A chronicle of the ups, downs, and in-betweens of my thirty-something life. Seeing life through many different eyes...parenthood, step-parenthood, marriage, approaching middle-age (argh...can't this one wait), all while attempting to find my significance in this world.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Look Mom! I'm a Winner!

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of watching our little one compete in her very first competition ever! I know, I know we are little late in getting her into training gear for the Olympics. We should have started her at 2 years old. Nevertheless we stood by and cheered her on as she swam the length of the pool in 3 different races. Look out Phelps...you have some competition comin'.

When I introduced the idea of the competition to my daughter, who of course is the most competitive little thing I have ever seen, she said in her charming little way, "Oh, mommy is that the thing we go to and win? I definitely want to do it." Well, I wasn't going to break her little heart and tell her that she may not win so I just left that part out, seeing as though she was excited and all.

The day came, and she could hardly sleep the night before so I knew she was excited. Her first event was the freestyle, she swam her little fishy heart out. Just jumped in and went for it. She was one of the last to finish and she was so freakin cute. She climbed right out of the water and yelled (in her biggest ever outside voice) "I WON"! And she really believed it too! It was one of her proudest moments. I just smiled real big and of course everyone around her was smiling too (laughing really) because of her enthusiasm. We all clapped and the day went on and she carried that moment with her. It is really amazing that if you just believe in yourself as a winner, you will be. She believed she was a winner and therefore she is. Her last event was the butterfly. She was so tired, could hardly get her arms up each stroke but she finished! I have to give that girl credit. She has the confidence of a Lion and the perseverance I admire so much. I am still shocked every day that I learn so much from her. When I began this journey of motherhood, I always thought it was I who would teach my daughter, but on the contrary at times, I find it she who teaches me.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

A week of Summer Camp for FREE ....What?


I love to have my kids involved in some kind of summer activity that takes them out of the house and I prefer that it be educational or physically active. This is not only because I love it when they come home totally wiped out from a day of fun and exciting adventures but also it helps me keep my sanity. That time has come when our kids will have more free time on their hands than we or they know what to do with. In my Saturday blogging travels I came across a giveaway for a One Week of FREE Summer Camp (half day) from Champions Science Adventures at The Mom Reviews. I love this site by the way , tons of awesome usable giveaways. This is one of those giveaways that I really didn't want to alert the press to if you know what I mean. I was hoping to keep this fabulous find all to myself. But in order to reap the full benefits of my possibilities to become the winner of this most awesome contest, I decided to partake in the extra 5 entries that blogging about this event would give me:). Now that the truth is out and you know my true motives here, I'll get on with the details in the interest of bloggy mom's valuable time.

For more information on this camp and details on the contest all you have to do is head over to The Mom Reviews and check it out. Champion Science Adventures has camps all across the county. I found 3 locations within a few mile radius of my house and at least 10 within a 20 mile radius so this contest is one that most can benefit from.

But remember, this is our little secret.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Expectations versus Reality

Parenthood
Photo Courtesy of NBC.com
There haven't been many shows in the past several years that cause me such excitement and anticipation as the newest addition on NBC. I can hardly wait for the next week's episode to be aired. The new Parenthood show just clicks with me. It's a show about a family threaded with individuals that make up the sometimes crazy, intolerable, vulnerable and funny family. Each individual has their own struggles and triumphs. Blended together it shows the reality of each person's decisions affecting the entire family unit.

I love how they portray the messy parts of life. Most shows try to fulfill this imaginary unrealistic safety zone that allows people to escape their reality. Some people (not me of course) even grew up thinking and expecting life to be like the sitcoms. Boy was I Boy were they wrong. When we are taught to expect perfection from life or that having our desires fulfilled, life has another lesson to teach. Reality is messy and sometimes scary, sometimes horrible and sometimes awesome. To expect anything less is not real. This show touches on that in a way I have not seen before.

What I like about this show is that it is real, bearing wounds and all. The reality is refreshingly relatable. They touch on real life issues like the first diagnosis of a child with Asberger's Syndrome and all of the obstacles that go with it. The entire family is affected by a teenagers decision to remain abstinent or not. Each of the characters have a story behind them and you can understand why they are the way they are. Kind of like real life.

It is rare for a series to portray characters that are complex and have a history. My favorite character is commitment-phobe Crosby, who finds out he has a son 5 years after the fact. He becomes an instant Dad and goes from chronically single man living on a boat docked in the harbor to Daddy in a matter of days. His attitude about life is hilarious!

If you haven't already checked this show out, I highly recommend it. It's on Tuesday nights at 10pm Pacific Standard Time. For more information visit NBC's website. You can watch all the back episodes and catch up!