From Chaos Comes Happiness

My mother-in-law cracks me up. Rita. So funny. She just hung up the phone with me by saying, "You know, I'm going to hang up with you because it's getting late and you need to blog. You haven't blogged in a few days, and I'm addicted, so you need to go and blog." How funny is that? She honest to goodness hung up from an amazing and brilliant conversation with me (I know . . . I'm so humble . . . wink wink), so that I could go and blog something amazing and brilliant . Hmmmmm . . . . that's funny. But what happens now that the pressure is on? I mean, here I am, trying to come up with something amazing and brilliant to write about. Hmmmmm. Do you mind if I tell you about an "Ahhhhhh" moment I had today? (SIDE NOTE: Doesn't Oprah have them? Those "Ahhhh" moments? I used to subscribe to her magazine and I think they have a monthly article describing someones "ahhhh" moment. I don't subscribe to "O" any mor...

It's a pretty cool "thing" to be reading a story to your child and find that YOU are learning the lesson from the story. This happened to me tonight, while reading Katie a new book we just received from our September Scholastic Book Club order. The book is called " Wemberly Worried " and if you aren't familar with it, take a look at it here . It is a lovely little story about Wemberly the Mouse, who worries about EVERYTHING - things she can't control, things that don't really matter, big things, little things, EVERYTHING. The story goes on that her newest and biggest worry was starting school. OH. . . the worries that encompass poor Wemberly with that one. "What if no one else has spots? What if no one else wears stripes? What if no one else brings a doll? What if the teacher is mean? What if the room smells bad?" As Wemberly experiences her first moments in the school, she meets Jewel, who wears stripes, brings a doll, and seems to be a ki...

Katie loves to dance. It's in her soul. She hears music, and her body must follow. I absolutely love that. Friday afternoon, she came up to me with such a defeated look in her face. "Mom, we have a problem," she said to me. "What is it, honey?" I asked (praying that it didn't have anything to do with school or telling stories. If you recall, we've been doing alot of work on that in our house.) "Well," she said, "I have no room to dance in my bedroom, Mom. The bed is right in the middle of the room, and I can't dance around it. I had to go into Ella's room to dance right now. Mom, can we PLEASE move my furniture in my room so I can dance?" she asked. "ABSOLUTELY!" I said. So tonight Phil, Katie and I moved everything around in her bedroom so that she had enough space in the middle of the room - to dance. Of course, we had to position her mirror so that she could see herself dance. (I mean, what fun is it if you ...

Tomorrow I am going to re-energize my creative side, re-connect with my soul, and scrapbook with some dear inspiring friends. I'm sooooo looking forward to this day. I haven't had a creative day for months now, and think that the lack of creative work has turned me slightly insane (and may have more to do with my chaotic state than I realize.) There are a million things I should be doing tomorrow (laundry, cleaning my kitchen counter, organizing the girls closets for fall, baking for a party on Sunday we have to go to, did I mention laundry?). And, as you can see, none of them include scrapbooking. However, I need it. BAD. Scrapbooking became an outlet for my creative side years ago. And it has continued to fill that void since then. One of the last times we met to scrapbook, I got myself into a little bit of trouble. It was back in April, I believe. We gathered early on a Saturday morning (just like this time), and I couldn't wait! I was driving down Route 30, heading ...

I'm feeling very blessed these days. Blessed to have a HUGE support system to help me when I'm feeling ragged and worn and tired. This motherhood thing sure isn't easy. I am often in awe of those women who make it look so darn easy. You know the kind; the women who always look perfect without a hair out of place, who have produced a large quantity of children who look equally as perfect, the women who seem to volunteer for everything and actually complete their tasks, have home cooked meals on the stove every night, and all the laudry caught up . . . all while working a full-time job. Then . . . there is me. I work only 20 hours a week. I have only two children (and have an army of help with them). I have a lovely lady come to my house every other week to clean it (and I'm telling you - I will continue to work - if only to continue paying for this service, I swear!). I have a husband who really is a hands-on father and helps as much as he possibly can. And yet I manage ...

Last month we took a little weekend jaunt to Wisconsin where we had lots and lots of family fun. While our adventure included a great day at the State Fair, we followed it with an equally great day at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Did you know that you can actually FEED THE BIRDS at the Milwaukee County Zoo ? Seriously! It was probably the most fun I have ever had at a Zoo. At first, I screamed like a nutball (those of you who really know me know that I am not that much of an animal person . . . I mean, please don't go all "PETA" on me . . . I do not own fur and do not intentionally run o ver squirrels when they cross in front of my car on the road. However, accidents do happen!!! I'm kidding!!!! . . . sort of . . . .) But, being caged in with the birds at the zoo was absolutely and completely. . . FANTASTIC!!!! I screamed when the first one landed on m y stick (and got a few laughs from other folks in the cage). But I quickly got the hang of it and soon was a regular...

