Wondering On Wednesday

Today starts my first experience with an endodontist. If you are not familiar with what an endodontist is, it is someone who specializes in tooth pain, disease and infection. Upon having a CT scan for my sinus issues in February, it was noted that I had an infection in my back upper molar. Thankfully, I had my six month cleaning and exam shortly after my CT scan and brought my CT scan results with to this appointment. Upon further examination, my dentist decided to refer me to the endodontist to see if a root canal is the right treatment for my tooth. I have the initial consult today. I’ve been dreading this day and also just wanting it to get here for a month now.

If you have read my blog in the past, you know that I have anxiety when it comes to going to the dentist, even just for a routine cleaning and exam. You can imagine that possibly needing a root canal is amplifying my anxiety quiet significantly. I feel like I have an elephant sitting on my chest and my heart feels like it’s going to beat right out of my chest. I’m a little over four hours away from said appointment and even though they are just taking pictures of my infected tooth and discussing my plan of treatment with me, I am extremely nervous. This isn’t even or the actual treatment of the tooth, which I will likely be setting that appointment up today and having to deal with the anxious anxiety waiting and worrying about the next appointment.

Having anxiety can be so debilitating. I keep taking deep breaths to slow my heart rate and I’ve tried to hear my sweet Kynnslee’s voice in my head saying, “Mama, I was brave at the dentist so you can be brave too.” I also keep trying to remind myself that the endodontist will not want me to be in any sort of pain while I’ve having a root canal and will do everything to keep me as comfortable as possible when I have the treatment. Also in the back of my mind, I keep reminding myself that hopefully fixing this tooth will help alleviate some of my sinus issues, rid me of headaches and decrease sensitivity along my gum line and help with the dull ache that seems to be present now. The worst thing I have had to deal with my teeth so far has been wisdom teeth removal (which wasn’t all that bad) and crowns put on. I made it through those so I can make it through this too.

Anxiety is taunting me though and telling me it is going to hurt like hell, that my teeth are going to fall out, and that I am going to die. Seriously, anxiety is a real bitch!

Nobody wants to have to deal with teeth issues. I’m sure I’m not the only one today that has to deal with seeing an endodontist and also happens to suffer from anxiety related to teeth. Hopefully anyone reading this in the same boat as me has a smooth sailing appointment and you are in the care of a wonderful specialist. If you are reading this and you have any anxiety related to teeth or going to a dentist, you are not alone. You may feel silly being an adult with this type of fear but from what I gather it is a common anxiety to have amongst adults. My plan is to be open with my endodontist about my fears and anxiety and hopefully they can consider that when figuring out the best ways to keep me comfortable during the actual treatment. Wish me luck and pray that I can get this problem resolved and whatever treatment I end up needing that when the time comes I am able to do it comfortably and all is smooth sailing. Fingers and toes are crossed!!!!!

