My Nemisis

Do you see this???? This is the bain of my existence! My children sure do know how to push my buttons. Why oh why do all my pillows ALWAYS end up on the floor? I can always tell when Chloe has been in a room because each and every pillow will be expertly resting on the floor. Of all the things they can torture me with, why must they take the pillows from their precisely, predetermined, precious place? I have a 'thing' for liking things in their spot. Who cares if the spot is clean or dusty, old or new...but by golly, if I have put something somewhere and someone has moved it, angled it, rearranged it or even looked cross-eyed at it - I know! It's a gift and curse - mostly a curse. You can imagine the mind games people like to play with me when they've discovered this little, tiny, unimportant personality quirk of mine. I'm hoping this is just a phase...my dream is that one day, they too, will come to appreciate proper placement of household items. Until then...I pick up one pillow at a time day in and day out...and remind myself, they won't be this age forever...so just laugh it off. I'm laughing on the inside - trust me.

My Favorite Place

Of all the places in my house, my favorite is here. The dinner table (or breakfast table or lunch table - depending on the time of day), is by far the most entertaining, memorable, happiest and craziest part of my day. It is here where we tell each other what we're thankful for each day - even on the days we have a hard time finding something to be thankful for. It is here the children learn manners and have the opportunity to practice eating politely. It is here where the children (and us) can be crazy during our "Dress Up For Dinner Nights" - always an unexpected and funny treat. It is here where we share the ups and downs of our days with one another and learn compassion, empathy and encouragement. It is here where I get to set a pretty table each night to show my family how special I think they are. We even have special plates we give out: an "I Love You" plate, an "I Appreciate You" plate and a "special" plate. I also have come to enjoy the luxury of fresh flowers on table each week. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they also give us something to talk about (like we ever need a conversation starter in this house!). It is here that so many questions have been asked and attempts at answers have been made (i.e. - "Mom, if there's no gravity in space, why don't the planets bump into each other?", via Gavin. It was directed to me cuz I was the only adult sitting there at the time - that question multiplied times a million other random ones).It is here we attempt to solve the world's problems. It is here where you learn that your opinion matters to others. It is here where we unite as a family each day and build memories that my children will carry with them through their lifetime.

All that and....we just like to eat alot!