Although today is her
actual birthday. Yesterday we celebrated as a family.
Lime margaritas and a Sundae bar say it all.
Little Gracie is a breath of fresh air. To our family she is pony tails, the color pink and laughter that squeals long after she has left our home. Hudson and Gage, fall in her wake and obey her every command.
Here is to you today wee one. May it be a birthday fit for a princess!
Foggy head, I am rolling into Friday with a weekend FULL of fun.
Last night I sat at The Keg and drank a new fantastic Californian Zinfandel. I was with such a fabulous group of women with whom I refer as The Winos The Hoseheads. 5 girls with whom I share my most intimate secrets, despite the fact that most of these women barely read my blog. Fooey!
It was a night where by world problems were solved. We decided the best choice for our children was pre-arranged marriages. We opted for spoiling daughter-in-laws rather than trying to earn their love. We concluded that owning a cabin meant a place where children always migrated home. And most relevant is that we all agree our children walk on water.
When the 'light' conversation subsided, we jumped head first into miscarriages, sex and love. We agreed that pain was part of the journey and that along the way, our girlfriends were our cheerleaders. If life were easy, we wouldn't need deep rooted friendships to raise us up.
Last night was a night I had been craving all week. It was a night that was intermingled with wine and raw emotion. It was a night far beyond purpose.
Also on the agenda this weekend is The Santa Claus Parade (check out their build a Santa page for kiddies) and a Birthday Bash at our house for Miss Gracie Girl. There is sure tobe candles, cocktails and cake. I have been shopping for the little misses bday for 2 months.
By the way, thanks mommas for all of the suggestions on catering. I have made what I believe will be a fabulous choice... The Gates on Roblin is preparing our meal and bringing it to our home to finish off for us. Yum. The dinner will include TequilaSeared Scallops, Smoked Salmon Rosettas, Brie baked Black Forest Ham and Cranberry Stuffed Chicken and a Chocolate Lava Cake.
Speaking of delicious food, here is my coleslaw recipe Shannon. I did make it up but had help from Mike at Mise Bistro.
I just mixed as I went until I found it pleasing to the taste.
Today is another interview for my latest article, an afternoon appointment and drinks with The Johnsons. Happy Weekend.
When I was a child I read In Flanders' Fields many times to entire school assemblies. In fact to this day if I close my eyes, I can say almost the entire poem aloud, pausing where I was instructed. And yet, I cannot find the words to do justice explaining to my boys what sacrifices men and women made so that today we may enjoy (and think the norm) FREEDOM.
In a quiet moment this morning, I felt sick thinking about saying goodbye to a loved one leaving to go to war. I have been speaking this week about trade offs and cannot fathom a young man trading off his loves (babies, wives, parents) to fight for what he believed in.
Gratitude is an under statement but I will say this. This is the first year that I have truly looked inward at what it would mean to have to choose between deep rooted soulful love and freedom. I am so thankful that I do not have to face that choice as I quietly remember.
OK, I have heard many times this year that people are cutting back on Christmas materialism. I have work friends, blog friends, and wine friends who are all saying the same thing...Let's get back to what Christmas really means. Minus the religious aspects, for me (and The Parnells) it is a time for BEing TOGETHER. That being said, in lieu of gifts, all of the adult Parnells would like to hire a personal chef to cook dinner in one of our homes.
We want to BE together. We want to eat good food, drink good wine, laugh and love. For me, that is Christmas, being STRESS-FREE with the ones you love.
Unfortunately, I keep running into road blocks and cannot find anyone to cook for us. Anyone out there know of a chef for hire?
"My goal in life is be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am." ~author unknown
As is evident in yesterday's post, I am focusing this week on really thinking about where I spend my time. I had asked you what you traded one chunk of time for? Meaning, did you read, work out, cook, laugh or work instead of sleeping, dancing, cleaning or cuddling. Yesterday my bod needed some good quality rest and so even though I try to start my week with a bit of a work out, yesterday I snoozed.
