Weekly Writing Challenge: I wish I were

I saw this prompt on WordPress Weekly Writing Challenge and couldn’t resist. I hate subjunctive voice typically, but the call to write about something wistful and hopeful as looking forward as I wish I were. It makes me think of a time when we were young and anything is possible. While I am no longer young, anything is still possible, especially with guts, grit and perseverance.

I wish I were:

Since becoming a mom, I have been “the twins mom” or some variation thereof. I have long since passed the age where I daydream about being a princess and waiting for my prince on a white horse. I have that prince, and I know his horse gets muddy and doesn’t always follow through. This princess also knows how to ask for help (thanks friends and family), change diapers, kiss boo boos, and bring home bacon for dinner, yum!

I wish I were:

• Built like a pin up model of the 1940s instead of like a mom who is too busy to exercise
• Sitting on a beach, in the sun, drinking a lovely frosty blended concoction with an umbrella in it.
• Reading a book on said beach instead of teaching kids to sound out the words.
• Listening to the gulls and wave crash instead of kids fighting with each other

But, eventually, I will have to return from such a vacation, and I frankly would miss the chaos after about a week.

So, for a real life wish list, I wish I were:

• A more patient, understanding mother
• A more patient, understanding wife
• More organized
• Better about keeping the house clean

 But I am glad:

• The kids know I love them.
• The kids know they are important
• The husband keeps the house standing (Never underestimate the amazing power of boys!)
• Every day I have a new opportunity to become what I wish I were

Winning When Faced with Adversity

As a storm battles the east coast, I came across this news article talking about how a group of people put themselves out for another. In an earlier post, I wrote about how winning does not always mean taking the first place ribbon. Winning can be finishing a personal best time, or finishing at all. It feels great to win first place, but would you rather place first or turn in an personal best? If you are competing individually, I bet you would rather have a personal best. There is no point in competing if the contest is too easy.

These questions might be answered differently if you are playing an individual sport or a team. As part of a team, if only one player turns in their personal best, but the team does not do very well, I wager the team as a whole is not very happy. When competing as a team, each person has a job to do to make the team success. Only when every member of that team rises to the challenge and works towards their personal best, as part of their team unit, can the whole unit move forward.

This story epitomizes how people can rise above, see a need, and answer it. In this story, a boy with a prosthetic leg was competing in a children’s triathlon had his prosthesis break. A man, a Marine helping with the race, saw this and picked him up – carrying him the rest of the race to the finish line. The child didn’t win first, but that is not the important point of the story. The child tried, he gave his personal best. And, when an unknown force, the broken prosthesis, kept him from finishing; another person reached into his heart – and turned in his personal best. They are both winners in my book!

I am sure as the East coast is faced with such an epic storm, we will see more instances of people reaching their personal best, helping each other in a times of need. Read the article below, cry – I did.

Marines help a young boy finish a triathlon – CNN iReport

During the 2012 Sea Turtle Triathlon in Pensacola, a young boy’s prosthetic limb broke during the run. Local Marines who had volunteered to help monitor the course picked him up and carried him the rest of the way to the finish line. There weren’t very many dry eyes in the crowd cheering everyone on. The Marines also helped urge on many other racers and ran with them across the finish line. Semper Fi!

via Marines help a young boy finish a triathlon – CNN iReport.

One Ingredient for Healthy Nails

I don’t know about you, but beyond chewing my nails, as a youth, my nails were weak, peeled and generally unappealling. Everything changed when I discovered JoJoba oil. It started when I was young, had more disposable cash and would get my nails done. The ladies would always slather Solar Oil on my cuticles.  My nail technician always said, the happier the cuticle the healthier the nail.  I started having babies and my disposable income went WAY down. I also noticed that I washed my hands, A LOT. My nails were back to their teen state. Broken, bleeding cuticles and peeling nails.  So, I went to my local health food store, on the search for an ingredient I knew was in the brand name product, JoJoba oil.

I found some and with great joy, and much woe to my former nail technician, I report that my nails are beautiful, strong and healthy. Every night before I go to bed, I combat the day’s stress on my nails with a good rub of JoJoba oil on the cuticles and nail bed. It is a bit of a ‘dry oil’ and is fantastic to combat all the drying soap and stresses I have put on my hands as a mother. I love it and hope you do to!

Roasted Stuffed Acorn Squash

Sunday, we went pumpkin picking. And nothing beats picking pumpkins on a cool, damp fall day than a great acorn squash recipe!

2 Acorn Squash (1.5lbs ea)
2Tbs melted Butter
1tsp Sage
1tsp diced Garlic
2lbs Sausage
1 med Onion
2 stalks Celery
1 pkg sliced mushrooms (baby bellas)
2 med Apples, diced fine (green / granny smith)
2 Cups bread crumbs
2 Eggs, beaten

Acorn Squash

Halve and scoop Squash. Place on baking sheet with inside facing up. Baste with melted butter, sage and garlic. Bake Acorn Squash on 350 for 45min. While Squash is baking, make stuffing.

Stuffing

Brown the Sausage and drain. Reserve 2Tbs of the sausage drippings and brown off the Onion and Celery. When caramelized add the Mushrooms and Apples. Let the moisture from the mushrooms and apples deglaze the caramelized pan. Put in large, heat proof bowl and add the Sausage, eggs and Bread Crumbs. Toss to incorporate.

Scoop filling into each acorn squash half, mounded and bake for another 20 min until squash is tender, but not mushy. Enjoy

Winning Doesn’t Always Mean First Place

In a prior post, I wrote about how bullys can be found on the sportsfield among the players, but also among the parents. And in my personal opinion BULLYS SUCK.  During that post, I wrote about a little girl at a cross country meet. The cross country meet had approximately 100 kids running in every category. Needless to say, it was packed!

One girl was in the beginning of the pack when she tripped. The momentum of the kids behind her didn’t stop, they couldn’t. The other kids weren’t being mean, but they stepped on her. Thankfully, little kids are EXTREMELY resilient.  Her coach came up to her, helped her up, brushed her off and ran the course with her. The little girl cried, as expected. (I would too.) But here is the kicker…SHE FINISHED THE RACE.

That little girl was such an inspiration. How many projects, personal health/exercise goals, financial goals, or heck even New Years Resolutions, do we – as adults – give up on when life gets in the way. We make our kids finish their tasks to learn how to accomplish something. The little girl didn’t come in first, knew she wouldn’t, but she finished. In my mind, that makes her a winner. Maybe not THE winner, but definitely a winner.

I’ve said it before, life is hard. This little girl got trampled, and yet she accomplished her objective, which was to run and finish the course. For that, I salute her. For that, I want to BE her.