Day 222 or Wordless Wednesday -- Easter

Sorry guys, I can't resist! I'm not sure that these qualify as smiles but they definitely are cute! Be sure and join the great gals over at 5 Minutes for Mom for the Wordless Wednesday fun! :-)

Day 217 or Good Friday

I wish everyone a healthy, happy holiday weekend. To my friends celebrating Passover, I say Shalom. And to my Christian friends, I say Happy Easter. And to my many other friends celebrating Spring, I wish you joy and peace. Happiness to all and God Bless.

I will see you on the other side!
:-)

Day 216 or April's Fool

Okay. I am still recovering from my blogging injury but I couldn't let the first day of April pass without acknowledgment. I love, Love, LOVE Spring. It is my favorite time of the year. Here in Austin, we are having a glorious spell of weather. While I wish I could enjoy it pain-free, I am committed to enjoying it.

So if it's lovely where you are, go revel in it for me. :-)

Also, today is the last day of my giveaway. Now in retrospect, April Fool's Day was probably NOT the best day to complete a giveaway. But it is no joke -- I have a great giveaway. In fact, I would say FABULOUS giveaway. It is a Little Tikes Turtle Sandbox. I wish I could enter myself. But alas, I can't enter my OWN giveaway, but you can. You have through tonight if you haven't entered. Please click here to check it out.

So since I am still nursing my shoulder, I thought I would share a little April Fool's History. I found this at Wilstar.com. I thought it was interesting.

Unlike most of the other nonfoolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day,
sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a
"first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it
sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from
celebrations involving the first day of spring.

The closest point in
time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in
France. Prior to that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days,
beginning on March 25. The celebration culminated on April 1. With the reform of
the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New
Year's Day was moved to January 1.

http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm

Day 120 or Christmas!!!!

Anticipation....



A princess in her element

Even the stocking stuffers are cool

Wow!

A blessed and merry Christmas to all!

Secret Santa!!!!!

Wow! Do I have a wonderful Secret Santa!!!!!

The picture doesn't do it justice. In my big package, I found two really cool mugs with the classic insignias of two tea merchants, three bottles of flavored syrups (YUM!!!!!!), a box of Raspberry tea, and a Starbucks card (yes! she obviously got the I love coffee and tea hints in my questionnaire!).

I also received a fabulous purse and a really cool item I had never seen before. The tube you see on the right is a lotion to use after cooking to remove lingering odors. Too cool!

Here they are:


So to the very cool Secret Santa from Duluth a great big Texas-size thank you. You brought a smile to my face and helped me get my joy back! Merry Christmas!

Day 118 or How Traci Got Her Joy Back

Wow! I was gone a long time. I just needed a little space after a roller coaster week. Last week truly represented very high highs and very low lows. Thank you to all of you who shared in both of those extremes. I am moved by the love that I received. But as Robbie Nevil sang (way too many years ago!) "C'est la Vie" or that is life. Whether I like it or not, the lows are as much a part of life as the highs.

So yesterday, I started seeing again and by seeing I mean, opening the eyes of my heart. I saw a man whose coat was torn and open to the lining. My jacket is whole, warm, and pretty cute. I saw two young mothers (not unlike myself) standing on a corner asking for help. I went home to a small but cozy, happy apartment with a full fridge and two happy kids. I saw a retail worker in a store quietly cry as she hung up merchandise. She seemed as if she had not a friend in the world. Since I started blogging, I have made friends all over the world. So much like my money moping a couple of weeks ago, I saw that I had so much more high than low. I thanked God for the time we still have with my FIL and the hope we have received there and I thanked God that Tuna Boy was is no pain and had provided so many years of happiness and companionship. And then I said a prayer for those who did not have what I have.

Finally, my son, along with his precious sister, helped me find those joy colored glasses. (I've put a clapper on them so I don't lose them again!) We went to see lights around the hill country and I listened as my children ooooohed and aaaaahed. And I laughed as they obliterated the lyrics of every Christmas Carol. And I thought, "yeah, life is pretty good".

So thank you for indulging me. But I'm back (I know you were all waiting with baited breath). Stayed tuned... I just got my Secret Santa gift last night. Yay! That post to follow shortly and I have an award to give plus I have an announcement. So to those of you who are still coming after my four day hiatus... More is to come!

Day 112 or Joy Colored Glasses

Today was my son's first last day of school before Christmas Holiday and what a day it was!

First, he got to wear his pajamas to school. Even here in Texas (or maybe because of it) kids are fascinated with the idea of being "snowed in" so the kindergarten had a snowed in party. They were allowed to bring a cuddly and a book. They watched movies and read books. All the while dressed in their favorite night clothes.

Better than that, however, was the party. It was winter carnival style set up in the cafeteria. Bean bags became snow balls. Shoe boxes were ice skates. And in the magic of a six year old's world, marshmallows become perfect snowmen. To see my little man amongst 120 other kindergartners going red-faced singing "Jingle Bells" at the top of his lungs, laughing as he wiped out, and all around being six and happy was the most joy-inducing experience.

I have heard it said that Christmas is for children. That may be so. But if it is so, I think that it is only to remind us to see the beauty and miracle of the holiday through the eyes of a child. In the book, The Wizard of Oz, the people of Oz wear green lensed glasses. They are told that they have to wear them to avoid being blinded by the glare of emerald city. Of course, the reality is that the reason the city looks green is because they are wearing the glasses. Well, if the man behind the curtain is giving out emerald-colored glasses my son is giving out joy-colored glasses and I am wearing them. Yep. I'm wearing the glasses of a six year old and I am loving it. Try a pair yourself. I highly recommend it.

Day 111 or Wordless Wednesday

The magic of Christmas. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Thanks again to http://www.5minutesformom.com/ for hosting Wordless Wednesday.

Day Ninety - Nine or Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Day 99? Is it possible that I am about to turn the corner of 100 days??? Wow!

Well, miracles never cease. Especially Christmas miracles. Yesterday, we were at my parents' house in Houston and it snowed. Really, it snowed. Now there wasn't enough for my kids to play in but enough to make the day seem like something very, very special. As we prepared to decorate our tree, the falling white fluff drew my children's focus from the television to the window (a miracle in itself!) While the snow stopped before the evening, we were feeling cheered.

I was feeling cheered. Yesterday, I crunched the numbers for the month of December and honestly, it wasn't pretty. I would love for you to believe that at 38, I have a healthy savings account and a solid budget but that would be such a big lie that Santa would not come to our house for years to come. My family and I have had a rough couple of years and we are a paycheck to paycheck family. And my budget got slammed by our car. Oh, the car!!! Stop, Traci. Count your blessings. Okay. I am blessed that we own a car. I am blessed that I had the money to fix the car. But that money. Well, it was Christmas money. So I started out the day a little bummed.

Now I know that Christmas is soooooo much more than monetary things but let's be honest, as parents, there is a joy in showering a children with gifts. I just love to give gifts to everyone, not just my kids. And I was already prepared to be creative. And frugal. But frugal just became miser. So I was a little bummed. Okay, more than a little bummed.

But then the snow fell. And that was miraculous. And I was reminded of the true Christmas miracle. And I realized that I am surrounded by miracles every day. So I was cheered. (Read: I got over myself -- I am not hungry. My children are healthy, dressed, and safe from the elements. I love and I am loved. I have more than millions hope for, so yes, I got over myself!)

So we decorated the tree and shared hot chocolate and sang Christmas Carols. And I counted my blessings and my miracles. Whatever is around the tree, whatever comes down the chimney, whatever is, and whatever will be, I am blessed.

Day Ninety Four

Wow! I've been away a couple of days. Got pretty busy in the real world. I also was trying to catch up with my fellow bloggers. I got so engrossed in reading last night that I completely lost track of time. My blog reading list is becoming like the stack of books overwhelming my bedside table. I can't help it. I always do things in overload. But so many bloggers have such compelling stories. Some of you are funny (REALLY funny!), some of you share your losses and your triumphs, and some of you challenge me to live better, treat the world better. All of you inspire me in some way.

So now the holidays begin. I know that I am not alone in saying that this truly is my favorite time of the year. It has little to do with the gifts. It has a lot to do with the spirit of the season -- whether we live up to it or not. I love what the holiday season means -- unconditional love, counting blessings, and sharing our bounty. Even I feel "rich" during these precious weeks and find myself giving to friends and strangers alike. If I could bottle this and carry it all year, I wonder what I would be capable of.

I think we are capable of being our best selves in this season. Whether we light a menorah or a tree, fast all day or place a wreath on our door. Almost every religion and tradition have a major "holy-day" this month. So this is one of those great times when we have more that is shared than is different.

So as I continue counting my blessings from Thanksgiving and look to the short days leading to the day that represents so much love to me, I hope to live fully and well and be a credit to the season -- all of the season. I hope to teach my children that there is more than Santa Claus, animated films, and toys, toys, toys. I hope that they will see that at its heart, it's about love and miracles, and love making miracles.

So here's to the holidays and the "holy-days". May yours be well and enjoyed.

Oh and the music... You knew I couldn't post about the holidays and not mention the music. It's not called "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" for nothing. For me, I can't get enough of Andy Williams and Nat King Cole for the Old-School and either Michael Buble or Harry Connick, Jr. for the nuevo-Old-School. I love, Love, LOVE Christmas music. I start playing it the day after Thanksgiving and don't turn it off until January 2nd. And yes, I sing along. With my kids and without them.

Day Sixty - Five -- Halloween

Halloween is the beginning of my favorite time of year. The air starts to get cool and crisp even in Texas and to me it marks the start of the holiday season. Not Walgreen's Christmas decorations next to turkeys and clearance jack-o-lanterns holiday season. It seems that Thanksgiving is almost forgotten in the rush from orange and black to red and green. But I treasure all the holidays and I need those more subtle browns and yellows that fall between.



So after an almost coma-inducing sugar high (no, I'm not speaking about the kids -- I love Halloween candy. The opportunity to have a Milky Way and a Three Musketeers in one bite is a little slice of heaven. Oh, and candy corn and the array of alternate flavors that Tootsie Rolls are available in and... well, you get the picture) I start pulling out sweaters and boots and packing away tanks and shorts.

And I start to dream of turkey and dressing and all of the other delicacies of the day. But it's not really the food I crave, it's the collection of mismatched tables shoved together that are never the same height but we seem to ignore because the table cloths match. I long for the uncomfortable familial pauses that start to melt as the room temperature and the spirits rise. I cherish the moment when the masks fall off and the smiles rise to the faces with less strain and more heart. That is when turkey day becomes Thanksgiving for me.

And so I try to take it slow from October 31st through the New Year. Not forgetting to say thanks between haunted house and the trip to Santa, not just on the day but all the way through.