Aimless 20 Talk Tuesday

1. Just like that February is over and March is here. It’s crazy to think about this time last year. Little did we know the year that was about to be in front of us and how much was about to change. Reflecting back, I still wonder when someone is going to pinch me and wake me up from this nightmare.
2. I hope that this March and the year ahead is better. I can’t help but hope that the old Irish Blessing rings true: “May your troubles be less, your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through your door”.
3. Easter is getting closer. I’m not sure about you Easter Bunnies but this Easter bunny just doesn’t have the energy or desire this year. I feel like I typically go all out with the girl’s baskets but I can’t even think of one thing to fill baskets with this year. I haven’t even been in store shopping for quite a while to see what my options are. I haven’t made the time to go through my girls spring and summer things to even see what they may be in need of. Typically, I already have a good idea of what I’m going to do for them and I am usually done shopping by mid March. I need to get it together. Both my girls LOVE Easter and this bunny can not disappoint. Any ideas for a 4 year old or 8 year old girl…send them my way.
4. Here is your daily reminder to stop what you are doing and drink a tall glass of water.
5. Last night my Fitbit reported that I had ‘poor’ sleep. Indeed I did. There were a few factors that contributed. 1. I love my cat, but Osama was being a bit extra last night. She was pawing at my face, making biscuits on my chest, shaking her head and spraying her saliva all over my face, then she’d paw to go under the blankets only to sit there for 2 minutes before coming back up to my head and doing the same song and dance. 2. My anxiety was also being extra. Therefore my chest was tight, I couldn’t breathe and my mind was racing. 3. My husband’s snoring started at 11pm and didn’t quit. I can’t even tell you how many times I kicked him, hit him, and yelled. Nothing worked. Super annoying.
6. I’m taking Osama to the vet this morning for her gross tooth. I think it’s infected. I don’t believe putting her under to have a tooth pulled at her age (she’s almost 20) is an option. I’ve been told in the past it’s a little risky to put a cat that old under for that. I just feel so bad for her and feel like I’m neglecting her. Her vet is aware of the tooth because he noted it at her last well check.
7. Etta got rollerblades last Easter and was excited initially but hasn’t used them a ton since. Pre Covid we had gone to the roller-skating rink and that is why I decided to get the girls their own roller-skates. Covid happened and it put a stop to doing that. Since the weekend, Etta has been putting her blades on daily and skating in the house. It makes me smile because it was about her age that rollerblading was life. Haha! It was seriously the only thing I loved to do and it was kind of my outlet. I still remember listening to Janet Jackson and Ace of Bace twirling my baton and skating in the garage and up and down my driveway and Shoreview Ct. Those were the days! I think I just dated myself by my music preference too…haha!.
8. I finished reading “Firefly Lane” by Kristin Hannah. It was so good, I didn’t want it to end. I’m already about five episodes deep in the Netflix series and I can’t believe how different the series is so far from the book. I’m now reading, “Everything I never Told You” by Celeste Ng. I’m only about four chapters in and I’m still waiting for it to really grab my attention. So far it’s just not doing it for me. I’ll keep you posted.
9. Yesterday was the anniversary of our transfer date with Kynnslee and our other little embaby that I will never get the pleasure to know. I often think about our lost embryos that held so many possibilities and dreams. This day makes me so incredibly happy and thankful and also filled with grief. No one really ever talks about this type of loss and it is significant for Mamas who carried their babies for a short time only to lost them and for the Mama’s hold their babies in their hearts and not in their arms. However, looking at Kynnslee brings me so much joy and I am forever grateful she fought hard to be here. I wonder if she will ever know how hard we fought for her to be here too and ever know the full depth of our love for her.
10. Awe. My heart is happy. There is this adorable cat at our local Pawfee Shop named Luna. Luna was there when Etta an I visited that day and she was running non-stop on her hamster wheel. She’s a white and grey female and she has markings on her face that make her look like she has a beard and mustache. She was absolutely full of life and a whole lot of sweetness. I see she finally got adopted and is going to her fur-ever home tomorrow.
11. We are a month and 14 days from our potential dig date. Shit that makes me both so nervous and excited.
12. Last year, I decided to do a C25K program from start to finish. I have always hated running and had started the C25K program in the past but could never finish. Well, last year I completed it start to finish. On Sunday, I started the C210K program. Wish me luck. I still hate running, but I can tell that by doing it more frequently it has gotten a bit better. Although, it’s always going to be a mind over matter thing for me.
13. My husband trimmed his beard and mustache down the shortest that he’s had it in a long time. He looks like he has a baby face again. He thinks I haven’t noticed because I haven’t said anything but trust me, I notice everything.
14. I didn’t wear my winter coat at all yesterday when I was out and about. It was so nice to just have on a light fleece and also feel the warmth of the sun when I was driving around.
15. Our church is going to have VBS in person this summer. Etta is going to be thrilled. Kynnslee is also old enough for me to sign her up to do it too (not sure if she will enjoy it as much as Etta though).
16. Etta’s Spring break is coming up at the end of March. We typically go to a water park and enjoy some family time together. I wish we could do something just the four of us. We all need quality time together and a change of scenery.
17. Tomorrow is the day I go in for my consult at the Endodontics office for a possible root canal. I say possible because my dentist thought I had a crack in my tooth and depending on the severity the tooth may not be able to be salvaged. Funny thing is, I’m in no pain. A little bit of slight throbbing and sensitivity along the gum line, but that’s it. Wish me luck folks. I am dreading it all but also am hoping that after this tooth is taken care of I notice a difference in how I’ve been feeling. I’ve been having sinus issues and daily headaches for a while and I think that this infection could be part of the problem.
18. I miss watching the little boy that I used to have part-time. Kynnslee especially misses him. My heart breaks for her because she really enjoyed playing with him and she still asks when he’s coming back. I know she could really use more social time, however, I don’t think I’m going to bring in anyone new at this time.
19. Yesterday, I did my meal plan and grocery pick up order. Up on the menu starting Mar 6-14: Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole & Side Salad, Garlic Parmesan Chicken Stew and fresh bread, White Chicken Chili and Corn Bread Muffins, Taco Lasagna and refried beans and Mexican Rice, Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Shells and garlic bread, Cheesy Sausage Potato and Broccoli Skillet, French Bread Chicken Alfredo Pizza and side salad. Wow-Lots of carbs and Chicken in this menu. Ah well! If you want recipes for anything that sounds good, let me know!
20. I hope you all have Tuesday filled with positives.

