I spent this weekend enjoying my last weekend with the girls before school starts Sept 3. (What? There's one more weekend, you say? Yes, I know. But that's a daddy weekend ... so I got to do our last play weekend this weekend. Therefore, writing FMF on Monday this week.)
On Fridays, we follow 3 easy rules.
1. write for 5 minutes flat. No editing, backtracking, over thinking. Typos welcome. (As much as I hate them, I try to leave them, except when it alters the meaning of what I was writing. Then, confession, I fix it).
2. Link up here. Invite others to join.
3. And then, the best part. You visit the person who linked up before you and leave them encouragement in their comments. It's the rule. And the heart of our FMF community.
So, here you have it. My 5 minutes on
LAST
It's the end of summer, and we're getting to the first day of school. Which is the :LAST first day of kindergarten in this house. I have 2 darling little girls, and am so blessed to have them both in my life. There were days when I thought we'd have more kids, and so I wonder if I didn't hold onto - savor - the last "first" memories as well as I might have. But the reality is that my immediate family is a family of 3. So I give thanks for the girls under my roof and take an extra minute to pause with each of them. Remembering the last firsts, and rejoicing with them both at their first firsts (S's first day of 3rd grade, A's first day of kindergarten) instead of wishing the moments away with thoughts of "there will not be another one with a first day of kindergarten". Celebrating my girls' fabulous love for school; their joy at walking out the door to a year filled with excitement. The lasts still come, to be sure, but the perspective is so much better when I savor the lasts as I watch them look at those very same moments as their firsts.
STOP.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Small (Five Minute Friday)
It's time for Five Minute Friday. Where we follow 3 easy rules and write from the heart for 5 quick minutes.
1. Set your timer and write for 5 minutes on the word of the week. Typos welcome. Don't backtrack, edit, or overthink. Just toss it out there.
2. Link up here with Lisa-Jo and the rest of the writing crowd
3. Visit the post of the brave writer who linked before you and leave them a little encouragement. That's the best part of FMF. Come play along with us!
Small.
Sometimes it's the smallest things that make the largest difference in our lives. September 3, 1994 was one of those days for me. It was a Saturday. (How do I remember? I overslept my alarm clock. For maybe the first time ever). I was supposed ot go on the band road trip to Alasbama that day. (story for another day). we were leaving at oh-dark-30 and I overslept. Woke up and was sad. Oh so sad, for missing all the fun, and for not making the bus I'd promised to be on.
Turned out it was the best oversleeping day ever. Because instead of spending my birthday with the band at a game (and really, there's no place I'd rather be than with my band friends), I had a day back on campus as a freshman, still figuring out my place in the owrld. And in the midst of that, I went for a walk with a new friend, and we had a really long, long and deep, deep talk. By deep, I mean the deepest there is. Kind of random with a little freshman girl and this older senior guy. But it was all part of a bigger plan than I could see that morning. because after that talk with that friend, the light went on. And I realized that I was not where I should be, and yet in the very place I should be all at the same time.
And late that night, on my 18th birthday, I got saved. Asked Jesus into my heart and my life has never been the same since. For once, I can say with great rejoicing, I am thankful to have overslept my alarm. Without that, I'd not be the woman I am today.
Stop.
1. Set your timer and write for 5 minutes on the word of the week. Typos welcome. Don't backtrack, edit, or overthink. Just toss it out there.
2. Link up here with Lisa-Jo and the rest of the writing crowd
3. Visit the post of the brave writer who linked before you and leave them a little encouragement. That's the best part of FMF. Come play along with us!
Small.
Sometimes it's the smallest things that make the largest difference in our lives. September 3, 1994 was one of those days for me. It was a Saturday. (How do I remember? I overslept my alarm clock. For maybe the first time ever). I was supposed ot go on the band road trip to Alasbama that day. (story for another day). we were leaving at oh-dark-30 and I overslept. Woke up and was sad. Oh so sad, for missing all the fun, and for not making the bus I'd promised to be on.
