Happiness

There are some things one can do to stave off a decline into Depression. Here are just a few things: 1. Think positively. It's hard to do. Especially when all the chemicals in your brain say "That went wrong and that went wrong and that went wrong." You have to stop that train in it's tracks and say "This went well and this went well and this went well" and pretty soon the train is moving in the other direction- the right direction! 2. Meditation. Clearing your mind and thinking of happy things really helps. When I do it. I have a mantra that I repeat and it always helps: "Things don't have to go perfectly for me to be happy." So, when my daughter gets upset going back to school because she had five days off, I can repeat those words and focus on the real reason she is crying. 3. Exercise and eating healthy. It's hard to do that around the Holidays when you have been sick for a week straight or you have errands to run and places to go. It...

Last night I was doing my final rounds, checking in on the kids. Everyone was still awake- except Asher. Elizabeth was quietly getting ready to read. In the boy's room, where Ethan was supposed to be sleeping, all I saw were bare boards. Ethan had pulled his mattress off and pushed it close to Jonah's bed and they were laughing and reading a book together. So cute. The book they were reading was one that Ethan's class had made for him today. Each one had written a page about Ethan and his likes and dislikes. Ethan was the star of his class today and he loved it! He came home and showed me right away what they had done. I would show pictures, but the camera Gods have frowned upon me lately. My camera may have to do. We've been doing fun Christmas things already. Yesterday Asher wanted to do a Gingerbread house, so I complied and made some frosting and we started in with graham crackers, mini chocolate chips, fruit loops and reeses pieces. That's all we had. Today was...

Elizabeth and Anna on the Metro Riding on the Metro to D.C. Cousins!!! Ethan, Paul, Anna, Elizabeth, Christian, Asher and Jonah on the Mall Outside the National Museum of Art They had so much fun together! We'll have to see you this summer! Hopefully! *Also, both of my cameras are now dead! I'll have to get one fixed this weekend!! Wish me luck! This is my blog. My name is Megan A.

It is unfortunate that those who really know how to run our country are busy teaching school . A quote found in Jonah's classroom. As some of you may know, I taught third grade for one year before I had Elizabeth and stayed home with all of my kids. I didn't like it. The pay was too little, the job including disciplining children who had never been disciplined in their life and staying in one classroom for eight hours a day. I was a brand new teacher, used to doing my own thing- coming and going whenever I pleased and I was young. Since then things have changed. Being a Mother has made me a lot more patient. Whereas before I had little patience for my students who struggled with basic concepts. "How cannot you not know how to add?" was my attitude. Now, I understand that every student has their own capabilities and strengths and weaknesses. Spending time in Elizabeth, Ethan and Jonah's classrooms has helped me to see that. I am a little calmer. A little. I love be...

Elizabeth and I got in a fight last night. And this morning. Wow. Who knew 8 year old girls would want to argue and argue? I was calm and collected--okay maybe not so much, but I didn't yell!-- but she did not like anything I said. Because Elizabeth is 8, we let her stay up half an hour more than the boys and one of us takes turns reading The Friend magazine with her or just talking. Josh was pulling a late night last night (and may do so today), so it was up to me to stay up with her. After the smallish fight, I really didn't want to. But I did. And that helped. We read, talked and I gave her a hand massage. She had a few questions and then even more, but it was time for bed. I told her to ask me later. When I went in my room later that night I found her journal laying on my bed, open with questions on it for me to answer. Questions like: "Why do we shock? (they were shocking each other from the static on the couch earlier that evening)" "How does a printer make...

Molly cooking in the kitchen! Asher We gave the kids gumdrops and toothpicks and let them build away. Here is Ethan, with his craft. He did a great job! Elizabeth, with her house made of gumdrops. Every year I buy and defrost the turkey and Josh brines and cooks it. Here he is getting ready to pop it in the oven. We put apples, onions and oranges inside instead of stuffing. We almost forgot to take a picture of the turkey before we cut it up- actually, Josh had already cut the wings off, so we stuck them back on. Then, we forgot to take a picture of everyone around the table! Oh, well! It was a scrumptious dinner! Molly made twice baked potatoes and pecan sweet potatoes. I did the Hulihan jello, a cherry pie and we did stuffing and rolls from Trader Joes. Oh, and Molly did a cranberry sauce as well. She is an amazing cook- so at home in the kitchen. The kids all played really well together- what a blessing. ** Excuse my blurry pictures. Asher stepped on my camera while it was in my pur...