It's all relative. While we were shopping, my furry pup was hanging out at back home with G&G's. Unfortunately, it seems she had a bit too much fun and was in rough shape when we picked her up Sunday night. Aura is one of THE sweetest, most gentle dogs I have known. In February she will turn 10.
Sadly, last night we had to bribe her with cheese to get her old bones up to bed.
This morning, as I rose, she watched me get out of bed. Her big brown eyes, inquiring as to why I was up so early? She snorted, rolled over and went back to bed. At almost 70 in dog days, she is entitled to live life however she pleases.
Yet for some reason, I couldn't get her out of my thoughts. I do see her improving since we picked her up and I recognize that her 'condition' is probably a combination of old age (Rotti's don't often live long into double digits) and arthritic joints and yet I feel haunted about all that she means to me and even more important all that she has seen us through. Aura has lived with us in two homes, she has witnessed two new boys enter our lives and she was right at our sides, when we sent our first dog to canine heaven.
I know there is little need to elaborate, Marley said it all. And still, I wanted to apologize to my faithful friend for spending the later years of her life rearing babies. I wished that I wasn't near as busy as I have been. And perhaps most important, I wished that I would have had the inner knowledge to know that trading time with my girl cannot be returned to me. One of these days, I may have to check out of work early, toss mother's guilt in the trash and walk in the sunshine with my pooch.
A weekend away…
Our wee foursome is home from a weekend getaway that was unimaginably fantastic. Last Friday, I took the day off and we packed up and headed out to Fargo for the weekend with my BIL (Blaine) & SIL (Lis) & Maddie Dawg (his new nick name) and my sis (Jay) and BIL (B-Rad). We checked in poolside to The Holiday Inn and vegged out (as much as is possible with little ones).
Truth be told, I loved every minute of it. And in my new quest to be introspective, I found myself challenged and looking inward at many times…
1. Staying in a hotel with children is defying all rules on good hygiene. Initially I was beside myself with anxious thoughts of all the G-E-R-M-S in our presence. Germs in the pool, germs on the carpet, germs on the remote, germs… you get the picture. I knew that in order for us all to enjoy ourselves, I simply had to LET GO. And although it was NOT easy, I did.
2. We took the boys everywhere we went (minus a 2 hour girls power shop). We took the boys to Tar-gey (as Mollie calls it). We took the boys to Kohls, to Scheels and to Hornbachers. We took the boys out for breakfast, lunch and even dinner at a steakhouse. We rode the ferris wheel twice and dispersed intermittent candies and throughout it all, the 3 kids were unbelievable. For me, that was really confronting the unknown and watching as we pushed the line a little further and our boys, including Maddie Dawg, stepped up to our challenge. Honestly, I used to think so much about what-ifs when it came to taking kids out. These days, I am embracing our family, coaching my boys on appropriate social behaviors and loving every minute that they spend carving out their personalities.
3. I got new boobs, not IMPLANTS (although I could easily see why one might ask). New purple BOMBSHELL boobs. Yes, I invested heavily in ME! I spent big time and money lifting my spirits (and boobs) at Victoria Secret. As soon as I entered the store, I walked up the first sales clerk I could find and blurted out, “These are not my original boobs, those ones are LONG gone. I donated my curves to my family and now I am looking for a remake in a natural kind of way. The staff was AWESOME and so are my new girls.
4. Jay. I really related to Kath’s post about how much she loves her sister. I feel the same way about mine, although I am much more fortunate that we three live in the same city. Crys and I love about 1 kilometer apart. Jay and I live about 25 kilometers apart WHICH I GET IS NOT FAR. What it is however though is more planned. Years ago we walked together, we had breakfasts together, we popped in to one another’s house several times a week. This past weekend was a chance for us to really catch up, to have a few drinks, to laugh, to swap make up tips and for me it was a chance to be so grateful for my sis. She really went out of her way to help me with the boys and to accommodate my schedule. Jay – I *heart* you.
5. The US really knows how to do it up. I am always astounded at how grandiose everything is south of the border. They have everything a young boy could imagine to transform himself into a car or a superhero. Many times throughout the weekend G would shriek, “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. I love it. What is it?”. And yet, the irony for me is that I couldn’t find a recycling outlet anywhere. Great to go on vacation, better to be Canadian.