Turned out it was the best oversleeping day ever. Because instead of spending my birthday with the band at a game (and really, there's no place I'd rather be than with my band friends), I had a day back on campus as a freshman, still figuring out my place in the owrld. And in the midst of that, I went for a walk with a new friend, and we had a really long, long and deep, deep talk. By deep, I mean the deepest there is. Kind of random with a little freshman girl and this older senior guy. But it was all part of a bigger plan than I could see that morning. because after that talk with that friend, the light went on. And I realized that I was not where I should be, and yet in the very place I should be all at the same time.
And late that night, on my 18th birthday, I got saved. Asked Jesus into my heart and my life has never been the same since. For once, I can say with great rejoicing, I am thankful to have overslept my alarm. Without that, I'd not be the woman I am today.
Stop.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Lonely (Five Minute Friday)
Hello, Friday! I've just gotten home from a delightful night out with my brother. He's relocated to DC for fall semester (WOOOT!) and we caught the Nationals game tonight (complete with a Curly W!). Now I'm home, and it's time to write. Grabbing 5 minutes before bed and dumping my thoughts on the page. Five Minute Friday, where we write raw, unedited. And Lisa-Jo gave me a doozie this week.
Here's how it works:
1. Go to Lisa-Jo's page, find your prompt. Set your timer, and then just let it all out for 5 minutes. No editing, no overthinking. Spelling and grammar and punctuation errors and all.
2. Link up with the gang.
3. Then go to the person who linked before you. Read the post. Leave them some encouragement. For that's the best part of Five Minute Friday - loving on another brave soul who puts raw thoughts out there for all to read. You'll make their day, and you just might find that yours is made in the process.
Ready? This week's word is LONELY.
Go.
It's quiet. I walk in the door, same as every other morning after I drop the kids off at daycare. But the quiet is different. This morning it hangs over me. Lingers. Because today is the day the girls leave for their week with dad. There won't be giggles and squeals to lighten my day when I pick them up. In fact, if it weren't for plans with my brother, who just moved here, and church on Sunday, I'd never have to leave my house for the whole week they're gone.
Working from home has it's benefits (schedule is flexible, which is a huge blessing as a single mama). But the drawback is it can get incredibly lonely. Conference calls fill part of the day, but not all of it. And at 5pm when it's time to quit, then there is only silence. I can work late into the night and not even realize it, as there's no reason to stop.
The loneliness hangs, loudly. Even though there's not a sound, I can hear the quiet pounding in my ears. A few days of a break, on the daddy weekends, is welcome. I can do the grocery shopping without help. I can read a book and stay up a minute late without early morning wake ups. But more than a few days pushes my limits. So I find that I'm embracing some bravery and venturing out on my own. To a ballgame, which is great fun. 33,000 other folks wearing red and looking for Curly Ws is great fun. And trying new places, calling a friend to make sure I fill at least part of my evenings with getting out in public. Fending off the quiet and forcing myself out. It's how I battle the lonely feeling that wells up as my kids hug me goodbye.
Stop.
Here's how it works:
1. Go to Lisa-Jo's page, find your prompt. Set your timer, and then just let it all out for 5 minutes. No editing, no overthinking. Spelling and grammar and punctuation errors and all.
2. Link up with the gang.
3. Then go to the person who linked before you. Read the post. Leave them some encouragement. For that's the best part of Five Minute Friday - loving on another brave soul who puts raw thoughts out there for all to read. You'll make their day, and you just might find that yours is made in the process.
Ready? This week's word is LONELY.
Go.
It's quiet. I walk in the door, same as every other morning after I drop the kids off at daycare. But the quiet is different. This morning it hangs over me. Lingers. Because today is the day the girls leave for their week with dad. There won't be giggles and squeals to lighten my day when I pick them up. In fact, if it weren't for plans with my brother, who just moved here, and church on Sunday, I'd never have to leave my house for the whole week they're gone.