Mombie Mondays

Mombies my anxiety is sky high today. Wednesday, I go see the endodontic for my consult about my tooth that needs a root canal (if the tooth can even be salvaged to have the root canal). When it comes to my teeth, needing a root canal has always been one of my biggest fears. I have been dreading this week since I was told I needed a root canal at my last cleaning appointment in February. It’s just not a fun way to start the week and waiting for Wednesday afternoon to roll around is making me feel even more anxious. I can’t imagine how I will be feeling when I have the appointment set to do the root canal and will have to wait around for that day to come. At this point, I hope it can be taken care of sooner then later.

Low and behold, I am not the only one who experiences anxiety when it comes to going to the dentist. I am a part of a local mom’s group and there was a thread about this very things this morning. Someone was inquiring about the exact place I am going to on Wednesday and the procedure itself. The person who made the post sounds exactly like me. It will be her fist time needing a root canal and has lots of anxiety surrounding the dentist and the idea of needing a root canal. It makes me feel a tad better reading some of the comments that have come through.

Someone said that they were put under for a root canal because their anxiety was so bad and the procedure was a breeze. Someone else said they’d rather have a root canal then have to have a general cleaning and the procedure was a thousand times better then they had expected it to be. Another person said that they generally take an anxiety medication 30 minutes before and with the help of nitrous oxide and nonvaccine they feel much more relaxed.

I’ve never taking anxiety medication before but I am seriously considering asking if they can prescribe me it before I need this work done. I have had fillings and crown work done with both nitrous oxide and/or nonvaccine and I didn’t feel much pain. It is just the anxiety and my heart beating out of my chest that is uncomfortable. I could request to be put under but I don’t know if they will think I will need that since I’ve been able to have crown work done without it.

I’m just trying to remember to breathe today. Even my four year old has had some filling work done and she said to me this morning, “Mama, remember how brave I was…I know you can be that brave too.” I guess I just have to keep telling myself that I can do this, that I will feel a lot better once this infection is taken care of, and I can be brave like my daughter.

If you are going into today or this week with anxiety. I feel for you. It’s not my friend and I know it isn’t yours. It can be debilitating. It’s hard to truly understand or hard to explain the grasp it can have on you unless you’ve experienced it for yourself. Just remember to breathe. For me, I just keep telling myself that the person doing my root canal doesn’t want me to be in any sort of pain either and they will do all they can do make me as comfortable as possible. Keep telling yourself all the positive things and also know you are not alone and this is only temporary.

Sacred Sunday

This is the sight that my eyes got to enjoy yesterday late afternoon. The picture doesn’t do the actual beauty of this justice. Pictures never compare to seeing something for yourself and experiencing it in person. I guess that is why you so often hear that life is meant to be lived. Beauty surrounds us in our everyday. Sometimes, the beauty is unexpected. Sometimes, it is exactly what you need in that particular moment. Sometimes it can be breath taking and you don’t want to peel your eyes away from it. I don’t think these beautiful moments happen by chance. Beauty in nature is a gift from God. It does something to your soul, makes you feel refreshed and renewed and has a way of making you especially grateful for that moment.