6. My SIL Lis. Each summer, Lisa Parnell and I spend hours at the cottage blabbing about every detail of our lives, our thoughts, our opinions. With the weather what it was, we saw one another less and I really missed her laisse faire attitude. Very little ruffles Miss Lisa. I found myself thinking about how unselfish and relaxed she is as a momma. Many times throughout the weekend, our room was instantaneously a wrestling ring. Wee boys in diapees and gotchies squared off to wrestle with their dad/uncle. They knocked over the alarm clock, stepped in potato chips all the while, laughing hysterically. I loved watching it unfold but would have preferred them trashing Lis’s room. Lol. .
7. Lastly, if my think tank wasn’t already full, Saturday as I snuggled in to bed, I thought to myself how much fun we already had had. In a 2 night time frame, my hubby and I barely touched, but our boys were more than prepared to take advantage of the fact that our beds were within feet of theirs. Every time I rolled over, I faced a new little one switching beds and spots. Sweet dreams were not in the cards for us, but that was worth the trade off for family fun.
OK – Here’s my push… what are you trading off?
In the spirit of being your best, I am reminded about inspiration from two fab women that Kath interviewed on this blog.
1. Colleen, aka Mrs. Gorp.
I am seriously itching to start ordering her POWER bars. But even more than her magical GORP creations, is the fact that her wisdom is resonating with me. In this interview, she mentioned getting up 30 minutes before the kids. Now, that's not always easy, but I AM DOING it. And, best of all, I am feeling peaceful as I start my day. I love tippy toeing out of a dark bedroom to go downstairs and start BREWT-ing my tea. I love that I can organize my day in SILENCE. It is a feeling of peace.
2. Speaking of peace, Wendy, who is one of my dear gal pals, is another very inspiring soul. In her interview here, she mentioned 2 little nuggets of info that have stuck with me...MEDITATE and PUSH Yourself.
Although I can honestly say that meditation was not a huge priority, it has been seeping into my brainwaves these past few weeks. I am trying hard to include small windows of time alone with just me and my thoughts. Unfortunately SLEEPING doesn't count.
So, I thought to myself, like any good student would, "How can I learn to meditate?" You Tube.
Kath had a good laugh at the fact that I used modern technology, aka the WWW to inspire an age old technique of mind tranquility, but hey whatever gets the job done. I honestly didn't know the art of mediation. I knew I always prayed that my thoughts would QUIT talking to me, but I wasn't too sure how to do that, other than with wine of course! After watching that short video though I realized that meditation should be done consistently, so I am going to focus on that.
As far as PUSH YOURSELF, I loved how Wendy mentioned giving 150% to any little amount of activity. So these days, i find myself lifting cases of vitamin water in proper form, vacuuming and engaging my abs and even walking with POWER top of mind.
Peace is everywhere inside this Martini Momma these days. In fact, last night I even sipped a new tea from Cornelia Bean, Chocolate Kisses Ginger and put my feet up BEFORE cleaning up the dinner mess. OK, so before I sign out, the week is coming to a close - are you doing something for you? I loved Kath's post on Hump day. Even if you're getting some, that could be your weekly goal - just do something for YOU!
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The only gift is a portion of thyself."
21 years ago today, I agreed without any cajoling to date with my now husband. It is amazing to me to think about the kid that I was then. Truthfully if you would have asked me to predict where we'd be 21 years later, I could not have. I didn't have the knowledge or the confidence to know that we would be loving our life as a little family fo 4 (plus one furry dog). Answering only to ourselves. Striving to be our best. To be better. Loving whole heartedly. Hugging, kissing and laughing our days away.
My husband is a brilliant soul. He has a huge heart and a soft side that is evident only if mortgage rates are NOT rising or dropping. I am only joshing. I am one of the lucky ones. I married a man who is ever embracing change. Brent is my rock. He is analytical, smart and compassionate. He is weak for children selling wares at our door or for children period. He is a father that I can barely speak about. Yet, he is ruthless when it comes to inequality. He is someone with whom I have so much respect and admiration.