Working from home has it's benefits (schedule is flexible, which is a huge blessing as a single mama). But the drawback is it can get incredibly lonely. Conference calls fill part of the day, but not all of it. And at 5pm when it's time to quit, then there is only silence. I can work late into the night and not even realize it, as there's no reason to stop.
The loneliness hangs, loudly. Even though there's not a sound, I can hear the quiet pounding in my ears. A few days of a break, on the daddy weekends, is welcome. I can do the grocery shopping without help. I can read a book and stay up a minute late without early morning wake ups. But more than a few days pushes my limits. So I find that I'm embracing some bravery and venturing out on my own. To a ballgame, which is great fun. 33,000 other folks wearing red and looking for Curly Ws is great fun. And trying new places, calling a friend to make sure I fill at least part of my evenings with getting out in public. Fending off the quiet and forcing myself out. It's how I battle the lonely feeling that wells up as my kids hug me goodbye.
Stop.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The Pitch (Behind the Scenes)
Behind the Scenes is a link up with Crystal (and some others) where we share the real life behind the perfect (or not-so-perfect) pictures we post for friends, family, and the internet to see. The story behind the instagrammed beauty. Come link up. Or just read our adventures. Some of them will make you nod your head: been there, done that. Others will make you smile.
Today, here's a look behind the scenes of "The Pitch".
The picture:
The story:
You may know, or may have guessed, that I'm raising some baseball fans in this house. Trying, anyway. We get to several games a year, and the rest I go with my friends, or alone. I love baseball that much. A day in the park, even when my team loses, is still a better day than a day without baseball.
My girls are troopers and they're starting to get more engaged in the games. We went Monday night, and had a couple of really cool moments. S (she's 8) took the picture above while she was experimenting with the zoom function on my cell phone camera. She was THRILLED to catch Tyler Clippard at the moment of his release. (See sequence below). She was even more excited when she looked at our Nationals calendar the next morning at breakfast when she noticed that it's the very same shot (except zoomed in close) that is captured (of course from another game) on the August page. "That's SO COOL, Mom, isn't it?": Yes, I agree. So cool.
We had a visit from "Mrs. Charlie" - the wife of one of the Nationals' ["our"] radio play-by-play announcers. Fun to try to get all of our faces in one "selfie" picture. She's a gem. I love how the fans and the support folks, and even the players, all get engaged around here. Very approachable. And very real people. I am delighted to have met Tina and to have gotten to know her a little better. The girls thought it was hilarious that we were having a party in section 404 while Charlie was working. They loved waving to his press box window.
And here's the rest of our pictures from Monday. The girls had as much fun documenting our time as they did watching on Monday. My favorite is the one at the end - we love that you can see the landmarks of DC right from the ballpark. There's no better place to spend a night, than with my girls in the city I love, seeing history made, and remembered, both on and off the field.
Today, here's a look behind the scenes of "The Pitch".
The picture:
The story:
You may know, or may have guessed, that I'm raising some baseball fans in this house. Trying, anyway. We get to several games a year, and the rest I go with my friends, or alone. I love baseball that much. A day in the park, even when my team loses, is still a better day than a day without baseball.
My girls are troopers and they're starting to get more engaged in the games. We went Monday night, and had a couple of really cool moments. S (she's 8) took the picture above while she was experimenting with the zoom function on my cell phone camera. She was THRILLED to catch Tyler Clippard at the moment of his release. (See sequence below). She was even more excited when she looked at our Nationals calendar the next morning at breakfast when she noticed that it's the very same shot (except zoomed in close) that is captured (of course from another game) on the August page. "That's SO COOL, Mom, isn't it?": Yes, I agree. So cool.
We had a visit from "Mrs. Charlie" - the wife of one of the Nationals' ["our"] radio play-by-play announcers. Fun to try to get all of our faces in one "selfie" picture. She's a gem. I love how the fans and the support folks, and even the players, all get engaged around here. Very approachable. And very real people. I am delighted to have met Tina and to have gotten to know her a little better. The girls thought it was hilarious that we were having a party in section 404 while Charlie was working. They loved waving to his press box window.