Thank you God for blessing me with another day and the unexpected beauty you provide us when we least expect it. It is truly a gift. You have a way of putting in all into perspective. You have a way of always calming my anxious heart and reminding me to take a moment to take a deep breath and take it all in. Most importantly, it reminds me to thank you for this moment in time that I’m living and for all the beauty you provide us in our daily lives. We only get this one life to live and sometimes I find myself taking that for granted. This past year we have felt robbed of our normalcy and sometimes it has been so incredibly hard to live the way we want. However, each day that I wake up, I know that it is a gift. It is up to me to choose my attitude, to have a grateful and thankful heart, and I am in charge of choosing things that make me happy and align with what I believe in. Thank you God, for another day full of beauty, second chances, and eye opening reminders. Most of all, thank you reminding me of your goodness and that I am never alone. Your blessings are endless and I feel guilty on the days I don’t take the time to thank you. Thank you!

Amen!

Simple Saturday

My husband is out ice fishing.

The girls have hair cuts in about an hour.

The sun is shining.

Thank you God for another day.

Sometimes simple days are the best kind of days.

Free Friday

“Time spent amongst trees is never wasted time.“

-Katrina Mayer

I don’t know about you, but when the weather hits 40 degrees in Wisconsin, the sun is shining and the snow is starting to melt it just makes me feel alive again. There is nothing better then being in nature when signs of Spring are approaching. There is just so much to enjoy, look forward to, explore and be thankful for.

Those of you who enjoy camping know that there is a very specific smell the second you pull into a State Park. It’s a mix of fresh air, trees and campfires burning. My husband will tell you that it is one of the most glorious smells on Earth. Although he enjoys camping more then I do, I’d have to agree that it is up there on the list of one of my favorite smells. It’s a total experience actually. It is one of the things I looking forward to getting to experience again here really soon.

Spring is one of the best seasons in my opinion. It is a reminder that change is happening and how beautiful change can be. It’s a reminder that we never stay stuck, even when the Winter feels long. It’s a sign of hope as we anticipate the blooming of flowers, the budding of trees, and grass coming alive again. When we step outside we can hear the birds singing, see wild life and their babies being born and the laughter and noises of children at play. Spring is filled with so much promise, hope, anticipation and happiness.

If you’ve been dealing with the Winter blues, the end is near my friends. I encourage you to get out in nature and observe the changes taking place and also take in how being among the trees makes your soul come alive again too. When you are in nature take a moment to take in your surroundings, then close your eyes, take a deep breath and exhale. You will feel alive again too. Being in nature, for me anyways, is always good medicine. I never regret the opportunity to enjoy it. Nature makes me feel refreshed and renewed. A day in nature is never wasted and the benefits are uplifting and could even be life saving. It’s something that many of us take for granted and can be simply breathtaking this life we are living.

Thankful Thursday

Lately, I’ve just been so thankful for the things in my everyday that feel somewhat back to normal.

It’s kind of a stretch to say that things feel completely normal again because I think we are still far from any type of real normalcy. However, I decided today that I am going to take one of those calculated risks and take my youngest daughter to tot time at Extreme Air (a local trampoline park). I don’t anticipate there being a ton of people there. If we get there and I am wrong, it will be a no brainer to turn around and go home. We plan on taking precautions: washing our hands upon arrival, wearing masks, and staying a safe distance away from others who are there.

Sadly, all the things that Kynnslee and I used to to together we haven’t been really able to do since Covid. The past couple months I can see a major switch in her moods and behavior. She has also been emotional, and voicing to me how much she just wants to feel like her old self again. It breaks my heart. About the only interaction she’s had with other children are our neighborhood kids (which are mostly all older kids that Etta plays with and Kynnslee will go outside with Etta to play) and when she goes to preschool. However, preschool is only two times a week and totals 5 hours. In my mind, that just isn’t enough social time or interaction with other kids for someone her age. Covid has made it extremely difficult for SAHM’s and getting out of the house with our littles because most things are still closed. We used to have play dates, go to the park, go to the library for story time and play, and do lots of fun outings like we are doing today.

