Friday, April 10, 2015

Bunnies and Rainbows and Stuff #UseYourWords April 2015

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.





My words are:
eggs ~ spring ~ bunnies ~ babies ~ pastel ~ rainbows

They were submitted by: Spatulas on Parade    (Thank you for the amazing words! So perfect for this time of the year! <3)


Growing up, I really did not celebrate holidays. My dad just was not into it. We didn't decorate or have parties or anything of the like. We would visit family, which I loved. I did not mind not celebrating. Now, I am a mom. I definitely think having babies changes things. All the things. Now, I mind not celebrating. Now, I want to make every holiday fun for Gigi (formerly known as Weewee) and Embee.

If I am being honest, since Embee came into my life, I have been pretty good at the whole holidays thing. Lately, I have slacked off. If I am completely honest, it is because of my health. Most days, I celebrate being able to get out of bed, and then I push myself to take care of Gigi and her needs. I do it happily. She makes me happy. Every struggle and pain pales in comparison to my love for her. 

Now, here it is, Spring again! Such a wonderful time of year. I usually decorate for Spring and Easter. I haven't this year. Usually my house and windows are full of bunnies and eggs and flowers in beautiful pastel shades of every color of the rainbow. Heck, there may even be rainbows and fluffy clouds on my windows. Not this year. 

Part of me forgives myself. I know what struggles I am working through. Part of me hates myself for not being a perfect mom. Gigi deserves to live in a house that is decorated for every holiday. I am falling sadly short of my expectations for myself. It has to stop. I need to step up my mom game. I need to be better. 

So, I was hoping you guys could help me! Could you flood the comments with your traditions and what you do to help your kids celebrate and enjoy this time of year?! Please. What crafts do you make? How do you decorate? Any fun foods you make? Tell me. I am all ears. I have decided to create a binder of holiday ideas. I want to make sure to have plenty of ideas for each holiday, so I am never short of things to do. I want to make sure Gigi enjoys every holiday. I want them to be special for her.

When she looks around our house and yard, I want it to be obvious to her what holiday is coming up. Let's face it, decorating is fun. Arts and crafts are fun. I want so badly to be a fun mom. I don't want her to be twenty-five and looking back on her childhood traditions, and thinking we never really celebrated but that was because my mom was sick. I want her to look back and think, my mom was sick but she always made holidays special. 

I am very new to this whole mommy thing, and to celebrating holidays. My dad wasn't a celebrator. That is fine. I am content with it. I want more for Gigi though. Maybe it is because she is my miracle, but I just think she deserves the best of everything. 

So, if you don't mind... please give me some ideas (you don't mind me using) in the comments and then go visit my friend's. See what words they received and how the used them! I hope you have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!



Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

                Baking In A Tornado                 
Spatulas on Parade 
The Momisodes
Southern Belle Charm   
Confessions of a part-time working mom   
Someone Else's Genius 
Stacy Sews and Schools    
Searching for Sanity
Sparkly Poetic Weirdo  
Climaxed  
Eileen's Perpetually Busy   
Juicebox Confession 
Battered Hope 

A sad side note: I wrote this blog during two different sittings. I read my words, and knew what I would write. In between my writing sessions, tragedy struck my family. My beloved cousin died unexpectedly. He was only 26. It has hit myself and my family very hard. I would like to note, that in the beginning of this post, I mentioned I celebrated holidays with family. That sent me down memory lane. Remember back to celebrating with my family. Two days after I wrote that, my cousin died. Going down memory lane made me want to reach out to my cousins. Tell them all hello and see how they were. I did not get around to messaging MattMatt before he died. I am so upset that I didn't reach out to him that very day. Never miss the chance to seize the moment and reach out to your loved ones. As cliche' as it is, life truly is short.
I love you, MattMatt. I love you so much. 


                                                    
                        

8 comments:

  1. First of all, you have GOT to cut yourself some slack. You love Gigi and that really is enough. The rest of the stuff is just... stuff!!! With Colin in the hospital, we didn't get to do any of the stuff we would usually do and it was OK. All the kids know that I love them and that being together is what matters most. (Also, there's no such thing as a perfect mom.;) )
    Second, when you are feeling better, check out Pinterest. That's where I get a ton of inspiration and ideas. :D
    HUGS HUGS HUGS!!!!

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  2. You are a great mom. Kids know when they are loved, the rest is just superfluous.
    For me, celebrations are less about being big and more about participation. When my kids were little I needed a shank bone for the Passover plate. I had my kids draw one. To this day that's the only shank bone on our Passover plate year after year.

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  3. I beat myself up for years, as a single Mom I never thought what I did was enough. I apologized to my daughter a few years ago for something in particular. Her comment " Mom, I don't remember that. I just remember that you loved me".
    So sorry for the loss of your cousin. Hugs and good thoughts headed your way

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  4. I am the same way and you are by no means alone in your struggles. So sorry for the loss of your cousin - it is never easy. You are in my thoughts.

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  5. Remember first you are human.

    I cannot remember all the crafts or hobbies we did around the holidays but I remember feeling loved and feeling cherished by my mom.

    As for crafts around Christmas we always bake cookies, do a cookie exchange and ornaments.

    I volunteer with kids and every holiday/event the biggest hit is face painting-or doing prop booths where you can take pics with silly holiday props like boas, necklaces, huge hearts, jack o lanterns, or whatever we can find.

    But seriously, it's all about showering them with love and doing what works for your family 💕

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  6. Even though I am one of those crafts & bake Moms I don't think that C would feel like missing out if I didn't. Well, as long as the Easter Bunny visited and brought chocolate and eggs ;-)
    Soon Gigi will be old enough to help, and I hope you'll be up to do stuff with her health-wise. It doesn't take much. Have her paint paper, cut it out egg-shaped.

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  7. My condolences for the loss of your cousin. I understand how you feel totally. We never celebrated any of the big holidays when I was a child, and I don't want that life for my daughter, but having no childhood traditions to recall and revive makes it hard for me. I basically had to start from scratch when creating her holidays, and it is a definite struggle. Be gentle to yourself right now. At the end of the day the things your kids will remember will be the people, not the decorations, not the food, but the ones who were there to help them to celebrate.

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  8. So sorry about your cousin -- He was too young and I can't imagine what you are going through. So very sorry

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