Day 5: Breathing Room

When I was working outside the home full time, I felt like I never got a moment to myself. Eight hours a day of work, plus four hours a day of feeding-dressing-entertaining, plus at least an hour attempting to work on my freelance projects, including this blog, doesn’t leave much time in the day. While I freely admit that I love being busy, there is something to be said for the quiet, quiet time I get twice a week after the boys leave for the day.

I am still working on getting my schedule figured out – after all I still have to be productive. Staying at home is not a vacation, to be sure. But for now I am going to relish having these moments to just stop.

Day 4: Musicality

I was in choir growing up, and my husband was in band (later moving on to turntables). So it’s not that much of a surprise that R has gravitated toward musical instruments wherever they pop up. He’s a booty shaker too, and insists that I must dance if he is playing at his keyboard. Someone needs to dance, after all, and he hasn’t quite figured out the technique of grooving while pounding on the keys.

Singing in the car is a staple, and I’m trying to remember to play music more often around the house. Just having that beat underneath seems to calm all of us, and makes for a more cheerful day. I’ve yet to meet an angry toe-tapper.

For Christmas I picked up a recorder for the boy. I bet there will be plenty of times I regret it, but that kid really loves to go make music. Rock star is right up there in career goals, between fireman, superhero, and cooker man. I think I’m good with any of those.

Day 3: Generations

I don’t get to see my grandpa much, but this past spring we were in town for my friend’s wedding, and I made sure to make time to have my grandpaand son meet for the first time. It took a little bit for R to warm up to him, as it does with everyone he meets, but soon they had connected, and there they were. Sitting together just as my grandpa and I did when I was the same age. I regret not snapping more photos.

I don’t know when we’ll be able to be in the same place again, but R still talks about that visit and the small lights they played with (my grandpa does beadwork). That will keep me warm through the rest of the month.

Day 2: Curious Friends

That isn’t a great photo up there in terms of things like focus and light, but I like it anyway. It’s from a sausage party I went to last month. As in, sausage making. There weren’t any sausages of that kind in attendance. Only one of us had made sausage before, but that wasn’t really an issue. We wanted to learn how to do it, so we did it. We forged ahead with our mistakes, jokes cracking the entire time.

That same spirit was present in a canning party I went to earlier in the year, and again during the tamale party I hosted on Black Friday. Sure, we’re all women, but we aren’t into DIY because of that. We’re into it because making food and learning new things is awesome.

Last month was National Blog Posting Month, wherein you post to your blog every single day, but considering I participated in National Novel Writing Month (also November) for the last nine years I took a break from doing a month of anything each day. I mean, aside from eating. Because I like food.

But I couldn’t pass up this month. Jote, who creates the lovely blog Bless Her Heart began 30 Days With a Grateful Heart in 2009 as a way to end the year focusing on the wonderful things in life instead of the stresses of the season. Considering so much has changed in my life this year, I knew I had to join in.

Day 1: This One

It would be hard for me to come up with a list that didn’t include my son. His giggles are infectious, he gives the absolute best hugs, and he reminds me to slow down. I adore sharing the world with him, even when he isn’t grateful in return for the homemade dinners or afternoons spent completing projects. I’m so lucky to have my time with him.