Tot time today at Extreme Air is only from 10am-Noon. I guess I just want to see her smile again. I want to see her laugh and have fun. I want to see her be able to get outside of our house and possibly interact with other kids her age. Movement, play, and exploration are also so important. This past year all of the above have been lacking.

Judge me all you want for taking her to a germ fest such as a trampoline park, but I also believe that mental and emotional health are important too. It seems this past year, nurturing our mental health has been lacking. At times it feels like we’ve all been in survival mode trying to make it from day to day. It’s no way to live. Life is meant to be lived! Imagine living like this as a child? I don’t know about you, but this isn’t living and this past year has robbed our children of so much.

So today, I’m going to create some normal in our day. I’m going to go out and make some memories. I am going to take as much precaution as I can while striving to do something fun with my child. Of course, I’d never do anything to purposely put my children in harms way. However, I have to ask myself if by not nurturing her mental health this past year in an effort to dodge Covid, has it been harmful to her in any way? I just sometimes wonder what the long term effects of this past year will have on our children and how it will shape them for years to come.

Enough of that though, today I’m just going to live in the moment for a couple hours and try to soak in what feels somewhat normal, while I watch my sweet daughter be a kid, smile and have fun. This has all been so hard and we all deserve some joy again.

Wondering On Wednesday

Do you ever just stop and look at your child(ren) and feel this burst of complete joy, love, gratefulness, and happiness?

I can’t help but look at this picture of my beautiful daughters, that I took of them this morning, and smile. I just love them so damn much I could cry! Truly, how did I get so lucky that God made me their Mama? I have heard many times that God created exactly the Mama our children were meant to have and we are the exact Mama that they need. Can I get an Amen? I remind myself of this often because there are days I feel guilty that I haven’t been the best Mom and Mom guilt takes over. There are other days that they haven’t been the best kiddos and those are times when I look at them and my heart is bursting with other things that are far from positive.

It is a fact, my girls can drive me completely bonkers at times. They can be sassy, difficult, messy, not good listeners and inconsiderate (among other things). However, the good that they are sure outweighs the bad. They are also affectionate, loving, adventurous, sweet, funny, creative and bright (and so much more).

Like any family unit we are not perfect. The list of imperfections are oceans deep, in fact. Each of us as individuals have our own unique flaws as well. I know it’s a shocker then that I tell you I am far from a perfect mom. Being an imperfect Mama is nothing to be ashamed of. I own the fact that I am an imperfect Mama. If I had instead told you I was a perfect Mom and meant it, I’d hope you all would be worried about me and gave me an earful that knocked some sense into me. No Mama is perfect, I don’t care how Pinteresty you are!

This past year alone, I can’t even count on my fingers and toes how many times I said I needed a break from my girls and/or that I needed a vacation. I often yell, lose my patience, and don’t always want to give them my attention. Honestly, I threatened to ship them to the moon on more then one occasion too. This is coming from a Mama who desperately wanted these girls and even tried to have another child. The things is, it’s normal to admit that you need a break away as a Mama. Breaks away from these beings that we love with our whole entire hearts is healthy and needed. Believe it or not, they need breaks away from us too.

However, why is it though that when they are both at school, and it’s quiet and that short break comes, my heart longs for the time that I can pick them up from school and hug them tight and kiss their soft and very sweet cheeks again? It never fails, no matter if they are being brats or not and I’m ready to ship them to the moon, that when they are finally away, my heart just aches to be in their presence again? I miss seem to miss them even more on the days they were being turds and I needed that break away.

