This Present Joy

In my world, I've got my "staple stores" and my "yeah, right" stores. For instance, Target is one of my staple stores. I just can't say enough good things about Target. . .I even love their commercials. I'd like to meet some of their marketing team and give them props on their creativity. To me, Target ranks right up there with apple pie and baseball in the realm of all things Americana. I visit a Target store no less than once a week, perusing their clothing aisles and buying most of my groceries there. If I was a contestant on the Price is Right, and they featured items from a Target store, I am confident I would make it through to the Showcase Showdown. So, you catch my drift on what I mean by a staple store. . . . And, then there are the "yeah, right" stores. These are the stores I really have no business being in. They are the stores that will bust a budget quickly. Anthropologie is one of my "yeah, right" stores. I remember the ...

You all probably think I'm the president of the fan club for "The Bucket List" (a recent movie)--but there is just something about that movie that touched me. And to top it all off, a John Mayer song that plays during the credits--"Say"--affected me just as much. If you haven't heard it, go listen to it right now on Itunes. The movie and song both have made me think a lot--but here's where I've recently landed, thought-wise, from them. . . . How easily do you tell a friend or someone in your family how thankful you are for them and for the good things they bring into your life. . . . for their character. . . for the way they make you laugh. . . for the phone calls and emails just to check in on you. . for the things about them that inspire you. . . I've been pondering recently how it's easy to think these things to myself and assume that the other person knows how I feel--but then I realized how silly that is. . . What is it that prevents us ...

I remember a friend of mine in high school was given a book with the title 10,000 Things to Be Happy About (or some similar title) . I flipped through it then and have picked it up in bookstores over the past years. My first thought when I saw this book of hers was, "Wow--that's a HUGE number of things to be happy about." And I also remember thinking, "How did someone catalog all those things onto paper?" I wonder how much time it took the author to compile. I've tried it myself--compiling a similar list. You'd think it would be easy to just list all the little (and big) things to be happy about (or I like to think of it in terms of Things to Be Joyful About). Maybe it's writer's block or maybe it's just distraction--but at a point, I come to a halt in my list. Having a child in the house has allowed many opportunities for cataloging new "things to be joyful about"--whether it's something she says, does or just her reaction to n...

Wait--it's a four-letter word but I've never categorized it in "that" category before the previous few months. It's such a common word in our society, whether it's spoken or inferred by someone. I tell my daughter to "wait" when I'm in the middle of something, whether it's talking on the phone, working or even coming to get her out of bed in the morning. I remember when I was little, I would ask my mom for something (maybe a new toy or piece of clothing)--and sometimes, her answer was "We'll see." I came to really dislike that response. To me, that usually meant a delayed "no." Did anyone else's parents use that response with them? I'm sure I'll use it with my daughter soon enough. What makes waiting so difficult? For me, I know there is something about being "in the know", in control and achieving immediate gratification--whether that's with regards to food, what's happening in our world,...

This blog title sounds like it could be the name of a toddler's board book (or a middle-grade reader's mystery). But, alas--it merely describes my predicament as of late. Those who know me well know that I am always in the mood for dessert (or a "treat" as I often call it.) You name it--cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, breads, ice cream--and I'm all about it. Working at a summer camp for a few years didn't help this habit, since we'd have dessert after both lunch and dinner. I will say, though, my sweet tooth comes into play mainly with homebaked goods--I can easily (or more easily) pass on the store-bought and pre-packaged cookies, cakes, pies, etc. I have pretty good willpower when it comes to candy, too (though I have a certain weakness for Junior Mints.) Just like you shouldn't go grocery shopping when you're starving (that's never a good outcome for our family--I usually come home with an extra few bags of "unnecessaries" than...

Months ago, the pediatrician told me that it was time for Carly to see the dentist. My first thought was, "Really? What will they possibly check at that age?" and a second thought quickly followed--"How in the world will a child of that age sit still (in a dentist's chair, at that)? But, with Carly nearing 2 1/2 years old, I decided to make her first appointment. The pediatrician had even given us a list of suggested dentists in the area, so I quickly realized that it wasn't just a "polite idea" for her to visit--it was a strong recommendation. When I made the appointment, I asked the receptionist what to expect at the first visit. She said they would check to see that her teeth were coming in properly, talk about diet, etc. When I mentioned my doubt to her about young children sitting still in a dentist's chair, she said, "Oh, you'd be amazed at what they can do." This was going to be interesting. The morning of Carly's app...