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For dinner one night, we had rice bowls or “naked burritos” as our friends call them.  I love this night!  We have them regularly about once a week.  They are easy and so versatile.  This meal is ready start to finish in an hour and is as hands on as you make it (depending on how many add ins you want).  I will usually make brown rice and while the rice cooks I will round up the mix-ins:  a can of black or red kidney beans (any will do), chopped fresh spinach, diced fresh tomatoes (canned works), shredded carrots, olives, canned/frozen corn, steamed mixed vegetables (frozen bagged kind), grilled chicken etc.  Then we top it with whatever each individual person likes:  cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole (my favorite).  This is a great meal to throw together when the refrigerator needs to be restocked and your not going to the grocery store until the next day kind of meal!

So on to the post title.  As I sat down with the kids with my laborious-gourmet meal Riley looks at my rice bowl and asks, “mommy, why do you have so much?”  I’m thinking, well Riley, mommy exercises six hours a day, so I am entitled to be a glutton!

So I answered, that  I was really hungry and took the small reminder to watch my portions!  The next night, I was starving after dinner

Some of my favorite moments as a parent happen so fast that I wonder how often I miss them because I am not paying attention. You know how it is when you are only half listening to your little ones because so many stupid things seem more important at that moment. When really they are by far more important and when you stop and listen it is always so worth it. Case in point:

Riley asking for the 5th or 6th time because I was not listening “Dad why is your car so small?”

Me “Well, why are you so small”

Ri “I’m not small! I’m big for big things!” (not sure where she got this, but true)

Ethan in his raspy sore throat voice  “I’m big for big trucks”

We laughed.

Small moments, big rewards.

One of my favorite things is to cuddle first thing in the morning after I wake up.  I am not one of those who can jump out of bed as soon as I wake up.  I love to lay there and SLOWLY wake up.  This is one of the ways Travis has shown his love for me because he hates just laying there after he wakes up.  One of the great things about Travis’ schedule is that he wakes up around the time the kid’s and I do.  The kids run into our room and we lay there and cuddle until it turns into a wrestling/tickle match.  This is one of my favorite parts of the day!  Since my last post, this is something I can think about and cherish!

Travis has a crazy schedule these days.  He starts work around 10/11am to 8/9pm when he works the day shift at Applebee’s.   When he closes, he will work from 4/5pm to (?) after I go to bed.  I had a really hard time with this at first and still battle my attitude towards it now but God is doing something with my perspective.  We have family time every day.  Whether it be morning at the breakfast table and a wrestling match afterwords, lunch at the park, or dinner time with the usual family/bedtime routine.  The latter is my favorite because I am used to the husband goes to work for the first two-thirds of the day and spends the last third at home with the family.  This is what I grew up with and what I got used to the first eight years of our marriage.  God has another plan right now.  Travis is working different hours than the normal 8-5 day.  Back up, Travis has a job.  Back up another step, God has a plan.  I should be excited and filled with joy that God has a plan but my perspective has been on the negatives.  So negative, I feel like the children of Israel wanting to go back to Egypt, complaining and grumbling, wanting to go backwards.  Once I start complaining and grumbling, I don’t just stop at Travis’ work schedule.  I can keep going looking at the negative in anything and everything.

I don’t want to miss out on the good in my life and the blessings all around me because I am so caught up in the wrong perspective in life.  I started journaling again, really trying to thank God for all that is good in my life.  God is good.  The neat thing about perspective is that I am responsible for my outlook and attitude.  I am able to choose how I respond in every situation.  I will choose to look and think about the good in my life.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”  Philippians 4:8

We went to the Children’s World Museum in Mint Hill and had a great time.  I was really shocked at the collection from around the world and how the kids were able to touch and play with everything!  Yes, touch and play with toys and musical instruments from around the world.  I had a hard time with the idea the entire time but Ethan did great.  He touched, banged on drums and different instruments and made a fish kite with the rest of the kids.  Riley had a blast exploring and playing with her friend Quinn.  After our tour, we had lunch outside and let the kids run and play while the moms got to visit.  What a fun day!