And here's the rest of our pictures from Monday. The girls had as much fun documenting our time as they did watching on Monday. My favorite is the one at the end - we love that you can see the landmarks of DC right from the ballpark. There's no better place to spend a night, than with my girls in the city I love, seeing history made, and remembered, both on and off the field.
 |
| practicing pictures. Laughing the whole time |
 |
| A likes to get close to the camera. I need to stretch my arms! |
 |
| S took this one, view from our seats |
 |
| we love it up here, mom! |
 |
| getting sleepy, but still watching her favorite guys |
 |
| notice the monument in the background. We love DC! |
Friday, August 2, 2013
Story (Five Minute Friday)
On Friday, we write just for the sake of writing. Pour out your heart, with no editing, backtracking, overthinking. Just toss it out there and go on with your day. There's a bunch of folks who've been doing it for over 2 years! I've been at it since January, more or less, and it's my favorite part of Friday (or whatever day I manage to do it. Sometimes I'm late.) Step-by-step directions at the bottom. Come write with us!
This week's word: STORY.
Go.
For so many people, the story is about the what. What is going on in your life. What are you doing. Etc. But for me, it's about the HOW. You know, when I find an author I like to read, it's ont usually because I like what he's writing about (though that does sometimes serve as the reason I try an author the first time). It's because I like how he writes. How he tells the story. How he weaves the words together. I can read all kinds of random stories by the same author because I like how he chooses to describe something. Sometimes an author changes the HOW about his writing. And then I'm not interested as much. (My friend was posting about this on facebook just theother day. An author she'd enjoyed took a side track for about 10 years and changed his how, and she couldn't read him anymore. She tried the most recent novel this week, and he'd returned to the how she'd loved so much - and she couldn't put the book down).
That's how I want my life story to read. There are LOTS of women walking similar paths to mine. Divorced, kids, figuring out life all over again - some with faith, some without, all with a tough journey ahead, all with a different method to get through every day. But how I do it is important to me. My girls won't remember the what we did all the time. In fact, I imagine they'll forget a LOT of the what.
My fervent prayer is that they remember HOW Mommy did it. And that I always choose a how that I want them to follow. With that in mind, my intention every morning is to write my story, day by day, with words penned in grace. Grace isn't always the easy route. It's not always the fun route. It's not always the shortest route. But always, always, grace is the right route.
So today, I choose to pick up my pen of grace, and write a new page in my story.
Stop.
As promised, here's how you can join the Five Minute Friday friends.
1.Check what the prompt is on Lisa-Jo's blog.
2.Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog (or in the comments at the bottom if you don’t have a blog).
3.Link over here and invite friends to join in.
4.Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url http://lisajobaker.com/2013/08/five-minute-friday-story}
5.Using the blue linky tool at the bottom of my Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
6.It will also walk you through selecting which photo you want to show up in the linky.
7.Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Our most important requirement for participation: There’s really only one absolute, no ifs, ands or buts about it Five Minute Friday rule: you must visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.
This week's word: STORY.
Go.
For so many people, the story is about the what. What is going on in your life. What are you doing. Etc. But for me, it's about the HOW. You know, when I find an author I like to read, it's ont usually because I like what he's writing about (though that does sometimes serve as the reason I try an author the first time). It's because I like how he writes. How he tells the story. How he weaves the words together. I can read all kinds of random stories by the same author because I like how he chooses to describe something. Sometimes an author changes the HOW about his writing. And then I'm not interested as much. (My friend was posting about this on facebook just theother day. An author she'd enjoyed took a side track for about 10 years and changed his how, and she couldn't read him anymore. She tried the most recent novel this week, and he'd returned to the how she'd loved so much - and she couldn't put the book down).
