Being Thankful

It's such a trite, Thansgiving-y thing - to talk about what you are thankful for.  But, as Linus put it in Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving, we are the first country to make a national holiday of being thankful.  That's kinda cool.

So, here is my participation in the trite-ness, for what it's worth:

1. I am thankful for my health.  This has been a good year for me and my focus on my health, and I am proud to have made some significant progress in that arena.
2. I am thankful for my friends.  I took deliberate action this year to cherish longtime friends, rekindle old friendships, and focus on new ones.  It has been good for my mind, my heart, and my soul.  I highly recommend it.
3. I am thankful for my family.  My kids, my husband, my dogs, my Mom, sister, and brother, my cousins, aunts and uncles.  The people who share my DNA - they come in all shapes and sizes, all ways and means, and I love them for just who they are.
4. I am thankful to be gainfully employed.  In this day, that's significant.
5. I am thankful for the ability to help others.  I seize every opportunity to do it - it's so worth it.
6. I am thankful for others who live their life to the fullest - who work hard, play hard, and take the time to make things better.  I try to surround myself with people like that.
7. I am thankful for my Ipod.  I listen to it just about daily and it is filled with the songs that I love.  It's a fabulous piece of technology - even though mine has seen better days.
8. I am thankful to be someone who finds great joy in the simplest of things.  I am glad I have simple taste, and have simple joys.  It puts a smile on my face quite regularly.
9. I am soooo thankful for my son.  He is pure and beautiful and different.  His heart is tender and his love is unquestionable.  He makes all of us laugh - he is thoughtful and smart.  I can't wait to see the man he grows up to be.
10. I am soooo thankful for my daughter.  She's a giggly little love bug whose smile will light up a room.  She is expressive and smart and confident.  She has hugs for everyone and loves to be in the spotlight.  I can't wait to see the woman she grows up to be.

It makes me smile just to write it out - you might try it too . .  . .

Non-Standard Units of Measure

It was one of those math units that I taught when those poor kids had me for a math teacher (sorry kids!) - it was a unit about how you can use just about anything to measure just about anything.  We challenged the kids to use everyday items to measure things - how long was your desk from one end to the other, in jelly beans or marbles or sneakers or elbows. It was one of many units that I endured.  Then, I found my soulmate team teacher (thanks, TT) and she loved math like I loved Language Arts.  And it was there that the magic was made in Cedar Park and Leander, Texas.

So today, I was reflecting while at the pool with my kids about the measurement of motherhood.  And yes, you can measure it in months, years or typical milestones, but I was pondering the non-standard units of measure for mother hood.  And I came up with these - here's how you know you are moving along the motherhood continuum, at a rate that most of us would say is way too fast:

• The first night your infant sleeps all night - and you are convinced that something terrible has happened to him or her, and that panic until you go rushing in and there he or she is, perfectly fine.
• The swap-over from the bucket carseat to a bigger kid seat.  Your child goes from spilling over, arms and legs, to being swallowed up by the bigger seat.  It's a circle of life thing - you get too big for one, and then you're too little for the next.
• Taking down the crib - for good.  Dewey did this for me close to a year ago, and rolled his eyes while I teared up.  It was hard to watch the dismantling of the snuggly space that held your babies and kept them safe - that you hung mobiles from and you got to see your baby jumping, laughing, and reaching for you from every single day.
• When your child goes from calling you "Mommy" to calling you "Mom".  It'll hurt the first time it happens, and you will be speechless.  (I have two that are making this transition currently, and it's breaking my heart.)
• The day your last child makes a habit of waking up dry - and you realize you will never have to buy a $30 box of diapers or pull-ups again (we celebrated this within the past few months too).
• The day you go from having to be in the water with them at the pool to being able to sit on the edge and watch - (with them in reach of course) - without having to get wet.  (I lived this one tonight - halleljuah!!!).

Those are mine that come to mind right now - how about you?  What's your favorite non-standard unit of measure for motherhood?

Progress is as progress does

I just had to find a place to write about this today and then I remembered - on occasion, I blog.  I am hip and timely and relevant, right?


My son has a mild autism disorder - likely Asperger's Syndrome, though he doesn't display some of the red-flag Aspie characteristics. The Asperger's Syndrome shows up mostly in his social play, anxiety, and pragmatic language. He had a tremendous year of Pre-K and is about to go to Kindergarten. I am so grateful for everyone who has worked with him to teach him his social strategies.  That's another post for another time.

At any rate, we were at the pool tonight. He found a friend who had a water blaster like he does - let's call the friend "R".  He was so socially appropriate with "R" - he engaged him in play, he sought "R" out to have a water blaster fight with, and he didn't get upset when "R" would walk away temporarily.  In fact, Christopher cried when we had to leave and asked if he could invite "R" to our house.

This was a kid who a year ago was a bit of a loner - he would entertain himself by himself while all of the kids played nearby.  He didn't show much interest at all.  And now, he spotted "R", he found a very appropriate way to engage him, and entered into and out of the social situation like any other kid.

Unbelieveable.

For you, it might be hard to understand how to dissect a social situation - maybe it comes completely naturally to you.  I have learned through my many teachers (Deb, Jane, Amanda, to name a few) how to dissect these situations and keep Christopher on the path good social skills to "teach" him what comes naturally to the rest of us.  And today, with "R", he only needed a few cues to not jump on "R" or push him under the water - other than that, the casual observer saw two boys at the pool, playing like boys do.

But if you really close, that same observer would see a Mom on the side of the pool.  See her? The one with the dark glasses on?  She has a tear of pride streaming down her face, though she will pretend it's a rogue splash drop she is just brushing away.  Look closely and you will see in her heart how much she wants consistent social success for her son, and how proud she is of him and how far he's come.

And tonight, she will be grateful for the gift that is her beautiful, perfect son.

Chronicle of a "bonus day off"

Bonus Day Off is how I refer to my days when I am woken up at 130 AM by a little one (or two) and when I reach for one to pull into our bed, she is scalding hot with fever.

That's how it starts.  At that moment, I am wide awake, realizing all that I have to do, and the gears start turning.

Once I settle down the work communications and dispense the Motrin, I typically lay down with the aforementioned child and heave a sigh of relief, and realize that I am about to have a bonus day off.  One that I didn't plan, and therefore, have nothing that must be done except some TLC for little blondie.

Today was one of those days, and I thought I would journal the day's highlights here.

First of all, as noted in previous posts, I love to work on a dough.  The yeast-warm water start all the way through to the smell of it baking on the oven - just to die for.  And really, I am not that good at it (yet) but pratice makes perfect.

So, I had begun nurturing a sourdough starter over the weekend.  We love sourdough bread, especially the bread at Texas Land and Cattle Company, our favorite steakhouse.  The starter is a bubbly, gross, pasty thing that sits on the counter and ferments.  The chemistry is awesome.

I decided to try some of it today, and then "feed" the starter to keep it going.  So I moved onto the dough . . .

See what I mean about the chemistry - this is the same dough.  So cool.

Then I made loaves and let it rise some more, and baked it.  Wish I could post the smell - it's sooooo good.

This was about a 6 hour process on and off all day.  This is why Joanne doesn't get to indulge in this sort of thing very often - too high maintenance.  But very indulgent.

The bread turned out OK - not sour enough for me and the bread was a little dense - so the starter is going to keep fermenting and I will get to do this all over again.  Interestingly, the recipe said to bake it with a shallow pan of hot water underneath it.  Hmm . . .

In the meantime, Princess Mallory was sick, but insisted on wearing a dress.  I was barely out of the pajama range, but she was in her dress.

We both wore princess necklaces like the one she has on.  All day.

We also made some Mr. Potato Heads together.  This was Mallory's creation:

Then, we ventured out to Wal-Mart to spend a gift card that Aunt Tricia and Uncle Ricky gave her.  She picked a Cinderella tea set (of course) and we had our very first tea party with real iced tea (we are southerners, you know) and she totally had the knack for it.

During all of this (the bread baking and the playing), I had two very personable, fun Stanley Steemer guys come clean the carpets in the living room b/c of an iced-tea-spill from the weekend . . . 

First, they gave me a 12-4 window, and they came at 1145.  That never happens.  Then, they guys were so nice and funny.  I got the "how was your experience" call while the guys were still there, but I took the call out of their earshot.  When I went back, they asked if that was the corporate office, I said, "Yes, and I told them how happy I was with how clean my carpets were, my only complaint was that the guys were shirtless and used a lot of profanity."  You had to see the looks on their faces - it was funny.  Then they realized I was just kidding, and we all had a good laugh.  Maybe more funny for me than them, but I couldn't help myself.

Now it's bedtime - for everyone - and I will pray that the fever Gods leave my little girl alone so we can all return to normal . . . until my next Bonus Day Off.

Post-Ireland / Ready for Summer

Short Story is - had a wonderful time in Ireland.  Great trip, great family, great memories.  Made it with just my carry-on, and I am hooked.  No more checking bags for me, if I can help it.

Christopher ended his year at Lakeshore, and I boo-hoo-ed like a baby.  What a great year.  What great teachers and what a phenomenal program.  Way to go Humble ISD.

Mallory is fab-o - about to turn 3 and thinking she is all-that.  Love to see her every morning, all tousle-headed and sleepy - wanting to climb in my bed.  And most mornings (shhhh) - I let her.  She and her brother come down together and it might just be the cutest thing I have ever seen.

Headed to San Diego on Saturday to see some old friends - L, K, and S.  Going to a SHRM conference (for HR geeks) and gonna see them at night.  Pretty sure we'll be laughing a little - OK, maybe a lot.  Can't wait.

That's it - just didn't want so much time to pass between posts.  More next time - promise.

The weekend before it all starts . . .

I am heading out this week for our Guzewicz family trip to Ireland. 

I started talking to Christopher last night about it.  In between the "I am going to miss you" comments that break my heart, he seemed excited about the fact that (1) he and Daddy would be "in charge" (what a great phrase) and (2) I would be leaving him a prize and a note for each day I am gone.  Suddenly the "missing you" comments were replaced with "what kind of prizes?"

Typical kid.  Typical, perfect, awesome kid.

We hit a couple of milestones today as a family.  We went to Fuddruckers for my early Mother's Day lunch and the kids did really well.  They have finally grasped the concept of being in a restaurant (or, like my little blond perfect, awesome kid says, a lunch-ta-raunt) so we enjoyed lunch together.  Big moment for us - restaurants are getting easier and easier. 

Then we went to the pool and the two of them had a BLAST!  And, I didn't have to get wet.  I got to watch them from the sidelines and they played with some other kids - it was fantastic.  The weather was perfect - life was good.

You may be wondering about my one-bag adventure - it is still ON!  I packed my first packing cube on Friday and will be experimenting with more tomorrow.  Cannot wait - very excited about it all.

Stay tuned for more Ireland updates after May 21st.  Until then, like the Irish say, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Things to watch on Crossland Chronicles

What a spring we have before us here at the Crosslands - lots to talk and write about.

But first, some pics from the park.  These kids are pretty danged cute - danged, what a great Texas word.

 I love taking them there on the weekends and torturing them with the camera.  Hahahahahahahahah!

So, my newest obsession is a trip to Ireland with my Mom, sister, and brother in May.  While I was in search of some new luggage for this excursion, I stumbled upon more than one website that toted the idea of no checked luggage for international travel.  One of the writers even said, "There are only two kinds of luggage in international travel - the one you carry on, and the one they lose."  So, in an attempt to try out this one carry on bag for a week concept, I started looking at the kinds of bags that would provide me a good experience in trying this, and I fell into a bunch of websites that talk about "one bag" travel.

http://www.onebag.com/

http://onebagger.squarespace.com/

And, I am hooked.  Hook, line, and sinker.  So, , I am making this trip with ONE CARRY ON BAG.

I will do my best to chronicle the progress here - these websites have so much information on how to do this - and I am excited for the challenge.  More to come about this adventure - stay tuned!

Crossland March Madness

Or should it be "Spring Madness?" We are having some fun over here, nonetheless.

First, the weather is beautiful - after a pretty cold, wet winter for us Texans, we got a glimpse of some BEE-UUUU-TIII-FUL days. Days where the line at the nurseries was so long because you could not, could NOT resist buying something to put in the ground. We were no exception, so we first tried to hit a big nursery chain here, saw the crowds and mayhem, and headed up the road to Lowe's. We picked out different color petunias and put them in the ground. The kids? Yeah, they loved the "watering" part more than the "planting" part".

It's also rodeo season here -- and I love the rodeo.  We took the kids to the carnival part, and then Dewey and I took in a night performance.  It was a lot of fun - went with some good friends and enjoyed the evening out.  The kids LOVE the carnival - and they are getting braver and braver.

Having a great time - hope you are too.  Come back soon!

The Blessing of Baking and Cooking

I was lucky enough growing up to have learned the trade of baking and cooking - from my Mom, my neighbors, etc. Although my hectic schedule does not always allow me the luxury to cook the way I want to, I do indulge myself on occasion because I just think it is good for the soul.

This week offered me two opportunities to use my skill sets:
(1) One of the guys that I work with has become the proud father of two Weimeraner puppies. He was picking them up today. Of course, he needed some candy-dipped and pink-sprinkled Milk Bones to welcome Minni and Bell.

(2) I was on the contributor list for the potluck breakfast for our Leadership Meeting. I decided my contribution of choice was going to be a homemade Cinnamon Roll. From scratch. You see - I think there is something very real about working the magic of a dough - a real dough. The kind where you dissolve the yeast and add the flour and hope it rises - and then hope it rises again - you know what I mean. I broke all cardinal rules about cooking for others - I tried a recipe for the first time and was planning to serve it. I knew I had a safety net, though - I could always stop at Shipley's on the way to work. One picture to the left is them before they went in the oven - the other is them after baking. They were so pretty - and they were very good!

And the best part is - these little activities fed puppies, our team of leaders, and Joanne's soul. Talk about a return on investment! Take that, Wall Street.

Welcome 2010

The holidays are past and now it's time to embark on a brand new year. A year filled with who-knows-what, but a year nonetheless that one would think would have to be better than its predecessor, right?

So, maybe it's time to reflect on some highlights of 2009:

1. This year, we lost the last of my Dad's generation of Guzewicz's, good old Uncle Ed. He got to heaven to wish my Dad his 5 year anniversary there, and we all imagine that the reunion of that spectacular family was pretty awesome within St. Peter's walls. Can't wait to see them again someday.
2. I attended my second Guzewicz Thanksgiving in Rhode Island / CT. Loved seeing my cousins and their families - I hope we keep that tradition going. I love being around people who miss and love my Dad as much as me, and they will be an important part of helping to convey to my children who my Dad was. The good news is, both kids possess so much of my Dad inside them, it won't be hard to tell them what Dad was like.
3. We inaugurated our first African-American President. Awesome.
4. I attended a scrapbooking weekend in Blanco with great friends, and began what I hope is a yearly tradition. I like being away for the weekend and getting to nap, relax, scrapbook, cook, laugh, etc. And guess what? We didn't even turn the TV on. Unheard of!
5. Debbie T. - this one is for you: My beautiful son was diagnosed this spring with PDD-NOS, which is a mild autism spectrum disorder. It was a long journey of people putting this kid under the microscope and coming out the other side saying that yes, he qualifies for extra support. To this ex-teacher, those words are golden. God has seen it fit to put me here in Humble, Texas, where I have a phenomenal school district who has supported him all year with a beautiful teacher and a curriculum designed just for kids like him, and a world-class medical center where the best neuro-developmental pediatrician I could find did his assessment. And the short story is, most people either don't know or would be very surprised by that dx, because is so seemingly "normal", but this year of support has been tremendous in terms of helping him with his social delays. I had VERY supportive friends along the way who let me cry and worry and laugh and be relieved - and never judged or made light of it. And, guess what? I think that little boy is perfect. Just perfect.
(All right Debbie - I have officially "come out". :))
6. This year, I have learned more about being a leader, about being humble, about reading a chapter or two from books that I myself have written, and about just how precious those around me really are. Who could ask for anything more?
7. My gorgeous little blond girl has allowed me to watch my son learn social skills every day in the house, and has provided me and her Dad one more angel to make us laugh and realize just how blessed we are. I can't imagine what life would be like without her.

Hope your 2009 reflection brings you satisfaction and joy, and I certainly hope that 2010 brings you everything to make your life exactly what you want it to be.