Today, December 27, I have taken all my Christmas decorations down, packed them all away and hucked the tree out the front door. A bit Grinch-ish, perhaps? Yes. Probably more than a bit but I'm OK with that. I love the feel of the house after we take everything down: open, airy, clean...simple. Simple is my own personal montra. It's my style. It's my sanity. When the rest of my life is overwhelming and work is piling up, it helps to have a house that is clutter-free, pretty well organized and SIMPLE.
See, I'm the type of person that really can't sit down and relax until the sink is empty and the washer is running. I like having a basket of laundry to fold or a quilt to stitch while we watch TV. I set the kitchen table before I go to bed because it helps me relax knowing I'm prepared for the morning. I know, I know...you should try living me. It drives my husband batty sometimes. So, simplicity keeps me sane and allows me to relax, because without it...well, I'm sure I would be wound about 3 clicks too tight all day long.
But my simplicity thought process goes far beyond my house. I've always been a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl so it's safe to say that my fashion sense is, well, simple. There are times that I think I should try new things, wear something I normally wouldn't, but usually, I just feel like I'm acting when I do that. I'm not going to re-invent myself at age 37. Keep it simple and simple can be beautiful.
One area I'm trying to work simplicity into is fitness. I will admit to being a sucker for exercise equipment & techy things. I have the nike+ system for my iPhone to track my mileage and pace (when I get out and run), I have the wii Fitness Plus game & balance board (side note: I don't appreciate the sound the the board makes when I step on it: a condescending "Oohh..." But I digress....), we have the Active 2 sensors for the wii and all kinds of resistance bands, weights and gadgets. But I've come to realize that all I need are my shoes. Keep it simple, Amy! Go out and walk or run. I make it harder than it needs to be and it's not rocket surgery. It's not about training for a flippin' marathon, it's about getting outside and moving my body. I don't have to throw out sugar and red meat...just find moderation. Simple.
There's another part of keeping things simple...being able to say No. I don't have to serve on every Parent's Club committee or sit on the soccer club's board of directors to be an awesome parent. There was a time when every volunteer activity I did looked like this: volunteer (to look like a good mom), forget about it with all the other activities going on, remember it 2 days before it's deadline, work thru every spare moment to get it done, hating every minute of it. Ugh. When my husband asked me why I kept volunteering for things I didn't even like doing, I thought to myself: 'Huh...he's kinda smart'. To be honest, I was just doing it to keep up appearances and look like what I had mistakenly thought a good mom looked like. When I decided to only pick one or two activities or committees to be involved in per year, life got much better and much easier. Sometimes, simplicity means not caring what other people may think of you or your choices.
So, as I look at 2011 looming ahead of me, my goals all revolve around simplifying my life as much as possible. Because when 'stuff' isn't in the way, it's alot easier to see the things that are important and that's where my focus should be. Plus, I figure life is gonna happen whether we are ready for what the Lord throws at us or not. If we're all amped up about things, it's not going to help us get through it or see what it is we're supposed to be learning from the situation. Keep it simple, roll with the punches, admit your mistakes and move on....
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Fearfully & Wonderfully Made
"When she stopped conforming to the conventional picture of femininity she finally began to enjoy being a woman." Betty Friedan
This quote caught my attention the other day and has been stuck in my head ever since. When I read it, I said, "Ah hah! I can totally understand that!" Then I looked up the woman who said it because I didn't have any idea who Betty Friedan was. A shame, I know.
Seeing that she was a pioneer in the feminist movement gave me a momentary pause. I'm not the militant feminist type. I don't believe the two sexes are the same but I also don't believe that either sex should be held above the other. I believe that we are individuals first, genders second.
Mind you, I will be the first one to put you in your place if you tell me I can't do something because I'm female, but then again, I don't like to be told I can't do something for any reason. I enjoy being a mom and I'm very happy making our home run smoothly, something that some modern feminists can't understand. And, I like to hang out with guys because they are usually pretty straight forward, don't have alot of drama and don't mind that I yell alot at sporting events. But, that's just my personality, not my gender, and I'm pretty sure there are other women out there just like me. Scratch that...other personalities out there just like me. I don't think life is as simple as men v. women or gender roles...I think we need to look at individuals, not genders.