Each day that passes, he laughs to himself about the Martini Momma blah, blah, blahs and yet he gets up and drinks a green smoothie and eats bread that is filled with items he would never repeat. He ADORES my Ya-Ya's. He encourages my dreams and he embraces a life that allows me to be the person I am growing into.
Today is not our anniversary of marriage but it is a day that began a journey of LOVE. Today I took a fork in the road of life. Today is a day that also happens to be the anniversary of Grandpa Lorne's death and the birth of my nephew Rowan. In NOVEMBER my dad left us and my little GRacie girl came to us. It is the 11th month of the year and as the earth begins to cool, this momma's heart is just warming up.
Sit down, buckle up and get ready to GET REAL. This is your TUESDAY, kick your own ass post. As you have read, The Coach has been sharing snippets of her VISION BOARD and has been gracious enough to even let us in on her private thoughts/hopes/wishes around what each image means to her. Today, I want to challenge you to reach deep and make one goal for this week that challenges YOU in terms of BEING YOUR BEST.
In my post yesterday I asked you what you were accountable for? I did get some great comments and emails. It is natural that many of us are focusing on household tasks, work projects, and of course family projects. But truth be told, I am wondering what is making you tick. It is NOVEMBER and this month's book choice thanks to this cool chick is Momma Zen. So mommas, let's get Zen. Whoa Mollie, come back here.
Let me translate... A comment a while back from Jude was about how fortunate this generation is because as women we talk, we share and we commiserate. I agree w-h-o-l-e heartedly. The beauty is that Martini Mommas have aligned with so many cool chicks that read this blog and share their own stories on where they are going. There are artists, entrepreneurs, SAHMs, teachers, nurses, personal trainers, accountants, social workers, women everywhere who are on a path of some kind to GREATNESS! Is it coincidence that this network of POWERHOUSE WOMEN is growing? NO WAY! Life is a journey and this is part of the evolution.
I know Brent and Mollie are now having coffee together at Starbucks.
But seriously, with all of the power and spirituality that is flowing through this blog, I am asking you to be accountable this week to yourself. What are you going to do FOR YOU? This doesn't have to be a new outfit from Lulu (although it could be), it doesn't have to be a HUGE undertaking. Let's break off little pieces and celebrate together.
So, for me, I am going to work hard at recognizing when situations are NOT perfect and just be. The idiots version is that I am going to focus on NOT judging a situation OR feeling guilt about my actions.
Here's a quick example, my disclosure is that I am pretty sure my MIL does NOT read this blog...Sunday night my in-laws came for dinner. Throughout the evening she (whom I ADORE) made mention of several things that we (Team Parnell) do differently than she does. With each instance I had an internal battle on whether or not I need to defend Team Parnell. I did not and I do not need to defend. We are a little battle troop on our own journey.
SO, my goal this week is to just BE and ACCEPT whatever situation I am in without judgment. I will simply tell myself, how interesting that she does blank her way. End of story.
Btw - it is ok to consume copious amounts of wine during the process, whatever your process is, as long as you are HONORING YOURSELF!
OK, what are you going to do for YOU this week?
Happy November - Wow, can you believe it's November. Our weekend was great other than one neighbor who scared the living daylights out of poor little Gracie. He was dressed as a skeleton and sat on the steps completely still. Apparently he only came to life to scare 2 year olds! Nice. Here's a peak at our goblins...
Too much candy, too little sleep and too many activities. All fun but I am thrilled it is a new week and a clean slate. Aside from doing on camera interviews, this momma is going to get back to business. Here are 3 things I am focusing on this week:
1. Rolling with the punches. Yep, I am going to think about being flexible and going where the moment takes me.
2. Turnips. Yes, I said turnips. Team Parnell is trying to add in a new veggie whenever possible.
3. Write, write, write. This week rounds the deadline for my foodie article. I am so on it.
What are you focusing on??? Come on, be accountable and leave it here in the comments section!
