I’ve been complaining a lot lately and I want to stop for a moment and acknowledge the things in my life that are making me happy. This is not to discount the very real annoyances that pop up in my life. But I also know that whatever we focus on, we see more of. And quite frankly, I don’t want to see more things that piss me off.
Plus, I don’t want you to think I’m a horrible person who complains all the time. I am not a fan of negative people and though I want to keep things real and authentic, there are lots of real, authentic wonderful things going on in my life right now, too.
So, without much more rambling, (who am I lately?), here are some things that are making my cold, dark heart smile:
- Sasquatch (1) and his Lindt chocolate truffle stealing. Or really, any chocolate. He loves it. Knows where to find it. And honestly, it amuses me so much I have not bothered moving the chocolate to a higher location. It’s super cute.
Sasquatch caught red-handed!
- Sasquatch LOVES babies. It’s adorable. I keep trying to tell him that he can’t get any ideas because we’re not having any more babies, but it makes me SO happy to see how curious he is about babies. He LOVES babies.
Sasquatch loves this Care Bear baby. I originally thought he liked her because she looked like a stuffed animal. Turns out, he just loves babies.
Sasquatch is super into babies. Too bad the shops’s closed.
- Also, Sasquatch has an entire ritual before bed. He shakes his head. Points to his nose. Claps his hands. Signs for water. (He thinks the sign for “more” is the sign for “water.” It’s funny.) Plays “Peekaboo!” He tries everything in his arsenal of cuteness to stall and prevent bedtime. Then he sits on my face.
Sasquatch sitting on my face because he’s a jerk.
Bonus picture of Sasquatch giving the side eye to someone. Cracks me up.
Sasquatch giving the best side eye.
- Glow Worm (4) has all of a sudden taken a renewed interest in me. He has ignored me wholesale for the last year or so but NOW, he wants me again! He will cuddle with me on the couch or sneak into my bed in the morning to snuggle. I did not realize how much I missed him until he came back to me. He even likes to lace his fingers with my fingers. It makes me so happy. He’s so cozy.
Glow Worm holding my hand. *swoon*
- Also, I need to find a Kpop boy band camp for Glow Worm. This boy LOVES to dance to Kpop and show off his moves. It’s hilarious. He’s so serious about his art. He really reminds me of Erykah Badu when she says at the beginning of Tyrone, “I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit.”
[clickToTweet tweet=”Whatever we focus on, we see more of. #focus #intentions” quote=”Whatever we focus on, we see more of. ” theme=”style1″] - Every single day, Glow Worm ask me if it’s time to go to his favorite preschool teacher’s house. Every. Day. He has asked me right after bathtime if he’s going to his teacher’s house and when I tell him, “No” he throws a tantrum. It’s annoying but also, very sweet. When I see all the pictures his teacher posts, it makes me feel all warm and squishy inside.I am so grateful three of my children (and hopefully, all four of them) have had the chance to have so much fun, care, and love heaped upon them at this school.
- Gamera (6) has been much easier to deal with ever since I started seeing her. Imagine that! It has been a much needed reprieve and gives me hope.
- The other night, Gamera was throwing a tantrum about I forget what when finally, I decided to tease her into a better mood. I pretended she was my mommy and then called her MY mommy. “Mommy, can you help me wipe my butt?” Regardless of what I ask her, she thinks it’s so funny to say, “No” to me. Then, she calls me “Mommy.” I like this game.
- Additionally, I have been really proud of Gamera. Despite being really anxious about new situations or being nervous about asking teachers for help or being in recitals, she has been brave. She will choose to ask questions even when she feels stupid, try things even when she feels afraid, and in general, push through her fears after giving voice to them.After one particularly scary class at kungfu, I praised her endlessly and she seemed to glow from within and puff up two sizes. I was so proud that my eyes might have actually leaked tears.
Gamera showing off her new dress up skills.
Gamera showing off her new “hair.”
- Cookie Monster (8) makes me so happy. He is the most helpful of all my children – mostly because he is older than them all. But even so, I think he is a little bit more helpful than other kids. He’s asked to learn how to wash dishes, load the dishwasher, unload the dishwasher, is a fantastic big brother, and does most things without much complaint. He makes my life so much easier and I worry that I’m taking advantage of him.
- Yet despite him being 8, (8!!!), Cookie Monster still wants to snuggle with me. I don’t know how much longer this will last (he already refuses kisses).
Cookie Monster is sad because he’s scared about getting stitches. (Yes, we were at the ER again.)
- Every week, Cookie Monster watches NCIS with me and despite watching it his entire life, every time we get to the part of the episode where we find a dead body, he asks me the following questions:”Why did that person die? How did it happen? Who killed them?”To which I always reply, “That’s why we’re watching; to find out.”It never fails. It’s like clockwork. It cracks me up every time.
As much as it is temporarily satisfying to complain and kvetch about things that annoy me, I think I far prefer focusing on what brought me happiness.
Here’s a bonus pic of all the kids running around in the wild. (Ok, not really the wild.)
I really have a lot of children.
What has been making YOU happy lately? Let me know in the comments.
