Bringing up the Good

I feel like I tend to talk about things that I don’t like, that I’m not good at, and things that frustrate me too often on this blog.

I get frustrated over little things. I stress too much about money. I nag my husband. I’m a perfectionist about too many things. I am a Dr. Pepper addict. I would rather sleep late than get up. The days Noah is really whiny [usually only if he is teething], I anticipate bedtime more than a mother probably should. I spoil my son. I am not really a good driver [although I’ve never gotten a ticket or had a wreck]. I tend to complain. If I had the money to do it, I would shop way to much. I am guilty of shutting down when I get upset or aggravated about something. I get ill with people who can’t drive. I get ill with people who are too liberal and don’t understand my conservative, republican viewpoints. I sometimes question even the most well-intentioned things.

But what about the good things? Sure, there are bad qualities that I need to work on. Everyone has them. But I have a lot of good ones too. What about the things I am good at? The things that I do love? The things that I do enjoy?

I can bake up a storm. Seriously. I can cook too, but I think I inherited my baking skills from my Grandmothers. I make killer deserts. Even I didn’t think I would gain 500 pounds, I would bake all the time. Guess it’s a good thing my husband isn’t big on sweets. I’m also a pretty good cook. I used not to think that I was. My lack of interest in the kitchen growing up always seemed to draw in ridicule by my mom and my sister. I was easily the brunt of their jokes because I didn’t spend hours in the kitchen learning how to cook things I had no interest in eating; or cooking things that I had a recipe to follow. [Isn’t that what recipe books are for?].

I can clean. And I mean really, really clean. Like a maid service. Well, better than a maid service. And I can do it fast. I can clean my entire house [if Josh is watching Noah and I don’t have to stop] in no more than 2 hours. I mean, scrub the kitchen, sweep and mop the kitchen and both bathrooms, clean every inch of the bathroom (including scrub the tub out), make the beds, change the sheets, vacuum the floors (the couch, & stairs too), dust the entire house, do laundry, wash windows, straighten the closets, pick up toys…2 hours. Tops.

I have great hair. I’ve always gotten compliments on my hair. Even the times that I go without getting a hair cut every 6 weeks. It’s always been healthy. Always shiny. And I take time [most days] to fix it. It’s soft and it’s THICK! (That’s the only reason I keep it layered, otherwise it would easily weigh 10 pounds on it’s own).

I love my eyes. People say they are technically hazel, but they aren’t. They don’t have green and brown. Most days they are either one or the other. One day they may be Olive Green, one day they may be Amber or Honey brown, one day they may even have a teal tint to them. I’m so happy Noah this “changing color” gene from me. His are always a shade of blue, but they change from Aqua, to baby blue, to deep ocean blue, to a grayish blue. He has such beautiful eyes.

I can write. Really well. You may not always see the best of it on this blog, but I can. I was published several times in high school in different Student Literary Magazines and Poetry ensembles. I write Poetry for my family, usually when someone passes away, as a sort of tribute to the life that they have lived. I write Poetry to God…like prayers. I write poetry about my husband. I write short stories and essays. Just because. It’s a gift. I’m just waiting on God to reveal to me how he wants me to use it.

On a similar note, I love to read. It’s by far my greatest passion. I don’t find the time to do it as much as I used to [something I need to work on]. I love the classics-Jane Austen, Hemingway, Frost-but I love the newer, more contemporary authors. Nicholas Sparks [by far my favorite. I buy his books the DAY they hit the shelves], Stephenie Meyer (Yes. I read Twilight. Yes. I am for Team Edward. Yes. I think the Vampire thing is cool.), and some Stephen King. I’m trying to expand my readership (is that a word?) and find some new authors. If you have any suggestions, let me know. I love an interesting blog post. I love a good magazine article. Anything written well and interesting.

I inherited my mom and my grandmothers “crafty” gene. Scrapbooking, painting, I can even needlepoint. It goes along with baking gene that I got. Wait till Christmas time. You will see LOTS of goodies on my blog. My scrapbooks are behind because of the move, but I am hoping to get those caught up by Christmas. I take pretty good pictures. Can’t wait to get my nice, fancy new camera. I paint canvas’. Cut e little quotes, pictures…I did all of the artwork for Noah’s nursery (which reminds me that I never posted photo’s of his completed nursery on my blog. Oops.)

I’m pretty “graphic design” and “computer” oriented. I took one class in college, but have piddled and played around online so much that I have learned how to do a lot of stuff on my own. I do my own blog layouts and designs (using stuff I find on the www of course), I photoshop pretty well. I know my way around the computer and can self fix most problems without having to take my laptop to a pro.

I’m a killer multi-tasker. I can cook, wipe down counters, feed and carry a child while having a conversation and drinking a Dr. Pepper. [That’s just an example of course. I can do lots of different things at one time. I can even blog and rock Noah to sleep.] I’m efficient when I get things on my mind. I think it aggravates the hubster because when I do this I tend to look spaced out because I am concentrating. It’s not that I’m not listening, I just get focused.

I can organize. When I have the tools to do it. I can alphabetize with the best of them, color coordinate, size from smallest to largest or visa-versa, and categorize all day long. I don’t usually waste time organize things that I know are going to get messed up though. For a while I tried to Alphabetize my credit cards and stuff in my wallet. I gave up on that. And I was going to do that with the DVD’s, but they would never stay that way. Most everything in my house has a designated assigned space and I like things kept there. [I think doctors would call that OCD.]

I am really good at doing makeup. I took a class back in my “pageant” days and have been able to do it ever since. I’ve given a few lessons over the past few years, and it’s something I enjoy doing as a side project. I was good at pageants too. God blessed me with fabulous interview skills.

I was good at school. [I say was becase I’m not currently in school.] I graduated with a 4.0, 6th in my class. Went through school never having made below a “B” and the “B’s” were because I started slacking and enjoying myself my Senior Year rather than staying stuck in the books all the time. (Though, I’m sure if you ask my mom, she would tell you that I didn’t study that much to begin with. Even when I wasn’t socializing.) I would have been good at my classes in college, but I had the “party” mentality. Oops. I will say that I made a “B+” in Honors English Comp. my Freshman year. And I made an “A” in College Pre-Cal and Trig. I made a “B” in Honors American Government (which was predominately a debate and essay class). It was just Biology that kicked my tush.

I love my husband and my son. Seriously, They literally light up my life. I don’t know what I would do without either of them. I love getting in the floor and rolling around with Noah. I love to rock him. There is no greater “mommy-happiness” than those quiet moments I spend with him before bedtime. Those moments that he lay his head on my shoulder and goes to sleep with his blankie. I love splashing with him in the pool and the bathtub. [See here for more detailed reasons on what I love about mommyhood.] I love my husband more than anything. I say that, as so many women do, but I really do. I can’t imagine a day of my life without him. He was definately the only person that I could have ever spent my entire life with.

I love to plan. I’m good at it. I’m goal-oriented.

I have a tender-heart and a soft spot…especially for children. I would adopt a dozen of them if I had the means to do it [and the sanity to keep from going crazy on the bad days]. It hurts me to see other people hurting.

There. A look at the positive aspects of life. Not to be bogged down with the negativity. There is enough of that in the world as it is. Time to start putting some positive vibes out there into the universe. Life is too short to be unhappy.