For me, this quote was about more than gender roles though. It spoke to how I feel about my physical appearance as well. I don't feel that I fit the mold of what society considers beautiful...I'm not tall and thin, my hair isn't bouncy and shiny, I don't have perfect skin. I am curvy and could stand to lose 10 pounds, I have cankles, a good hair day is cause for celebration and I have more pimples at 37 than I did as a teenager. I have a c-section scar from 3 kids who just had to use the emergency exit, stretch marks and my boobs have retired and moved south. I have been heavy and I have been thin and I have seen people treat me differently at each weight. All of this has made me doubt my own beauty and self confidence.
On the flip side of this, I have seen what my body can do. I have run 5ks and 10ks, I have given birth to and nursed 3 healthy children, I can buck hay and halter break steers, I can run & play with my kids and, after 15 years, my husband still calls me beautiful. Perhaps most importantly, I am healthy! All of these things are what I should be using to see the true beauty in my body and myself.
So, for me, this quote was saying 'stop looking at yourself through society's lense', focus on the good instead. We are all 'fearfully and wonderfully made'. Not in redundant mirror images of each other but in uniquely crafted individuals. Ah, individuals...not women or men, fat or thin, but individual people who have specific traits, characteristics, personalities and appearances. How novel...
I will take this quote with me and enjoy being the woman and person that I am.
This quote caught my attention the other day and has been stuck in my head ever since. When I read it, I said, "Ah hah! I can totally understand that!" Then I looked up the woman who said it because I didn't have any idea who Betty Friedan was. A shame, I know.
Seeing that she was a pioneer in the feminist movement gave me a momentary pause. I'm not the militant feminist type. I don't believe the two sexes are the same but I also don't believe that either sex should be held above the other. I believe that we are individuals first, genders second.
Mind you, I will be the first one to put you in your place if you tell me I can't do something because I'm female, but then again, I don't like to be told I can't do something for any reason. I enjoy being a mom and I'm very happy making our home run smoothly, something that some modern feminists can't understand. And, I like to hang out with guys because they are usually pretty straight forward, don't have alot of drama and don't mind that I yell alot at sporting events. But, that's just my personality, not my gender, and I'm pretty sure there are other women out there just like me. Scratch that...other personalities out there just like me. I don't think life is as simple as men v. women or gender roles...I think we need to look at individuals, not genders.
For me, this quote was about more than gender roles though. It spoke to how I feel about my physical appearance as well. I don't feel that I fit the mold of what society considers beautiful...I'm not tall and thin, my hair isn't bouncy and shiny, I don't have perfect skin. I am curvy and could stand to lose 10 pounds, I have cankles, a good hair day is cause for celebration and I have more pimples at 37 than I did as a teenager. I have a c-section scar from 3 kids who just had to use the emergency exit, stretch marks and my boobs have retired and moved south. I have been heavy and I have been thin and I have seen people treat me differently at each weight. All of this has made me doubt my own beauty and self confidence.
On the flip side of this, I have seen what my body can do. I have run 5ks and 10ks, I have given birth to and nursed 3 healthy children, I can buck hay and halter break steers, I can run & play with my kids and, after 15 years, my husband still calls me beautiful. Perhaps most importantly, I am healthy! All of these things are what I should be using to see the true beauty in my body and myself.
So, for me, this quote was saying 'stop looking at yourself through society's lense', focus on the good instead. We are all 'fearfully and wonderfully made'. Not in redundant mirror images of each other but in uniquely crafted individuals. Ah, individuals...not women or men, fat or thin, but individual people who have specific traits, characteristics, personalities and appearances. How novel...
I will take this quote with me and enjoy being the woman and person that I am.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Patrick Family's "12 Days of Christmas"
The kids & I made up our own "12 Days of Christmas" on the way to school today:
"On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me....
12 Beautiful presents (each adds Abby)
11 Hours spent driving
10 Christmas wreaths
9 Gingerbread houses
8 Sets of lights
7 Hours of wrapping
6 Cups of eggnog
5 CANNNDY CAAAANES
4 Ornaments
3 Anxious kids
2 Shopping parents
and
1 Giant Christmas Tree!!!
I think we have created a new Patrick Family tradition... :)
"On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me....
