are your hopes and dreams for 2012? Let me hear ‘em. Outrageous or Ordinary. GO.

I liked her list because as she noted, all are attainable, do-able, achievable.....maybe not all this year, probably not in this order but I want to do all these things....and some are exactly what you'd expect from me, and some may surprise you as they surprised me.....but here is what I want to do....

I want to: 

1. Get back to Church on a more regular basis
2. Finish and maintain the list of books I want for Lucy - the characters and authors I want her to "meet"
3. Start acquiring said books
4. Learn the names of the new Red Sox Roster
5. Forgive myself for whatever transgressions I can't seem to let go of
6. Take a family vacation - not travel to visit family, not to attend some one's wedding or a family function....I want to take a real vacation - where we spend our days in our swim suits....skip baths and showers, wear the same clothes two days in a row ice cream stains and all. I want to spend our days lounging, reading books, napping, dipping our toes in the water...I want to sit outside as the night falls with our cheeks warmed by a fire and S'mores in our bellies. I want to catch fireflies, collect rocks and vow at the end of the week to return to the same spot next year or the year after for a family vacation
7. Finally own the perfect black dress
8. Lose the weight I lost before but seem to have found again
9. Have professional photos done of Lucy and of us as a family
10. Start volunteering somewhere - its been many years since I did that, and I miss the sense of fulfillment it brought to my life and the lives of the people I did it for and with
11. That volunteer work to be something Lucy and Sean can do with me
12. Keep having a date night with my husband once a month - even if it is just watching a movie after Lucy has gone to bed without folding laundry, dusting, filing or working simultanously
13. To reconnect with family and friends
14. Own a house that has a front porch, a library with built in bookcases and a kitchen that is big enough for people to sit in while we cook and bake
15. Organize the shelf ion the basement and Lucy's craft center
16. Finish framing and hanging up Lucy's art work
17. Teach Lucy to ride a bike...and then get new bikes for Sean and I so the three of us can bike ride together...we used to love bike riding
18. Hang the pictures of family and friend on the walls of the staircase as I keep envisioning in my head
19. Shannon, over here, has inspired me to consume less this year....I see her challenge...my favorite is her emphasis on experiences versus material goods....personally, I think she is already pretty good at this....you should see some of the places/events she takes her son! Anyway, I'm so with her on this one...I'll work up to the cloth napkins but I am certainly going to be more aware of my consumption levels (let's hope that also spills over to my pizza and ice cream consumptions)
20. Visit Prince Edward Island
21. Get published
22. Take Lucy on a Whale Watch - oh how she loves whales...and seals and dolphins and penguins
23. Listen more speak less
24. Be a teacher...is it time for a career change? Or do I want to be a librarian...but in a school...do they still have librarians in school like they did when I was a kid? Maybe I should work in the children's section at a public library....I think what I REALLY want to do is be somewhere doing something to inspire kids to read...to instill in children not just a love of reading but a love for the characters they are reading about, the places they are visiting as they turn the pages of the book...teacher, children's librarian....bookstore....? I want to figure that out...maybe it ties in with volunteer work....
25. Relax....not like oh, I worked hard today, let me relax...just relax, take a deep breath, look around, appreciate what I see, hear and smell....just relax
26. Treat others as I want to be treated....tried but true
27. Stop swearing! I have a terrible potty mouth and it seems to be getting progressively worse
28. Try running -seriously. I know more people who have taken up running and love it. Now the last time I ran for fun was probably when Annette, Brandon and I would run from the car to the bar every Friday after work but I'm thinking maybe I can pull it off...anyway, I know a couple of people have had great luck with the Beginner's Guide 30-30, I think I'll give it a go
29. Get Sean the desk he wants for his work space at home
30. Go to the Lake District in Northern England and see where Beatrix Potter lived
31. Go back to Savannah, GA, Charleston, SC, and see the Outer Banks
32. Go to Cape Cod
33. Go hang gliding...inspired by none other than watching episodes of Go Diego Go...odd I'd like to do this given my fear of heights and flying
34. Go on a cruise
35. See the sunrise and the sunset on the same day at the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park
36. Hike to the top of Cadillac
37. Stay on Moosehead Lake for a week
38. Learn how to take a good photo...from behind the camera
39. Make Sean his favorite dinner for his birthday or our anniversary....even if it is liver and onions
40. Turn 40 with dignity and pride 

And that, I think, is a good stopping place.....though I reserve the right to tweek, maintian and edit

Maria the Mum

Christmas Past

As inspired by Mama Nash, a blog I stumbled upon quite awhile ago and enjoy reading as her style and wit are endearing: Tell me, what will you remember about Christmas this year?

Lucy:

There are so many things I will remember about this Christmas....so many things I will remember and think of fondly for years to come because of you

I will remember this Christmas because you were as excited about Baby Jesus as you were about Santa

I will remember this Christmas because we stayed home and celebrated as a family of three

I will remember this Christmas because of Peter the Elf on the Shelf and how you came tearing down the stairs every morning to find him....and would screech with delight when you spotted him

I will remember this Christmas because you wrote your first letter to Santa and he wrote back

I will remember this Christmas because you me baked and decorate cookies....and you ate least 5 heaping spoons of frosting before I realized what you were doing....never mind the countless scoops of raw cookie dough you ingested while I wasn't looking....and the M&Ms you kept picking out of the cookies...and the Hershey Kisses you pulled off the peanut blossom cookies....

