Around this time last year, my boys and I created what we called our “walls of importance” (looking back, I designed my wall and then helped them figure out what to place on their walls too because I am a control freak).
I’ve seen others refer to these masterpieces as vision boards.
No matter what you call them, the idea is to find quotes, sayings, photos, and anything else that inspires you to remind you what is important in your life. You then cut these inspirations out and paste them on something tangible to display.
I recently completed my 2013 wall of importance and I’m pretty pumped about the finished product.
vision, reality
I decided to hang it next to the piece shown below in my work space. My husband, upon learning what I did, gently informed me that means I’m officially that weird coworker.
Heidi’s happiness mantra
Truth is…I don’t care if others think I’m different. That’s sort of my goal.
When I looked back at my February 2012 wall, I saw I included a picture of “Mom Blogging for Dummies” and had to laugh. I had been blogging for three years at the point I read that book, but I was ready to take the leap and brand myself on my own site.
And I did. Maternalmedia was born that very same month.
Will my vision affect my reality this year? I can’t wait to find out.
I struggle at times to remember what it feels like to step away from the everyday grind and have no set agenda other than to relax and have fun as a family.
It’s been too long since we’ve experienced that feeling. We’re getting ready to re-embrace it at one of our boys’ favorite places, Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City.
We’re rarely at home. Always on the go. Stressing about getting kids to school and ourselves to work on time. Stressing about leaving work on time to rush home. Stressing about meal planning and getting out of the house on time to make it to basketball. Stressing about getting the kids to bed at a decent hour.
Shoot, I’m stressing with guilt right now over the fact our daughter has never experienced a Great Wolf Lodge getaway. And she’s 4.
The boys loved to pretend their bellies were as big as mine when I was pregnant with their baby sister.
We’re lucky that all three of our kids LOVE getting wet. Water slides, lazy rivers, spray stations…you name it…I remember the boys having a blast standing under the 1,000-gallon bucket dump.
You know what’s even better than getting soaked by such an extreme force of water? Watching your 4-year old sister experience that combination of fear and adrenaline rush for the first time.
Lazy boys in the lazy river.
Some of my favorite memories from Great Wolf Lodge have nothing to do with water at all. Each evening, lodge guests are invited to attend a story time in their pajamas in front of the Great Clock Tower within the grand lobby.
The Great Clock Tower has timed lighting and mechanical animals that sing and talk to the audience. Anyone who is my age may recall Showbiz Pizza back in the 80s. This Clock Tower is like Showbiz on steroids, highly entertaining for kids and adults alike.
I’m going to make it my goal to use my iPhone for picture taking and maybe a periodic Facebook status update. One of the best things about vacationing at an indoor water park is that water and electronics don’t mix.
We deserve the uninterrupted time together and each other’s undivided attention.
I’ve read various renditions of blogs written by someone older to someone younger. Some are written by parents to their children, while others are written by adults to their younger selves if only they could go back in time and instill advice to avoid the pitfalls of growing up. All give insightful glimpses into lessons learned.
I mainly blog at night, once my three kids are settled down to bed and my mind is freed up to think.
Tonight, I won’t promise to solve all their problems. I’ll simply offer up these words of wisdom.
To my daughter:
1. I wish for you the kind of love that Rapunzel finds with Eugene Fitzherbert in Tangled. But, even more than that, I wish for you to know the feeling of loving life.
2. Don’t waste a single breath complaining about your body. The boys and friends who only pay attention to you for it, and not your heart and mind, aren’t worth impressing. I know that is so much easier to preach than to practice. Mom needs a reminder herself every now and then.
3. Learn to love your crazy hair. Consider it an outward symbol of all the wild, rebellious ideas you’ve got floating around in that head of yours.
4. If wearing a dress and matching hair bows is what makes you happy, I’ll do my best to help out. Just know that your mom sucks at fashion and has a hard time understanding why people care so much about what covers their bodies. (On a related note: bras are dumb but you must wear one.)
5. Know that I love telling you that you are my favorite daughter and hearing you say that I am your favorite mom. I realize these words will undoubtedly run away during your hormonal years, but I have faith they will inevitably return.
To my sons:
1. Never underestimate the power of prayer…or deodorant.
2. You have no idea how lucky you are to share a bedroom together. I know it causes you much stress and angst now, but there will be a day when you look up and realize that your loud, obnoxious brother isn’t there. And the silence will be deafening.
3. Don’t fall for the girl who tells or shows you why you should like her. You are both smart. The best things in life are those you have to work for, including the attention of a female.
4. Know that you can remain within boundaries while helping to define them. You will face multiple paths in life. Do what feels right with the knowledge that you won’t choose right every time. Don’t be afraid to fail or you may never fully realize how far you can go.
choose your path wisely
5. When you screw up, seek out your father. When you are lauded for your accomplishments, thank your mom. Kidding…I’ve got your back no matter what.
maternalmedia 