What Do You Like Best About Yourself?

“What do you like best about yourself?”  That’s the question I asked both my girls last night, as I was snuggling them in their beds. 

Lizzy, age 6, giggled.  “What do you mean?”  

“Do you like your laugh, your smile, your eyes?” I said to her as I made big eyes at her.  She giggled more.  She has a great giggle. She then said she would have to think about it. 

I moved to Bug’s room. Bug, age 8, is such a sweet child.  Precious and full of energy, which provides for an interesting personality.  

“Bug, what do you like best about yourself?” She immediately responded, “my BIG heart for loving you”. Oh that child. 

Back to Lizzy, “ok, I need your answer, what do you like best?”  She laughed again and she said, “I like everything about myself!” Oh to be 6. 

The Glory Parenting Years

Sometimes I feel like I am in the glory years of parenting. Seems like each day is perfect and then we have another and it’s perfect, too. Sure there are plenty of not so great a days but those a very few compared to the good.

At our last check up at the pediatrician office, she told me to enjoy every minute, that these were the years that I would think about for the next 30 years.

I believe it.

#parentingisnot4sissys

Slow Motion Day

Today has been one of those days I wish I could play again over and over in my head. A day that you need to think about in rainy, good for nothing days. A day where you are not sure how you got the privilege to be a parent to such sweet children. A perfect day.

I remember many of these days growing up. Most of them were camping. All of them involved being outside and enjoying nature. All because I had a parent who decided that we came first, always. I remember a few, specifically, days spent tubing in the smokies, playing Phase 10 when it was raining while camping, watching a Christmas play where Truman Captoe’s “a Christmas Story” was the highlight, and this last beach trip with my sisters. I think you are lucky if you get a few slow motion days in your lifetime. I feel very blessed.

Our day stared at the pool, breakfast after swimming. Followed up by the Chattanooga Aquarium and more swimming. It wasn’t Disney but it really couldn’t have been any more perfect.

The Hidden Waterfall

It’s gross out today. Rain, storms, lightening, thunder, flash floods. You get the idea. But there’ a hidden waterfall somewhere. Let me explain.

I started loading up my car this morning with all the stuff that is required on a Monday: daycare bag with cot sheets, two sippy cups, breakfast for the Littles, kindergarten backpack, school lunch box, umbrellas, etc. It was raining like crazy and I began the process of grabbing rain jackets and umbrellas and it reminded me of the hidden waterfall a few years ago I a hike to Mt. LeConte with my Dad and life-long friends.

The forecast that day wasn’t great for hiking, rain and storms with possible hail. Not only was it not a great day for a hike but it could be a little dangerous. But hiking up to the top of Mt. LeConte is once a year and the risk was low of bad weather in the summer season.

The hike wasn’t too bad until lunch time, we dined (ha!) at our favorite lunch spot, quickly, because that’s when it started to rain and hail. The entire rest of the hike was difficult – enduring rain and hail, but Dad and I made it. The best part of the hike, seeing the most wonderful, magical waterfall to the right of the trail that only appears (I know this because I’ve hiked this trail many times) when it’s pouring the rain – it looked like something out of one of the Lord of the Rings movie. We could have turned around that day at lunch time and said we’d never make it in the rain or we could have decided to not start the trail due to the weather – but we did neither. We made it, we hiked it and we found a waterfall in the midst of the rain.

Her Best Day Ever

Yesterday Bug told me it was her best day ever. I asked her why and her response was priceless. She said because my Aunt Dani stopped by to see me. Her response was funny because she had a BIG day, monkey joes, Starbucks, going shopping to find a flower girl dress, hanging out with her Papaw for a few hours as if she was an only grandchild again and a nice quiet dinner out with the soon to be bride of the wedding who prompted the flower girl dress. It was a BIG day. What made her day was most likely an impulse decision for her Aunt to stop by Monkey Joes and say hi.

This is the same Aunt for almost 5 years has been shunned and on purpose avoided by this little soul I call Bug for some unknown reason to all.

It is amazing how the actions of an adult can make the day “the best ever”. Oh let me please remember this sweet life lesson.

Celebrating the Mundane

Friday nights growing up were always celebrated. We went out to eat, or to a ballgame. Our Friday nights are pretty mundane, but last night I decided to have an indoor picnic to make it festive. Being routine and rule followers we always eat at the kitchen table. Last night was fun, for all of the 10 minutes it took us to eat our supper. Here’s to finding ways to celebrate the Mundane.

Which pair for which girl?

Oh dear, I have turned into that parent. The one the dresses their children alike all the time. Funny how parenting will make you eat your words. Now guess which pair is for the little one and which is for the big one… Only two sizes difference between the girls’ shoes.

Lizzie Lou’s 1st Camping Trip

This weekend we took the girls camping. It was epic.