I will remember this Christmas because on Christmas morning, you were hopping around the room so excitedly you fell into the tree...and Daddy managed to snap a picture just as it happened

I will remember this Christmas because when we went to the Live Nativity in Rockport, all you wanted to do was see Baby Jesus....and you were worried he would be cold

I will remember this Christmas because you learned the words to Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frost the Snowman....and you sang them over and over with more enthusiasm with each rendition

I will remember this Christmas because all you wanted was animals....when asked by anyone what you wanted for Christmas, you replied simply and honestly, animals. Your love for animals (except turkeys) is so endearing Lucy, I hope you never lose that

I will remember this Christmas because when you descended the stairs on Christmas Morning and saw the Lion and Tiger staring back at you, you simply said Oh, Hello....and then sank down between the two of them and gave them their first hugs

I will remember this Christmas because on Christmas Day, it took hours to open your gifts - not because there were so many but because you kept stopping to stand back and say This all for Lucy? I so lucky Mama! and then you would giggle and grin and spend the next 30 minutes looking at the books you just opened, playing with a toy you opened or taking inventory of the animals you received

I will remember this Christmas because when we put you to bed on Christmas Eve and explained Peter the Elf would be going back to the North Pole with Santa, we had to get you out of bed, take you down stairs and stood in front of the tree for 10 minutes saying good bye to Peter the Elf

I will remember this Christmas because even Daddy and I grew attached to Peter the Elf....and we miss him

I will remember this Christmas because when we asked you what you were going to name your Lion and Tiger, you said Peter....both of them we asked? Yeah you replied....and when I asked you how you would know which Peter was which, you looked at me and said quite simply because one is a Tiger and one is a Lion Mama! Peter the Lion and Peter the Tiger...! Silly Mama!

I will remmebr this Christmas because of our ride on the Polar Express....and even though you came face to face with Santa, you did not loose your cool - you were more impressed with your bell than you were with meeting Santa

I will remember this Christmas because you said good morning to the tree every day as we made out way to the table for breakfast....and each night as you went up to bed, you bid the tree a good night....and you were genuinely sad when we took it down

I will remember this Christmas because as we dumped the reindeer food in the back yard for Santa's crew and set out cookies for Santa himself, you declared it necessary to test the cookies to make sure they were good enough for Santa

I will remember this Christmas because you were concerned about the lack of snow...not for Santa's sake but Frosty's....how could Frosty come to life with no snow you asked....Even if he has the hat, you observed, what about his body....

I will remember this Christmas because as we were making gifts for the endless list of Aunts and Uncles, you looked at me and said Mama! I love doing stickers for everyone....Aunt Lis, Auntie Cheetie, Noni, Papa, Mama, Daddy, Nanny Cynthia, Auntie Mike, Uncle Win...EVERYONE! and you declared it with such love and enthusiasm it made me tear up a bit....you made over 25 ornaments and never complained once...you put as much love and attention into the last one as you did the first one...

I will remember this Christmas because of your marvel, awe, love, and respect for Santa and Baby Jesus...

I will remember this Christmas because when you said Santa, you said Baby Jesus in the same breath

I will remember this Christmas Lucy Ellen because of you and your Dad...because you both bring me so much love, happiness, joy ...which makes up for the gray hair and extra pounds you've both given me...



Maria the Mum

I Don't Take Direction Well

My readership has dropped dramatically since I left Facebook....which has been a severe blow to my ego and as a result, I have not felt like writing.....which has not stopped me from starting at least a dozen posts and jotting notes to myself for future posts....but I have no incentive to finish

Now, one would think the joy of writing is incentive enough but apparently, I need more...I want more...I crave more...I need external approval and appreciation.....I need validation....look at that, I'm a head case and did not even know (read accept) it!

So I decided this morning I would finish what I started almost two months ago and create a Facebook page to let everyone know when I posted a blog entry

So I raced over to Facebook, read no directions, started clicking radio buttons and entering distorted words and numbers into boxes when prompted...

Now let me just point out that the last time (2 months ago) I tried to create a page, I failed miserably. I tried to convert my Maria page into a Group page, read no directions or help boxes, just started clicking and hitting enter and as a result ended up defriending a bunch of people
Which then made me mad at Facebook because I could not figure out who I deleted so I left Facebook in a huff...and in the process, I hurt some peoples' feelings...you would think I learned my lesson...I have not

I created a page all right, but now I have no idea how tell people its there, import or notify my contacts, tell my friends on my other page to come to this page.....I can't get the Like or Subscribe button to show up on my blog page thing, I can't post anything on the FB page.........*blurg*

Now, I'll have to go home and ask Sean to help me....and I'll be all annoyed because I have to ask for help when really its because I don't have the patience to figure it out. And I'll get all annoyed because he'll figure it out in like mere minutes and if he doesn't, he'll drop whatever he was doing and work on it just to keep me quiet (because I'll moan and complain about how stupid it is and not logical until he is pushed right to the edge) And he'll ask me at some point what I was doing....what he really wants to know is did I read the directions or follow the prompts.....And I'll say can you please just do it (in my exasperated tone) and then he'll just do it and I'll complain about the functionality of it (whatever it may be) as if it is all Sean's fault.......it's how I roll.......poor Sean....

But soon, I shall have my own group page....and then, I will be discovered....I'm not sure by who or how or what the outcome will be but I have a feeling I am on the verge of being discovered....

Maria the Mum