Sometimes WE just need to take a "Mental Health Day"

This post is almost a week over due, but right here and right now I am finally sitting down and taking the time to write it. Nothing will stop me, well maybe a hungry and tired baby boy, or one of my sleeping beauties who needs an extra hug will. But, the words of our life will be shared...eventually.



Lately, I have found that I'm too absent in my littles lives! I know this comes as a shock to all that are reading it, because I'm the least absent person you know. I'm the one that everyone can get a hold of with a simple call, text, email, or Facebook message! I'm the one that people come to when they have a quick question or real life changing one! I'm the one that is always out, about, and making memories for my children. I'm the one that so many have told me they aspire to be! But, hold tight, don't give my that award yet. Don't put me up on that high of a pedestal! Sometimes I'm not that Momma! And, sadly it seems that lately the sometimes has turned into too much of the time!



You see, because of all the hats I wear, all the relationships I work hard at maintaining, all the crafting I enjoy doing, and all the social media that I relish in, my children loose something.



They lose...



my undivided attention

my ability to just listen

my desire to play

my reaction in the moment not after

my mind free and clear

ME!



And, that's not really me, or rather the me I want to be!



So, last Wednesday we took a Mental Health Day! I pulled both girls out of school, packed everything I would need for an entire day, and headed to The Happiest Place on Earth! The choice to have the girls skip school, had me up half the night thinking about whether or not I was making the "right" decision for them, and I even made Ryan call Giulietta in "sick" to school because I didn't want to have to say the words out loud.



The day was spent thinking about NOTHING but my three. I didn't answer one call or text. I didn't check Instagram or Facebook or Email.



I gave my three ME!



I listened.

I laughed.

I played.

I hugged.

I felt the magic.

I had FUN.



And, you know what? I never felt stressed, overwhelmed, or short fused. I never raised my voice, or became grouchy; I never needed to. And, when I tucked each one of them into bed that night I silently said "thank you" to them as they closed their eyes and fell asleep the instant their tiny heads hit their comfy pillows. I thanked them for giving me life, for understanding that this Momma isn't always perfect, for allowing me the day to be reminded of what being their Momma is all about, and for unconditionally loving me for being ME.



Now I'm left reflecting and really wishing that everyday could be a Mental Health Day! That everyday I could essentially "unplug" from life as I know it and wrap myself around my three little loves pinkies. Sadly, I can't! I have to parent, I have to wife, I have to craft, I have to work, I have to be on the go making memories, I have to document our life, I have to answer texts, calls, and emails, and I have to be the dependable one for all around me. What I learned I don't have to be, is consumed by it. I don't have to put those things before my children. I don't have to make those things Me. I have to create a boundary, make mental notes about what feels right for me and us, and continue down this one wild and crazy life that I have the pleasure of living!

A Disney Day

Disneyland, a favorite place for my little ladybugs and I. It is literally a playground of sorts for us spoiled SoCal residents, and I'm sure that my girls don't really understand truly how lucky they are that they have had the opportunity to visit the Happiest Place on Earth almost once a month or more since they were born. Regardless, I intend on spoiling them while I can, and I find the fact that we have the opportunity to "run around" Disneyland whenever we want as a guilty pleasure. No trip is ever the same, and so many memories of ours have been paved on the footpaths of the two parks that lie in the heart of the OC.   The joy in the girls eyes, the excitement in their voices, and the laughter heard when we are at the park are priceless!

And, it has recently become clear to my why my parents bought my brother and I Disney Annual Passes year after year, and took us so many afternoons after school when we should have been eating a snack & doing our homework. When you are at Disneyland, you are a kid no matter your age, you can't help but smile and feel the magic wrap around you like a tight hug. You smile, you laugh, you imagine, you let loose, you enjoy, and you embrace the magic of it all.

So, I have made it my goal to try and share this magical place with my girls on a routinely basis. We make it a special morning, day, or evening. And, as Baby Brother's birthdate quickly approaches I'm holding these times near and dear to my heart. I'm taking the "big" camera, trying new things that we haven't before, exploring parts of the park for the first time, and really just taking it slow and listening to my little ladybugs hearts.

It's my hope that as they continue to grow, they continue to feel the magic of the kingdoms and embrace the wonder for Disneyland even more. Because, as Mr. Walt Disney stated,

"Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever!"

The Fly Over...Disney Style

Space ships flying over, sitting in a huge crowd of people at Disneyland waiting for hours, and 90 degree September mornings are definitely not my thing. However, they are the hubsters. So, I have learned that sometimes I need to put my own wants and desires to the side in order to try new things and entertain the ideas of the man who supports me with anything I do, because they end up basically being AWESOME.

On that  special Friday in September, we packed up the kids & our friend Becky, headed for the happiest places on earth with excitement running through each one of our veins to see a part of history take place.








We enjoyed a view rides, a visit with Giulietta's favorite princess, and then we planted our tushies in front of the castle to wait for the space ship to flyover. Really not knowing when it was coming or what to expect, we kept our eyes on the sky as the sun burnt our wondering faces. People crowded close together, the hubster was full of excitement, and the girls were thoroughly entertained with their Becky.










Then she came! It was amazing, spectacular, and breathtaking all rolled into one, and thats is coming from someone who wasn't the least bit interested in watching it all take place. She came, she flew low, and she went all in a blink of an eye, but it was by far one of the most fascinating moments in my life. All the waiting and sweating was definitely worth the few seconds of history making awesomeness.







The best part is the thought that one day when my girls are talking about NASA, and the old space ships in school, they'll be able to say that they saw it first hand, they remember the awe of the crowd at Disneyland at the very moment the space ship flew over, and they have the pictures to prove it. Needless to say, it pays to try something new, to listen to someone else's suggestion for a change, to keep my mind open for new adventures.

When I do, memories are made!