Simple Pleasures

I am a very grateful lady! I give thanks many times a day, for the love, health, friendship and comfort in my life; for I know what it's like not to have these things.  Perhaps it's my attitude of gratitude that enables me to delight in simple pleasures, but now more than ever I am thankful  for everything that brings a smile or even some happy tears. I think we all need to find gladness wherever we can; so, in the interest of the greater good, I have to share episode 2 of  John Krasinski's "Some Good News" .

Let me start by saying that I honestly don't think the name of the show does it justice, as you'll see at eight and a half minutes into the episode. While John is talking to a little girl named Aubrey, about how sad she was that she wasn't able to go see "Hamilton" because of the pandemic, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the entire original cast of "Hamilton" Zoom bombed the segment and performed "Alexander Hamilton!!"

I was thrilled by the performance, because my girls and I have been obsessed with the show since it opened on Broadway.  We purchased the soundtrack (which we hadn't done in years) and listened to it relentlessly. So much so, that i'll confess we're a bit snobbish about other cast performances and we've even debated if we actually wanted to go see the show; because we thought we might be disappointed. (I know - that's a lil extreme, but remember, we're obsessed!) So to have the opportunity to watch the original cast members perform, was beyond incredible!  We squealed with glee as each of our favorite actors appeared on the screen. We sang along and I cried the happiest tears as these amazing human beings sang for Aubrey and everyone who needed uplifting.

While there are so many hardships and challenges that our society is facing during COVID-19, I think it's also been amazing to see how creative and generous the entertainment community has been during this crises. I'm so appreciative of the efforts and kindness shown by John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda et al, as well as those that participated in the Saturday Night Seder, the zoom table read of  "The Nanny" pilot, Tom Hanks and the cast of "SNL from home" and of course the numerous late night talk show hosts that continue to provide us with fun diversions.   We're being given an opportunity to take a time out, and reassess how we've been interacting with friends and family, and strengthen those relationships. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I am enjoying this pandemic, but I will admit that I've had a lot of wonderful and rewarding experiences.  I'm choosing to acknowledge the good stuff; so before we go to sleep I ask each of my kids to tell me one good thing about their day.  I'm hoping that you'll watch the link that I shared and this will at least be one good thing about your day.

Till next time...
Paige

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I'd say, SURPRISE, but I probably don't have to.
I hope this post finds you all well and looking forward to what 2020 will bring.  I'm excited for this new decade, but a bit overwhelmed by where I find myself...  Nicky will be heading back to the University of Arizona on Jan.10 to have a mini RA training before the residents arrive on Jan.13th. He'll be starting the 2nd semester of his Junior year as an electrical and computer engineering major and will continue applying for summer internship opportunities and DJing his weekly radio show. Lyndzi just turned 18 a few weeks ago,and is finishing up her last college application as she prepares for the second semester of her senior year in High school. She's juggling being the Varsity Soccer goalie and one of the captains, along with finishing additional works for her portfolio, volunteering at the Sun City Thrift Shop, and mastering her classes. Kelsie turned Sweet 16 a week before Lyndzi turned 18. She is prepping for her upcoming role in "Mulan"at Peoria High School, as well as playing Varsity soccer, volunteering and taking honors classes.  I'm just dumbfounded at how quickly the years have passed, in addition to how long it's been since I actually pursued my own dream of becoming a writer. As a mom and wife, I prioritized everyone else's needs and goals before mine. I was a cheerleader, a chauffeur, a consultant, a collaborator, a DJ, an emcee, an event coordinator, and a fundraiser; and though I loved (almost) every minute of it; my dream took a backseat. PLEASE don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely NOT complaining, I'm just making an observation; because, ya know - THAT'S what I do.

Being a mom is the most satisfying, gratifying, and exciting experience that I've ever had and If I think about how old my kids were and what they were doing when I first started writing "The Bumpy Ride" and where we are now, it feels like it's all transpired in the blink of an eye. I wouldn't change a minute of the time I've spent helping them become who they are but I'm hoping that in this New Year, I will encourage (OK, push) myself the same way I do my kids.

As I sat home relaxing  today (something that I'm not really good at), I thought to myself that it would be a great day to take a stab at resurrecting my blog. I didn't really have anything witty or profound to share, so I re-read a few of my old posts. I wasn't surprised to find that I had mentioned my desire to get back to the gym, several times, and yes, that 100 plus pounds is still yearning to be lost; but just as I took a chance and tried to compose this post, I'm going to make my best effort to get back to the gym. For extra inspiration, I perused some quotes about getting started and because I'm all about the greater good, i'll share some of my favorites with you, just in case you need a lil New Year's encouragement as well.

