Thank you, but could you bugger off?

Thanksgiving's coming, the turkey's getting fat, please let's stick a pin in Santa Clause's hat...

I understand that Hannukah will begin this year on the eve of Thanksgiving. And I know that retailers depend on holiday shopping dollars & jobs depend on those sales being good too. 

And really, there are tons of good adverts out there this year. 

But I love Thanksiving & I'd really prefer Santa just backed off for a few more days. 

Thanks. 

Thought for the week

Would you believe I also have a Facebook page?! By a shocking coincidence it is also called Mother of Serendipity.  In light of the official start of the Holidays on the horizon, this morning I posted my thought for the week. 

I'll be honest, I might post a bit more frequently over there. So, ya know, I'd be much obliged if you checked it out & LIKE the ol' page - if like what you find. 

What is it about Mondays?

Seriously, Monday sucked.

Not because it was laundry day. Although, that was likely a factor. 

It was one of those rare days when I had planned to do the grown up chores that I really needed to get done. Ya know, like: What the hell to have for dinner this week so we don't blow the paycheck (again) ordering in because it's easier and faster than trying to cook a frozen pork roast. Oh, like make a grocery list for Thanksgiving dinner. Ugh, and the calls & emails that I never have time to do. And do the stupid laundry. 

Laundry Day used to happen every other weekend & was basically an all day family torture session in the laundromat. Now our building has it's own laundry & the room is next door to our apartment. Which means I now do it one day a week. Really, it shouldn't take THAT long. I SHOULD be able to do a few other things like making lists & notes & deleting photos at the same time. And also be hangin with the kiddos. 

Come on, I'm a multi-tasking mommy! I got this. 

Right. And we should all be eating our green leafy veggies & getting 8 hours of sleep every night too. Let's be honest, when pigs fly out my butt I'll know that any of that other shit might start happening. 

I know, I know... Life of a mom. Life with toddlers. Life in damn general. Sidetracks pop up & plans get changed. No biggie. 

But I was determined. Determined to GET THINGS DONE. 

DETERMINED. 

And so I got frustrated. Frustrated that my daughter was being super clingy. Frustrated that my son wanted to stand on everything in the house that was not the floor. Frustrated that I couldn't look down at my list for 30 seconds, literally, without hearing some scream or cry or crash. 

Frustrated that I couldn't make them understand why mommy needed a little cooperation. 

Frustrated that even if I shouted GET OFF THE TABLE or STOP LEAPING FROM CHAIR TO CHAIR - no one was listening. 

The more I got frustrated, the pain in my back & neck started to pound. Aside from hurting, the pain really made me upset, because I'd been feeling so much better...

The more upset I got, the harder they worked to get me to give in to kid life. To let my plans go & just roll with it. I even posted about how that's what the Universe was telling me & yet... I barreled along ALL DAY, frustrated. Honestly, mad at my kids. 

By the time my husband got home I was fed up & done with everyone & everything & told him so. The laundry wasn't really dry & was piled up unfolded on the bed. There was nothing ready for dinner & we had to scramble to decide what he could make, because I had to run away & hide in the yoga room. 

Even after 90 minutes of intensely hot yoga, I still came home frustrated. But by then it was more because I couldn't resolve why it had all gone so badly all day. 

Not until the kids were in bed & I was again raving to hubs about my crappy day did I actually stumble on the truth. I mean stumble - I honestly didn't see it until the words magically flew out of my mouth. 

Really, it was all my fault. I said this out loud & a wave of calm finally came. 

The kids just wanted Mommy's attention. If I had stopped being pigheaded and acknowledged that this day wasn't going to go as planned the whole day could have been better - for everyone. 

It seems so easy. I had acknowledged it earlier in the day, but I didn't listen even when I was saying it myself. So there it is. Mommy needs to use her listening ears too! 

Well, hello.

You can call me Serendipity. I had a little ol' photo blog once upon a time, but then I got pregnant & then I had baby & then a husband & then another baby...

Somewhere in there I gave up on a photo a day. Eventually I also gave up on the whole working a job outside the home thing too, but that is a different horse's tail. Funnily enough, I miss those photos a day a lot more than the old career. Mayhaps I ought to be getting the old blog back on her feet again, you say? Yeah I'm thinking I will do just that, but first...

Here's the thing. Somebody told me the other day that I inspired her. Me? I don't have a traditional job, I'm not in school, I don't DO anything particularly. So, um, ME?!?? Seriously? 

Well ain't that some shit.

Here I was, feeling sorry for myself, bitching about how my doctor has basically told me that my way of being is causing the severe back pain I've been having. Ya see, I'm short & married to a tall dude but I shouldn't be looking up or reaching over my head. Also I shouldn't be looking down too much, like say at my two toddlers. Also I shouldn't sit on the floor with them. EVER. I was told this was "the kiss of death" for me. Oh and then the yoga I do, specifically the back bends I love, are hurting not healing. 

Ya know, basically black is yellow, the Sun is made of green cheese & everything will be just peachy as long as I look straight ahead, but keep my chin down, and don't make any sudden movements. 

Uh, yeah, ok. Right. 

Did I mention my 2 kids? Big Boy, a strapping 3 year old who is the size of a 5 year old & weighs 50lbs. (no, seriously, he's not tubby just HUGE), and Baby Girl, who'll turn 2 this winter and alternates between worshiping her brother & clinging to Mama like a sock to a fuzzy sweater. They excel at getting me to pick them both up at the same time. Or both riding me like a horse any time I kneal down to tidy up toys, or climbing over furniture to jump on my neck. You get the point. I live in physical toddlerville, where getting headbutted is a sign of affection & sudden movements are needed for both my protection and my children's. 

*sigh* So here I am feeling like I'm stuck & useless.

But... BUT... Now I'm told I am someone's inspiration. What? Why??! She sees me posting updates about going to yoga even when I don't feel like it. 

That's all? 

Yep. No biggie. Except I'm doing it. I'm taking time for me, my health - maybe working on my back. For sure on my stress. (Cuz y'all know, mommyhood is not a Zen occupation) If I manage to restrict the amount of chocolate & wine I consume after the yoga, maybe I'm working on a little weight loss... But what she saw was that I'm doing all those things for ME. 

Which, means long term I do them for my family too. 

And like that - I WAS INSPIRED. 

So here we are. Honestly - I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm trying... Trying to be the best mom, wife & hell, the best ME I can be. I'm trying to heal & be whole. To be kind & loving & spread positive energy & crack a smile.