My Inspiration

Quote of the Day

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

--Morrie Schwartz

My Happiness Today

I got to sleep in a bed with clean sheets, clean blankets, no dog hair, no baby puke and no matchbox cars hiding in the covers. It was heaven...

On My Mind

As I've mentioned, I'm participating in the 40 Days of Scrapping Purpose at Divine Digital. So far this has been a really neat experience. Basically, they give you something to journal about via a scrapbook page that helps you think more about yourself. I'm a little behind--I just did Day 6 and they're on Day 8 but with two babies that is pretty good! Anyway, I got to thinking about what inspires me, not just with digital scrapbooking and photography, but with life. So I decided to start a list. Maybe I'll add to this list later, maybe not. I don't know. But today what inspires me is on my mind. So here goes:

My family--includes my husband, kids, parents, inlaws, cousins, nieces, nephews, dogs, cats, etc.
Now to the fun stuff:

Coffee (you know this was going to be on the list)
Ice Cream (pistachio, blizzards from DQ, coffee, bubble gum ice cream at Baskin Robbins)
Light (natural light and the way it hits things)
Poetry (Carolyn Forche, Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, William Stafford, Mark Strand, Adrienne Rich, Sharon Olds, and many, many more)

Sesame Street (yes, I find it inspiring and funny and takes me back 40 years)

Laundry ( there is something about making things clean and the way laundry smells fresh out of the dryer)

Snow

Christmas Lights (I like the colored ones)

Historical Fiction (makes me glad I live in this day and age)

Butter (real butter)

Bread fresh out of the oven with a bowl of homemade soup

Autumn

Fine Art Photography (too many favorite photographers to name)

Candy Hearts (you know, the Valentine kind)

Peeps (now you can get them all year round)

Dan Zanes (my boys love his music and so do I)

Gotta stop here, Henry pooped...

Wordless Wednesday

Food Glorious Food!

Sam's latest spoon....
his matchbox cars!

Quote of My Day...

First you need only look: Notice and honor the radiance of everything about you ... Play in this universe. --Anne Hillman

My Happiness Today...

I had a fun morning with the boys. Sam helped me give Henry a bath and enjoyed washing his cars in the water and laughing at his brother. It was all I could do to keep Sam from jumping in the tub with Henry! All of this made me happy...my two boys having fun, splashing in the water and I got to witness it all!

On My Mind...

Eating. Eating has become a major issue in this house. Sam is a good eater one day, bad eater the next. Yesterday he decided that feeding himself could only be done by using a matchbox car as a utensil (not the picture above). While this is funny and makes for great photos for his scrap book, I can't help but wonder, "When is he going to eat with a spoon and fork?" Every meal is an adventure as he tries to feed himself. He won't wear a bib so I strip him down to his diaper and let him go at it. By the time the meal is done he is covered from head to toe in yogurt, applesauce, etc. And of course, my floor is a sticky mess, too. He also has this thing about textures. He only likes smooth things or crunchy things, nothing at all wet or slimey. So we have eating issues. And I am so terribly frustrated with all of it. And it is on my mind today because I have a freshly bathed Sam who is going to be a sticky mess after lunch.....and so will my floor.

Layouts

A few layouts I finished that I thought I'd share:

More tomorrow....

Love is Stern

Sam in the tub...


Quote of My Day

"Love is something more stern and splendid than mere kindness."
--C.S. Lewis





My Happiness Today

Yesterday I delivered all the framed photos for my first exhibit to the coffee house where the exhibit is taking place. This morning I took the boys and we got to see everything hanging on the walls. Not only did it feel good to see my photos out there for the world to see (and people were looking!) but Sam was so funny walking from picture to picture of himself with this huge, confident and unfortunately vain smile on his face! So all of this together made me happy...

On My Mind

Parenting. This is what is on my mind as it is just about every second of every day. Sam is officially in the tantrum phase of his life and it is one of the most challenging aspects of parenting for me to handle these tantrums. I have decided that if he isn't going to hurt himself or someone else, I will ignore his tantrums. But it is hard. So very hard. So my quote of the day reflects how I feel that loving my kids means being stern almost as often as it is to be kind and loving. I never thought it would be so hard to say no. Saying yes is easy and saying no is hard, especially when it is something related to Sam's jealousy of Hank. If I am feeding Hank or holding him on my lap, Sam will immediately come rushing over with a book and demand that I read to him. Sometimes I give in if I have given Hank enough love for the time being and sometimes I just have to say no. And it hurts so much to see him pout and walk away dragging his teddy bear and his big book and head to his room because he is mad at me. So that is what is on my mind today. Saying no.

Layout of the Day

I am participating in the 40 Days of Scrapping Purpose at Divine Digitals. Here is one of the layouts I did this weekend: