One of the Lucky Ones

This week, I felt like the world was trying to get my attention. Most likely not true, perhaps a slightly self-centered thought. But never the less, it couldn't be denied.

The Dynamic Catholic sent me this "mustard seed" to my inbox this morning:

"If things are in a mess, accept that things are in a mess. Everything doesn't have to be worked out right now."

In my life nothing ever stands still. In the span of about 4 years, I have gotten married, had a child, graduated college, moved 3 times, started grad school, I am about to move again and embark on the new journey of working with patients. My life isn't a mess, but it isn't tidy either. It is busy and ever-changing.

The thing about it is, that I think know that this is typical of the 20's and possibly the 30's. All my friends are busy. Their lives are changing quickly. Starting new jobs, moving to new places, meeting new people. No one of them feels certain about their role in life, and just when they finally begin to feel settled, life brings on a new adventure. My life, with the addition of marriage and motherhood, is no different.

It keeps you on your toes, it's exciting, invigorating, and exhausting all at the same time. You are new at everything, always. You need to find people to help you learn how to get life running more smoothly, because you haven't been doing it on your own for that long. Asking for help or guidance is a humbling experience. You realize that you don't know all the answers, and wonder if you know any of them.

The way people scatter these days makes the task increasingly difficult. The people you have leaned on and got encouragement from prior to this are often are scattered around the globe. So you need to find new friends. You are forced to make your own way.

Anne from Modern Mrs. Darcy was kind enough to send her readers some of the notes from her talk at a blogging conference. She wrote about precisely this topic: Making the most of you 20's and 30's.

She talks about the messy and winding road that encompasses these 2 decades (mostly your 20's). She tells us (20-somethingers) we should explore relationships, our baggage and our faith. We should also be sure to find mentors. She doesn't fail to mention that we can impact the world in our own way. All of this uncertainty helps us to grow, even if sometimes we feel lost.

The funny thing is that for generations these years have been filled with uncertainty for everyone. Contrary to popular belief, this is not unique of modern culture. It is just a stage of life. If you don't go through it, you can't and won't grow.

When my dad was 23, he decided he didn't want to be an accountant anymore. He quit his job, and worked as a cook at a restaurant for minimum wage. My mom probably thought he was completely nuts, but married him anyway. There was no stability in that.

When my grandmother was 21 she got married to my grandfather. They had a baby within a year, and moved in with her parents to save money (Ah that sounds familiar). Now here's the curve ball to this story. My grandmother and her family were Polish, and my grandfather was German. Let me remind you that this occurred during a time when WWII was still pretty fresh in everyone's memory. I can only imagine what the tension in that living room was like.

I am one of the lucky ones because I am embarking on this journey now. A past of regret doesn't exist for me. Instead I am looking forward to a future full of possibilities, adventure and life. Although I feel excited about what is to come, I also feel grounded by the reality of bills and dinners on the table. I have been given this opportunity to grow now, and for that I am ever thankful. I am one of the lucky ones.

I am linking up with We are That Family and Gratituesday.

How are you making the most of your 20's and 30's? What have been your challenges and your exciting moments thus far? If you are past the 30-something years, looking back what did you do right through those years?

7 Quick Takes Friday (3)

Number One
The husband got a new job! We couldn't be more excited. We have been hoping and praying for this for a while. So we celebrated with a cake. (Purple, per request of my daughter)

Number Two
We have been talking to a realtor about renting a house in a few months. I am thrilled with the idea of moving into a house, not that I don't love the mold that has conveniently started to grow in our apartment...

Number Three
While I was in the kitchen making soup (pretending it was cold outside), my daughter was in the living room nicely playing. I turn around to see she has taken all of her stuffed animals out and was conducting a circle time. Her animals were working on learning their letters.

Number Four
Each animal got an individual blankie to hold onto for nap time, which would be held after circle time. Except blue puppy, "because sometimes friends' mommies forget to bring a blankie, then friends are so sad and cold".  Ahh I hope I am never that mommy! Although I have forgotten to send a change of clothes many a times...

Number Five
We have nothing planned for this weekend. Yay! We are thinking about going on mini hike at a near by nature preserve. We have to take advantage of the gorgeous weather we have been having!

Number Six
Speaking of great weather I have been working on decorating for fall. I have started a wreath and a centerpiece for the time. Neither of which have been completed. Shocking.

Number Seven
Have a great weekend! Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend? I'd love to hear about them.

Head back over to Conversion Diary for more 7 Quick Takes Friday.

A Lions World: A Preschool Activity

I was given the challenge of creating a therapy session at school, so naturally I tried it out on my daughter to see how it went. She is obsessed with lions, so I decided to take that theme and run with it! Really. She often roars and shouts, "I'm a lion, I'm so scary!"

So today, we were lions!

We used our imaginations (an important preschool/ life skill).

We created lion masks.

We colored, then cut- both important fine motor (finger) skills.

And lived in this lion den for the day.

We had to think really hard to plan out how to make the fort. Then there were the decisions of how big to make the fort, what it would be made out of, and what would go in it. We picked a whole bunch of items with different textures- great for sensory.

 Then for added fun we read lion books, and watched The Lion King (but not the scary parts, of course).
Now I'll send you back to Passionate and Creative Homemaking!

I have decided that I think I could enjoy being 3 again!

Now I'll send you back over to Crayon Freckles

Favorite Toddler Books

I love reading to my daughter, and I love it even more when she enjoys pointing and saying the words with me. Here is a list of books that I put together that seem to be easy to follow and have inviting pictures and messages.

No No Yes Yes by Leslie Patricelli

This book is a great one! It sets the building blocks for rules in the house. The "No No, Yes, Yes" words are easy for even a young baby to understand. The pictures are pretty cute too, and have my daughter laughing!

Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers

This might be my favorite book of all time. I have notice that toddlers tend to be so interested in babies and all the things that they do, and this book tells them everything they want to know! I think it would be really great to show to a toddler if a new baby is arriving soon. It would give them a better understanding of what to expect. We have read the book so many times that now my daughter finishes the words on each page for me!

The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown

This book is a classic, and a good introduction to colors and art. It goes through each color and how the colors can be created using other colors.

Blue Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton

This is another one that introduces colors to little ones. It is also a great launching point for teaching toddlers about articles of clothing and body parts. It's also a really silly book that makes everyone laugh.

The Bible for Little Ones- Maite Roche

What a great first Bible! The pictures are beautiful and eye catching. They use a lot of animals and bright colors, which help to keep my daughter engaged. The words are very simple and easy for her to understand. She is always asking questions, and knows most of the stories now.

Where's Dave by Emma Surry

This is a cute story for slightly older ones. It talks about safety and good habits. The book also keeps younger ones engaged because they are on a scavenger hunt to find Dave on every page. My only complaint about this book is the portal of the mom dinosaur is not a very good one (or accurate!). Otherwise its wonderful!

Children's Art Gallery

My daughter's room was starting to look a little bare as soon as we upgraded her to a big girl bed. Then I realized thats because she did not have ONE SINGLE THING on her walls in her room.

Then I realized my kitchen was covered from top to bottom in her art work. So I solved two problems in one!

I bought 5 solid wood frames from good will for $9. I took out the glass and painted them white.

Then I bought some rolled up cork for $8, with a 40% off coupon from hobby lobby. I ironed out the cork (yes with an iron), cut it to fit the frames and glued it to the backing of the frames.

After letting it dry, I displayed some of the art work with push pins.