So, I have to tell you about a quick conversation I had with Ella. It still cracks me up just thinking about it. Yesterday we were driving on Route 30 and at a point on the road where a great deal of construction was underway. Ella was having a great time looking out the window pointing out all the mounds of dirt and rubble along side of the road. We were at a particular spot that had a lot of construction equipment, and one large backhoe piece was right next to us. Our conversation went like this: Ella: Mommy, what is THAT ? Me: I'm not sure, honey. I can't remember what it is called. Ella: What is it, Mommy? Me: Honey, I can't recall. I wish Daddy was here. He would know. Ella: But what is it , Mommy? Me: Ummm, I just don't know, honey. We'll ask Daddy. Daddy is very SMART . He will know. Ella: NOOOOOoooooo, MOMMY!!!! DON'T CALL DADDY SMART. HE'S NICE GUY. DON'T CALL DADDY SMART, MOMMYYY, HE NICE, MOMMMMMYYYY!!!! Me: (laugh . . . . . hysterica...

I'm in the mood for FALL !! My neighbors all laugh at me because usually by the end of September I'm packing away all the outdoor summer toys and getting ready to hibernate for the winter. They'll usually yell out, "See you in April, Leanne!" as I'm cutting down hostas and lillies around our house. Yes, I'm a fall/winter child, and am about to embark on my favorite time of year. With that, I did a little cosmetic update of the ol'Blog. Ask my sister - I'm forever moving furniture and painting walls in my house. Changing the look of this blog from time to time is just part of ME and who I am. So, I'm playing around with a new "fall" look. I hope you enjoy it. I want to get a photo of the girls back in the top title bar, but think I'll have to wait until the leaves start changing and get one of them in true "fall" fashion (in those sweaters I wrote about the other day). I'm still fighting my cold. I called the Doctor...

I have a cold. Yep. It's here. I've been in denial and can no longer ignore it. I feel icky. Don't you hate them . . . the end of summer cold? I believe the blog Gods did not like my post yesterday about summer fading, and decided to kick me with a cold just before all was said and done. Well, it's here. Augh. We've been passing these little cold germs from person to person in this house since school started (darn . . . those dreaded school germs already. Gees, they make me mad.) Katie started with it, then Ellie, then Phil and now me. Yuck. Here I am, 3:23AM, and I can't sleep. The mucinex has worn out, the nighttime cold medicine did nothing to help these tired eyes sleep, I'm tired of playing facebook games and I'm unmotivated to do much of anything else. Ever have one of those nights when you really want to sleep . . . you know it is good for you and your body needs it . . . but you can't find it? Mr. Sandman has gone to another house. And left m...

I sat in the backyard looking at these beautiful sunflowers and had to grab the camera to try and capture the moment . . . right now. Just beautiful . . . the way they dance in the wind and reach out to the sun. Today the sunflowers have reached their maximum height in the yard - which has well surpassed the 6' fence. These sunflowers were a gift from the Easter Bunny (via Auntie). They came as seeds in a tiny itty bitty terra cotta pot that the girls planted and watered and grew. As the plants sprouted, Phil moved them to the ground in the garden, where they flourished this summer. They have brought such joy to us and lovely meals to the birds who visited them regularly. But soon, they will close their eyes for the season. Because soon things will be change. Change is hard for a lot of people. Not me. Change is good. Soon the petals will fall off of these flowers. Soon the wind will pick up and leaves will start falling from the trees. Soon the flowers will be cut down and the gra...

I had the most interesting cab ride from the Renaissance Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island, to the airport yesterday. My cab driver was a young man named Arthur, from Malawi, Africa. The 25 minute ride to the airport turned out to be one of the best parts of my trip. . . . I was in Rhode Island for a short work conference and was really looking forward to returning home on Tuesday. Even though I was gone a short time, I think I was desperately looking to connect with someone and talk (I didn't have any coworkers with me on this trip, so conversation was at a minimum). When I sat in the cab and told the driver I needed to be brought to the Providence Airport, I was greeted with a warm smile that seemed to invite conversation (that was all I needed!) This ride to the airport contained a discussion about school, education, traveling the world, multi-cultures, humor, home, and the realization that we are all HUMAN . We may be different, but we are all very much the same . . . we all p...

Last night I had the privilege of attending the U2 Concert at Soldier Field in down town Chicago. I say "I had the privilege" because when you are in the presence of such an amazing group of musicians/artists/poets/humanitarians (i.e., U2), whose wish is to send hope and peace out there, and who is giving back to its fans with a performance that actually brings you to tears, it is a privilege. I've always been a fan of U2 (Phil even more so), and we are so lucky that we have seen them a couple times before. Each time, they make me feel as if they are performing for ME (I swear Bono looked directly at me. . . even though I was a thousand feet away from him and there were probably 65,000 other people there.) Tonight, it was just he and I . . . seriously. And it was there, in the middle of the show, that I had an epiphany. It all was clear. During an acoustic version of "Stuck in a Moment." If you don't know the song, listen to part of it here. If you do know ...