So, with these words of wisdom in hand, I welcome 2020 and all that it will bring. We have a lot of wonderful things to look forward to and I plan to enjoy them as my best me.  I wish the same for you as well.

Till next time...
Paige

HUGE News for Lyndzi...

I've known that Lyndzi was an artist, since she was three years old.  YES, three!!  She sat down with some crayons and drew the bee that was on  the Honey Nut Cheerios box, and I knew right then and there that she had a gift.  Being a mom who blogs, I frequently write about my kids;  so I took a look back to see what I had previously shared  about Lyndzi's artwork and I came across a post from 2010 called  "What A Mom's Gotta Do",  where I wrote "Lyndzi is an absolutely BRILLIANT artist; and yes, I know that most moms think that their kids are great at one thing or another; but trust me when I tell you, my girl's got TALENT!! Lyndzi is a multi-faceted artist - not only can she draw; she also sculpts and paints.  Lyndzi pays exceptional attention to detail and her vision is way beyond her years.   She's won prizes for her artwork and been featured in our school district art show; and at the tender age of 8 she PRIDES herself on being an artist."  While it's hard for me to believe that I wrote that over 7 years ago, those words still hold true.  Lyndzi's become an extraordinary artist.  She's won several contests, has done commissioned work and she continues to sell hand drawn sneakers.Now, if you read my last blog "Cinnamon",  then you know that "as much as I love surprises, I often have a hard time keeping the secret and waiting to reveal the surprise."  Well, the universe has surely been challenging me; because (thankfully), the surprises keep coming and I've been keeping a secret (from most of you) for a few weeks now.  It wasn't that I didn't want to tell EVERYONE, believe me, I DID; but when I received the call from the PUSD Public Relations Department, notifying me that Lyndzi had won the district Anti-Bullying Art Contest (for the third time), they asked me not to say anything publicly until after the awards were presented at the Peoria Cultural Arts  Festival. Lyndzi was so excited to find out that she had won; but like me, she's a rule follower so she didn't say anything to anyone.  Well, the next day when Lyndzi came home from school, she said to me "You didn't fracture your ankle in vain." (And side note, if you're totally confused by that comment, stop here.  Read "Oops I Did It Again, And Again", and then come back.  Everyone else KEEP READING...)

So,  I asked her what she was talking about, and with tears welling up in her eyes, she told me that when she had walked into her art class, her teacher said "Don't you have something to tell us."  Assuming that he was talking about the Anti-Bullying art contest, she shared the news of her win.  He then said "And?" to which she replied "And?" And he said "You also won a bus?"  Lyndzi was taken aback and she asked what he was talking about.  He then explained, that the Principal had come in to see him earlier, with some people from the Valley Metro bus and they said that she had won the Transit Wrap Contest!!!!   I was stunned when I heard her news, and I'm not sure how many times I said "You won?"  Not because I couldn't believe that she'd done it, but because it was such a HUGE contest, and such a fantastic prize and I was just ecstatic for her.  Now I don't know about you, but because I heard it from Lyndzi, who heard it from her Art teacher, and I hadn't heard a peep from Valley Metro, I didn't want to say anything publicly, in case there was some type of misunderstanding.  When I saw the Art teacher at the Cultural Arts Festival, I asked him to tell me about what happened when the bus people came in to see him and he said that Lyndzi had definitely won, but he got the impression that they wanted to surprise her.  OK, I can understand that part, but I wondered why they hadn't contacted me.  (Maybe they heard that I wasn't great at keeping secrets, lol.) Well, hallelujah, we got the official call on Monday, and I can now say with all certainty that Lyndzi has won the Valley Metro Transit Wrap contest!!!  She'll be getting a bus and a light rail wrapped with her design for a year, in addition to a cash prize!!  They'll be unveiling her bus at her school on May 16th AND they'll let us know when the lightrail and bus are being wrapped so that we can go down with family and friends to watch and take photos.  So, if you're in the area and you'd like to see Lyndzi's bus, consider yourself invited!! 

Since this ride may have been a lil bumpier than usual, here's Lyndzi's Anti-Bullying Award winning piece...  The theme this year was "All Different All Equal".

What more can I say?  I'm grateful for the surprises that we've been receiving.  Not only because of  the joy that they're bringing but because it seems that as long as I have surprises to share, I have subject matter for my blog!

Till next time,

Paige
XO