That's how I want my life story to read. There are LOTS of women walking similar paths to mine. Divorced, kids, figuring out life all over again - some with faith, some without, all with a tough journey ahead, all with a different method to get through every day. But how I do it is important to me. My girls won't remember the what we did all the time. In fact, I imagine they'll forget a LOT of the what.
My fervent prayer is that they remember HOW Mommy did it. And that I always choose a how that I want them to follow. With that in mind, my intention every morning is to write my story, day by day, with words penned in grace. Grace isn't always the easy route. It's not always the fun route. It's not always the shortest route. But always, always, grace is the right route.
So today, I choose to pick up my pen of grace, and write a new page in my story.
Stop.
As promised, here's how you can join the Five Minute Friday friends.
1.Check what the prompt is on Lisa-Jo's blog.
2.Write a post in only five minutes on that topic on your blog (or in the comments at the bottom if you don’t have a blog).
3.Link over here and invite friends to join in.
4.Select the permalink to your post {so not your blog url www.lisajobaker.com but your post url http://lisajobaker.com/2013/08/five-minute-friday-story}
5.Using the blue linky tool at the bottom of my Five Minute Friday post enter your link.
6.It will also walk you through selecting which photo you want to show up in the linky.
7.Your post will show up in our Five Minute Friday linky.
Our most important requirement for participation: There’s really only one absolute, no ifs, ands or buts about it Five Minute Friday rule: you must visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
The Postcard (Behind the Scenes)
Since I Five-Minute-Friday'ed on Tuesday, I'll Behind-the-Scenes on Thursday. Schedule modification. (Thankful for grace in posting delays!)
Behind the Scenes is coordinated by Crystal, who helps remind us that life is real - not just what you see in our perfect excerpts on facebook, or twitter, or instagram (I don't even know how to do that!).
So, you post the picture, and then you tell the REAL story, and share with the gang over at Crystal's place. Ready? Good. This week, I present "The Postcard"
The Photo:
And The Story:
I got this in the mail this week. Made my heart melt. My girls have been away for TWO LONG WEEKS. I am missing them something fierce. (Side note, I am in the final 26 hour countdown until I can hug their necks .. Thank you, Lord, for getting me through!) The message (translated for spelling and spaces) = we saw some pioneer things and Indian things. Poiner looks like Poineh and this reminds me of HOME (where I grew up ... northeastern accents... yay!) I laughed, and cried, when I got it. Laughed for the fun they're having with grandma and grandpa, and visiting cousins and family and making memories, and for the hilarious accent reminder of my own Nana, who with her Boston roots never met an R at the end of a word that she wasn't willing to dispense with. And cried - for how much I have been missing my kids since they left. Note to self, two weeks seems to be way too long for this mama to be without my littles. They will be a foot taller at least when I see them. Summer flies way too fast. Can't wait to get them home and slow things down a little.
Behind the Scenes is coordinated by Crystal, who helps remind us that life is real - not just what you see in our perfect excerpts on facebook, or twitter, or instagram (I don't even know how to do that!).
So, you post the picture, and then you tell the REAL story, and share with the gang over at Crystal's place. Ready? Good. This week, I present "The Postcard"
The Photo:
And The Story:
I got this in the mail this week. Made my heart melt. My girls have been away for TWO LONG WEEKS. I am missing them something fierce. (Side note, I am in the final 26 hour countdown until I can hug their necks .. Thank you, Lord, for getting me through!) The message (translated for spelling and spaces) = we saw some pioneer things and Indian things. Poiner looks like Poineh and this reminds me of HOME (where I grew up ... northeastern accents... yay!) I laughed, and cried, when I got it. Laughed for the fun they're having with grandma and grandpa, and visiting cousins and family and making memories, and for the hilarious accent reminder of my own Nana, who with her Boston roots never met an R at the end of a word that she wasn't willing to dispense with. And cried - for how much I have been missing my kids since they left. Note to self, two weeks seems to be way too long for this mama to be without my littles. They will be a foot taller at least when I see them. Summer flies way too fast. Can't wait to get them home and slow things down a little.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)