I still haven't really figured out my concept for this blog . . . is it a "Mom" blog talking about Mom issues? a "Womens" blog dealing with the trials of being a girl? Is it an "Inspirational" blog, a "Funny Story" blog, a "Perimenopausal" blog? I just don't know (maybe you can tell me what it is to YOU, and I'll go from there!) Anyway, once in a very long while (during the course of being a Mom) I come up with what I call a "Good Mom Idea" . You know those - one of those things that you come up with and afterwards think, "Now, THAT was good idea! I'm a GOOD MOM for coming up with that one!" I don't have them often (they usual require a good night sleep and some originality, which I am often lacking in this chaotic life of mine). But I LOVE when they surface. Today I was cleaning up the girls toys and I came across a " Good Mom Idea" I had a couple of years ago. I immediately though...

09.11.2001 God Bless America and those who were taken so suddenly. And those who continue to protect us each and every day. We thank you. (photo taken by Phil during a trip to Ground Zero in 2005)

Tonight I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, as Phil checked his email on the computer downstairs, and both girls were up in Katie's room - dancing and jumping around to music they had blarring on the radio. I found myself stirring Sloppy Joes to the sound of (gulp) . . . Hannah Montana . . . and it made me really really happy. Yes, Hannah Montana:The Movie soundtrack, to be exact. Me, 38 year old well-rounded music lover, bee-bopping to this little pop star music that my girls LOVE. And I stopped for a minute and chuckled, because this CD, this soundtrack, is honestly The Soundtrack to My Life (right now). Now, let me tell you - this is probably not something I would share with everyone (ok, wait a minute . . . "Then why are you writing about this here?" you ask? Because this, here, is ok. It's therapy. I digress.) The truth of the matter is that I absolutely and totally LOVE this CD. Seriously. Most of the "Hannah" songs are ok (typical pop song), but st...

So, I have to tell you about a truly exhilarating moment in my week. Last night . . . I, Leanne, recent blog writer of Perimenopause and out-of-shapeness . . . rode my bicycle! Yes, it's true. Those reports you heard on the news of the crazy woman riding her bike, after all these years, were true!!!! And it was me. And it was . . . AWESOME !!! I needed that. Right about now in my life, I needed that feeling of complete and utter bliss. And I found it when my daughter, Katie (who recently has been the subject of many posts here), asked me if I would ride my bike around the block with her. What could I say? Well, I could have said, "No, honey. Mommy is just way too out of shape and hasn't ridden her bike in a few years and doesn't even think she could get around the block." But instead, I paused . . . thought about it . . . and said, "Ok." And that was it. The look on her face alone made it worth it. She was so excited when that I said yes, that she ran ...

There sure has been a lot of hoopla about what you have to say (or what you don't say) in the news. But I don't listen to the news. I read your words and listen to my heart. Yours is not an easy job. I would not be able to do it. I'm glad that you are trying. I believe in this country. I believe we need to stand TOGETHER. Not apart. It is not easy. We all have problems and opinions and anger and unfair examples to bring up. The world is a rough place. Yet I would rather be one who finds solutions, not problems. And in between all the bad . . . there is good. I believe that. Yes, yours is not an easy job. You are already aging. The worries and responsibilities on your shoulders are much more than I could even begin to imagine. But I thank you for stepping up and giving it a try. I support you. Because you are the President of these fine UNITED States. Sincerely, Me - This letter to the President was written after a political discussion around the dinner table while celebrat...

What a week. What an insane week. A week that I am glad to put behind me. A week that I have learned so much. Cried a lot. Laughed a little. And grown. As a Mom. As a person. What a week. I thought, very certainly , that I was not going to blog about this week, because I didn't think I would find humor in it - just yet. Here I am, Saturday morning, beginning to feel a little lighter about it -and realizing that I don't think I will be able to blog about anything ELSE, until I share this one with my therapist (my blog). I think the creative writing side of my brain is being stalled by this story, and it needs to come out. So, here goes. Week #2 of Katie at school. Actually . . . day #6 ( to be even more specific.) Phil was home on Wednesday (thank goodness) and I was at work. My phone rang at my desk and I picked it up to hear Phil say, "Honey, I just hung up the phone after the most upsetting conversation with the Principal at Katie's school." Without even real...

Ok, I'm going to post about an experience that is quite personal, but what the heck - I think I threw out the privacy factor when I posted last week about perimenopause - so why stop there, right? My subject for today is something that, maybe, a few more of you might understand. Well, maybe. . . You see, today I am on the defense against . . . SPANX . Seriously. Spanx. I believe that Spanx is the anti-christ. I'm pretty sure of it. And I'm a little offended that someone suggested I try them. That someone? A sweet, full-figured sales person at my favorite Lane Bryant store. Ok - I've made some strong statements here . . . so I better start backing them up, don't you think? So the other day I had an opportunity to stop at Lane Bryant (hereby affectionately referred to as LB). I have a gift card from my sister that I haven't used yet, and thought I would stop in and see if I could find anything I can wear for an upcoming business trip. I found a few pairs of pants...