12 Beautiful presents (each adds Abby)
11 Hours spent driving
10 Christmas wreaths
9 Gingerbread houses
8 Sets of lights
7 Hours of wrapping
6 Cups of eggnog
5 CANNNDY CAAAANES
4 Ornaments
3 Anxious kids
2 Shopping parents
and
1 Giant Christmas Tree!!!
I think we have created a new Patrick Family tradition... :)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Great Basketball Game
Last night I watched a great game! It was exciting, the lead changed almost constantly and in the end, victory was decided by one point. It wasn't a game of college football or professional soccer....it was my daughter's middle school girls basketball game.
My daughter is in 5th grade...she goes to a very small country school where we didn't have enough older girls to make up the team so half the basketball team is 5th graders and we even borrow a few players from another, even smaller, school. The other schools we play are the same way...small country schools that don't have alot of potential players to draw from. But we are definitely the youngest, and shortest, team in the 'league'.
In the stands were parents from both teams, most of whom already know each other from other sports their kids play or community events they've helped out with. We were nice when we cheered...which, was a little hard, I'll be honest. If you have ever been to a sporting event with me, you'll know what I mean. I love sports. All sports. Whether my kids are playing or not. And I'm loud...often. Doubt me? I embarrassed my husband at a hockey game....he asked me to sit down and stop yelling at the refs for stopping the fights. I'm notorious at my son's wrestling tournaments for how well my voice can carry from the stands down to the mats. Now you know. Consider yourself warned if we ever find ourselves at a game together...
Now, back to the game...what made this game great is that our coach, a young man who is a student teacher at the school, plays all of our girls. Not just the good ones and the ones who understand the game, but all the girls. Every one of the girls can say that they had a hand in last night's victory and that, in my mind, is pretty awesome.
A few standout moments that I must point out:
1. One of the 5th grade girls, we'll call her A, is the sweetest, mildest tempered girl who's friend's with everyone. She likes to play the game but she just doesn't want the ball. At all. In the mix of shooting & rebounds, she ended up with the ball in her hands. After a momentary look of shock, she shot the ball....and made it! The entire stands went crazy for that one basket and the look on her face was absolutely priceless.
2. The stand out player on our team, S, is a player who you can tell will be an athlete in high school, maybe even beyond. She is the definite leader on the team and has some serious skills. After a few attempts to drive the ball through the center, she pulled up short and took a shot from the three point line. Not just a basket...a swish! Again, the stands went crazy. From then on all she had to do was pause at the three point line and people were calling for her to make the shot.
Aaaahhh....the fun of sports at all ages and skill levels. I can't wait till tomorrow's game!
My daughter is in 5th grade...she goes to a very small country school where we didn't have enough older girls to make up the team so half the basketball team is 5th graders and we even borrow a few players from another, even smaller, school. The other schools we play are the same way...small country schools that don't have alot of potential players to draw from. But we are definitely the youngest, and shortest, team in the 'league'.
In the stands were parents from both teams, most of whom already know each other from other sports their kids play or community events they've helped out with. We were nice when we cheered...which, was a little hard, I'll be honest. If you have ever been to a sporting event with me, you'll know what I mean. I love sports. All sports. Whether my kids are playing or not. And I'm loud...often. Doubt me? I embarrassed my husband at a hockey game....he asked me to sit down and stop yelling at the refs for stopping the fights. I'm notorious at my son's wrestling tournaments for how well my voice can carry from the stands down to the mats. Now you know. Consider yourself warned if we ever find ourselves at a game together...
Now, back to the game...what made this game great is that our coach, a young man who is a student teacher at the school, plays all of our girls. Not just the good ones and the ones who understand the game, but all the girls. Every one of the girls can say that they had a hand in last night's victory and that, in my mind, is pretty awesome.
A few standout moments that I must point out:
1. One of the 5th grade girls, we'll call her A, is the sweetest, mildest tempered girl who's friend's with everyone. She likes to play the game but she just doesn't want the ball. At all. In the mix of shooting & rebounds, she ended up with the ball in her hands. After a momentary look of shock, she shot the ball....and made it! The entire stands went crazy for that one basket and the look on her face was absolutely priceless.
2. The stand out player on our team, S, is a player who you can tell will be an athlete in high school, maybe even beyond. She is the definite leader on the team and has some serious skills. After a few attempts to drive the ball through the center, she pulled up short and took a shot from the three point line. Not just a basket...a swish! Again, the stands went crazy. From then on all she had to do was pause at the three point line and people were calling for her to make the shot.
Aaaahhh....the fun of sports at all ages and skill levels. I can't wait till tomorrow's game!