Bright and Sunshiny

We thought Mom and Dad G. could use a snowman.

So, over the river and through the woods...

There was a little rough patch.

But we got through it.

We think a good time was had by all...

and it turned out to be a bright, sunshiny day.

Sure beats the slush.

Here's wishing you all a bright and sunshiny week...

Love,

T

Assume Nothing

 I didn't post anything for Valentine's Day.

Was it because I was having a relaxing and lovely evening?

No.

It was (at least in part) BECAUSE even though I was supposed to be watching "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" - I was dealing with a preschooler's complete meltdown over a blue bathrobe which was NOT on the hook where it usually is, but in the dryer AND also dealing with the migraine that developed shortly afterward despite binge watching "Schitt's Creek" in a failed attempt to alieviate the trauma. I did laugh a few times though and I'm sure that must have helped.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to just keep this short today. Hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day.

A dear friend sent me this. It is perfect and wonderful - so I'll pass it along to you.

Hope you have a beautiful week!

Love, 

T

P.S. Our new favorite show:

Sadie

Sadie
July 23, 2006 - February 4, 2021

Sadly, our dog Sadie has passed away. We miss her deeply and are grateful beyond measure for the fourteen-and-a-half years she was here as a part of our family. