Little Things

It is so, so true! That old cliche of "little things mean so much." And it can take on so many different meanings. Little things can eat at you for no great reason and little things can make or break the kind of day you're having. There are little things that you want to remember forever, like the smell of your children's hair after it's just been washed, then there's the way they run up to you every day after school with so much excitement & love for you, and even though it happens nearly every day, there are some days we quickly forget it or don't absorb it all in because we're in such a rush to get to the next thing.

The last couple of days I've seen almost every thing as a "little thing." Little things to blow off and little things to appreciate more, after hearing the story of precious baby Cora and her parents Joel and Jess. Most of you probably know their story from their blog. Not even a month ago, life was good...life was "normal", but now, after 11 month old Cora's very recent discovery of cancer, her short battle came to a shocking, heartbreaking end. I feel such heartache for them, unsure of how in the world a parent handles such a loss. All I know to do, in order to honor this special baby girl's short time on this Earth, is to do what I'm sure her parents wish they could have done more of and will treasure what they had, are to celebrate all the little things that ordinarily may not seem so grand, but in the end can bring a lifetime of memories while letting go of the other little things...dishes in the sink, the kid's dirty clothes that didn't find their way to the hamper, toothpaste all over the mirror.

This morning, I went in for my first mammogram. My doctor recommended I go when I had my checkup a couple weeks ago, just to establish a baseline as I approach the ripe old age of 37. Of course I'd heard horror stories or how painful it was and had my morning reserved for this appointment, hoping I'd have a chance to run another errand or two before Sam got out of preschool. I got there about 15 minutes early, and was called back immediately. Didn't even have a second to flip open a magazine. The technician I had was super sweet & very good and I have to say there was nothing to it!!! It was quick & really easy. I think there are some out there, a neighbor friend I have included, who are avoiding going because they think it will be a painful, miserable experience. Such a "little thing" to worry about, especially when it comes to your health. The kicker was as I was walking out, at the time I was supposed to have been going in, I was offered complimentary bottled water, bottled Starbucks, juice, granola bars, and was given a long stemmed pink rose, just as a thank you for coming in. I still had 2 hours before getting Sam, so the entire experience & morning was truly a little thing to celebrate.

Children come home with certificates of completion of this, that & the other often for all sorts of reasons. But when they get one as a recognition of their "caring" character, especially from a teacher, it especially means a lot. Jack was honored by his advisory teacher and even won a Spurs ticket for doing such. The school has advisory every few weeks where the entire student body is shuffled around & mixed with every grade level to complete certain tasks & projects through the year. His advisory teacher is a 2nd grade teacher, and for him only to see her every so often & her recognize him in this way really was special. It was a nice surprise in his folder!

A week later, we were just as tickled & excited when Annie was nominated by her teacher, Mrs. Martinez, for the Tim Duncan Character award. She submitted an application about Annie to the committee and then we found out she was one of the winners! Look at all the fun goodies she won...t-shirt, lunchbag, folder, notebook & pens. 

The best prize of all, was getting to read the wonderful things she wrote about Annie. We all feel our children are special in their own ways, but when a teacher, someone who isn't related to your child, says such sweet words about them, it takes on a whole new meaning. We were very, very touched. I told Mrs. Martinez that we will keep this close by as we approach the tween/teen years to show Annie how much so many believe in her & to always be herself. It is those little things, like kind words, that mean so much.

Almost 2 weeks ago, Sam slept in his crib for the last time. This isn't him sleeping with an apple, just him posing as I took a few pictures. It is the first time in 9 years that crib has been taken down and it brought on many, many emotions. Such great memories of 3 babies growing older after sleeping in that crib. Can you tell I get sentimental just about everything?? It was hard, but knowing that he is healthy & thriving made me look at this big step in a whole new, easier way.

And here's the big boy bed...Batman nonetheless!! He has probably transitioned into his own twin bed better than either Annie or Jack. He absolutely loves it & so far, has slept every single night, all night, in it! Even though we weren't having any climbing out issues with the crib, it was just time, so I'm glad we put our feelings aside & took the plunge. It has been great! 

Then that brings us to Girl Scout cookies!! Annie sold 199 boxes & this is what 199 boxes of Girl Scout cookies looks like. We are celebrating them all being delivered & the fact that it was a lot easier a process than I kept thinking it was going to be. It's those little things that can really hang us up in our thinking & prevent us from opportunities we could be experiencing. The most important thing was how much fun Annie, and Jack & Sam for that matter, had in doing it all. Not once did she try to blow it off or act like she didn't want to help. That really made it nice too! 

American Idol is tonight...a little thing to look forward to, but one that is kinda fun for Wes & I to watch together & to talk about with friends. We skipped all the auditions & just started watching the last week as they narrow down to the core group. All I can say is that it's gonna be mighty hard to top our favorite Idol winner of all time, David Cook. So, in his honor, I've got his new song on my playlist. I really love it!!

Another little thing to celebrate...my PTA board meeting was cancelled for this evening!!  Woohoo!  Love having a free night to enjoy at home with the family...

It's Tuesday...hope you enjoy the little things that make your day!