Question : Are you a camper?

Stuff in My Office – Part 1

A few days ago, I took a few pictures of the “stuff” in my office. Thought about this after stating, on Twitter, that I needed an office make over….which I still do, but thought I’d still share something in my office, why they are here and what they mean to me.

This picture is of what is directly above my two computer monitor, it’s only a glance away &  shows (starting at the top left hand corner):

•  a picture of my friend Naomi and her son Erik at my favorite place on earth, Mt. LeConte. They are standing way to close to end edge at Cliff Tops (on LeConte where you can watch the sunset), which is a joke between Naomi and me.  The only time I’ve ever been mad at Naomi was when she got too close to the end at Cliff Tops.
• right below the picture of Cliff Tops are two pictures of Bug, taken by Angela Crutcher, she’s the most amazing photographer I’ve met and I could spend every single dime I have on pictures that she takes of my girls.
• below the two of my Bug is a picture of Godzilla at Mt. LeConte (seeing a trend here, maybe?).  It’s hanging off the kitchen hall door, where the crew can see it….reminds me to remember there can be fun in all work.
• then there’s a 12 month calendar – I plan everything

• to the right, you’ll see a map – it’s to the Women’s Half Marathon that I’m running (I back spaced 3 times to put run / walk, then stopped myself, I’m RUNNING IT) on September 24
• to the right of the map is a picture of Roan Mountain State Park, of the blooming Rhododendron Gardens on the top of the Roan.
• Below the running map and the picture of Roan Mountain State Park are three things that Bug gave me (Lizzy Lou hasn’t started drawing yet, or I’d have some of her art work)
• The butterfly says, “She makes a sandwich for me” – this was part of a “thankfulness” project they did during Mother’s Day week at her preschool
• The Butterfly she made at school and reminds me of this precious butterfly song she sings
• The “Happy Mother’s Day” paper flowers, well was for Mother’s Day.

This is a part 1 of who knows how many post series.  But this got me thinking, what’s in your office?  If there’s something cool, leave me a comment or blog it and send me the link, I’d love to see it.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read my blog.

Hugs,

Donita

My Favorite on Earth

My favorite place on earth is Mt. LeConte in the Smokies.

Not sure why this place has such a special place in my heart, but it does and I can’t wait to take my girls there.  But until they are old enough to hike up to the top of the mountain, it will just be a place for me and Super and the rest of the crazy Mt. LeConte hikers.

The first year my Dad got reservations I was in working a demanding full-time job and going to school at night at Belmont, working towards completion of my MBA.  I was taking a horribly tough class with a teacher who was equally horrible (by the way, this was the only teacher that I would say was horrible at Belmont).  Dad got reservations, but the teacher wouldn’t let me take an exam I’d miss in class that day early, so I didn’t get to go….one of my very few regrets in life, if I could do this all over again, I’d say, “screw it, it’s just a grade, let’s go hike!”.  But I didn’t, I went to class and took the exam, while my sister and Dad hiked up.

This will be my 8th trip up (I think….), didn’t make it last year, but the year before I made it up 3 times (May, July and October).  In October, several of us hiked up Trillium to the top.  It was a great trail, even though my Dad dropped me and the rest of the hikers off 1.5 miles off before the trail head.  Having not hiked up this trail before, we were sure exactly where the trail started.  The best part of the story is the voice mail that my Dad left me, that I didn’t get until I got to the top of the mountain.  The message went something like this, “Hi Donita, this is your Dad (***he always identifies his self on the phone, by now I think I know who he is***), we dropped you guys off a little early, maybe 1.5 miles early, ok, well, um, ya’ll just keep hiking and we’ll see you at the top. Love you.”.  KEEP HIKING!  Really?  What other choice did we have?  I love that story.  Yes, we were going to keep hiking and did, of course we did.

I also turned 30 on this mountain. I hiked up 29 and the next day I turned 30. Great times.

Here’s a few pictures of Mt. LeConte.  This is one of the very few times a year that I can get Super to hike with me.

I like how the sunset looks on top, but don’t tell any of those hiking up I said that, because I almost refuse to go watch the sunset because the viewing point, Cliff Tops, makes me so nervous….shear drop off!

This is the trail that we’re taking up this trip (tomorrow) is Alum Cave Bluffs Trail.  It’s not my favorite, but it’s the quickest coming down, which is important to us.  My favorite trail is the Boulevard Trial.  One day, I’ll hike up the Boulevard with my girls for Mother’s Day and we’ll eat lunch at the lodge and then hike down Alum. This of course when everyone is old enough to hike up to the top on their own, go to the bathroom by their selves and when every one is sleeping through the night!

This trial (Alum Cave) is ok, especially when you’ve traveled it as much as we have AND you have the super cool map, found here.