To answer my own question, I think it goes back to what I said at the beginning. No matter what, the good that our children are always outweighs the bad. The love we feel about them is unconditional and the love they give us nothing compares, no matter what. As their mama, we are forever bonded together in the most special way. I just hope that when we are apart, my girls miss me as much as I miss them. I hope they know how much this Mama loves them and how much I always will. They have my heart and they always will even on the days when shipping them to the moon sounds like a good idea. I may be an imperfect Mama, but my love for them is oceans deep and I pray they can feel that even on our most imperfect day.

Aimless 20 Talk Tuesday

1. Here is your Tuesday reminder to stop what you are doing and drink a tall glass of water!
2. Kynnslee still wears pull ups when she sleeps. She is 4. She likes to drink throughout the night and then sleeps so soundly that she doesn’t wake up when she needs to go to the bathroom. I know the first step would be to get her to stop drinking throughout the night, however, Etta is the same way and likes to have something to drink. Honestly, as an adult, I like to have water to drink throughout the night too. So maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I’m not sure that taking away the drink will be an option. We are on day two in a row of leaking through her pull up, this week alone. I don’t know what to do to get her to start getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Note, she rarely, if ever, has a daytime accident anymore. This is just a problem overnight. I know I can not be alone in this, but I’m also not finding a ton of people openly talking about night time bed wetting with their children to possibly get tips and advice on how to fix this issue. If you are reading this and have a night time bed wetting issue with your child please tell me all the things!
3. I’ve had a couple friends ask about my flank pain and how it has been doing. Honestly, (and knock on wood) I haven’t noticed it since I went to the doctor and had my x-ray. Maybe the doctor I saw was right and I truly was just constipated. She said since I appeared to be so backed up that it could have been putting pressure in my flank area mocking the pain of kidney stone pain. I mean, I will surely take constipation over kidney stones any day. Thank you to all of you who have cared enough about me to follow up and check in, I appreciate you!
4. April is going to be here before we know it. April is my anniversary month. It is infertility awareness month. It is also the month that our 3rd child could have been born had our last IVF cycle worked.
5. Every since day Kynnslee asks us, “Is it my birthday yet?” and when we tell her it isn’t her follow up question is always, “Well, how many days until my birthday?” This morning she looked at me with endearing eyes and said, “Mama, I just love birthdays so much and my birthday is just taking too long to get here.” She then sighed a very deep sigh of impatience. I’ve never met a child who is so passionate about their birthday as our little lady. I always find this odd because she got stuck with a Winter birthday around the hunting season and we have never really thrown her an extravagant birthday. Her celebrations have been extremely simple but she’s always thought that her birthday is the best day in the whole world. I mean, this mama doesn’t disagree. Her birthday was simply the best day!
6. My cat barfed on our bedroom carpet on Saturday. Our carpet cleaner vacuum died long ago. My husband had all his Menards rebates saved and had enough rebate money to buy a new carpet cleaner. Of course, this limited our choices and we likely got another crappy cleaner BUT it did the trick for now and cleaned our carpets, and buying one didn’t make a huge dent in our pocket books since he used his rebate money! Win-win in my book.
7. When you realize that you need money down in order to get your construction loan and it’s a significant amount…and you also realize you are not capable of pooping out a money tree. We are kind of stressed out right now. I just looked at my husband and told him to take a deep breath and it will somehow, someway all work out.
8. I also so kindly asked my hubby to take chicken out for dinner tonight since he was up and down the stairs a few times this morning. Guess who took the chicken out? Me.
9. Next Wednesday I go to the endodontist for my consult for my tooth. I don’t want to. Supposedly they will just be taking pictures of the tooth and talking to me about treatment and if they recommend the root canal we will be scheduling the appointment. There may be a crack in that tooth though and if it’s significant enough the tooth may not be salvageable to do a root canal, in that case it would need to be pulled. I’m hoping that isn’t the case either. Ugh. I hate teeth. I have so much anxiety about this I just honestly want to get it all done and over with. It’s crazy they couldn’t get me in until March and I’ve had to sit with the anxiety this long.
10. I wish my calling in life would just come to me. I wish I knew what it was exactly that I wanted to do for a job so I could start working towards doing what it takes to get there. I am still just so lost as to what I need to do next. What is holding me back, is the deeper question?
11. It feels like a heat wave in Eastern, WI this week. I’ll take it! Now, if all the snow could just start melting and stay away I’d be even happier.
12. I’m curious what you all think about the engagement of Aaron Rodgers an Shailene Woodley? I feel like when I first heard this my facial expression was that of someone very perplexed. I’m honestly still feeling very perplexed about it. However, I did read that his ex, Danica Patrick is (or maybe that is now a was) friends with Shailene Woodley and she actually was the one that introduced Aaron to Shailene. I find this to be very odd and it leaves me wanting to know more gossip…haha!
13. My sister and I had a lovely two hour coffee date AT a coffeeshop yesterday. We were able to sit at a table away from anyone else and they had the inside tables and furniture spaced enough away so you can safely be seated. This makes the building capacity less, but it wasn’t too busy when we were there yesterday making it an issue. It was just so nice to be able to visit with my sister and catch up for two hours, and have our visit be uninterrupted by the kids. It was also just nice to get out of the house and be in a different environment, again making life feel a bit normal again for a second.
14. I’ve had TikTok downloaded for a couple weeks now and I still just find myself watching the reels, not so much posting. I’m still clueless how to post, haha! The girls and I have been entertained watching the silly cat reels though.
15. On Sunday, I was also able to catch up via video chat with a long time friend from high school. We also had a nice couple hours chat and it was so nice to connect with her. I am so terrible sometimes about making a point and taking the time to connect with friends.
16. Etta and I finished book one in her book series we are reading together. It is the Lighting Girls Series. I loved that she picked up on all the humor in the book and hearing her laughter and giggles is always pure joy! We start book two tomorrow (because tonight is her Dad’s night to put her to bed).
17. I made it 100% of Monday’s in February getting my workouts in. This makes two months in a row of completing all Monday’s. Of course I worked out other days too, but it’s nice to commit to a day to try and stick with that specific day each month. Small goals always have the potential of becoming big goals!
18. Have you checked out Resolve’s Kitchen Table Conversations yet? If not, and you are interested in real talk and real conversations surrounding infertility I highly suggest checking this link out. https://resolve.org/support/helpful-resources/kitchen-table-conversations-web-series/
19. I’ve been obsessed with eating the Marketside or Taylor Farms salad kits for lunch. They are so good! Then my husband always teases me because I eat them out of a big Tupperware container. He thinks it’s weird that I do this.
20. Well, I took down a bunch of wall decorations yesterday and they are just leaning up against my living room wall right now. I need to start getting them all packaged and packed away before they get broken. They are not going to pack themselves. I hope you all have an awesome Tuesday.

Mombie Monday

We often hear that mindset is everything. In fact, even my 8 year old daughter talks about the importance of growth mindset. She also has no problem calling me out. If I were to say, “Gosh, I feel like such a failure” and my daughter hears me she will quickly label me as having a fixed mindset and and will give me examples of how to have a growth mindset. If my 3rd grader can identify this I think is super important for us Mombies to realize how our mindset can affect our day and even our children.

Whenever a challenge arises, big or small, your mindset will control how you are able to cope with that challenge. Not only this, but mindset also will shape our overall experience. If you are facing a challenge in your life, are you seeing this challenge as a limitation or are you seeing it as a source of opportunity to grow and learn? If you see it as a limitation then moving past the challenge will prove to be much more difficult.

Today, try to be hyper aware of your mindset. It’s easy to fall into a fixed mindset and it is much harder to try and develop a growth mindset. Positive self talk, uplifting and positie language you use, awareness of what you need, learning and applying positive mindsets, surrounding yourself with people who want you to succeed, daily habits, and getting outside of your comfort zone are all ways to improve your overall mindset. Your life will echo if you are in a fixed mindset or if you are working on developing a growth mindset.

Reflect on and/or journal about your mindset today. How are you feeling? What about your mindset is fixed and how can you gravitate towards growth? Challenge yourself to dig deep. We are all a work in progress every single day. It’s what you do with your time and energy that is important in being the best you that you can possibly be.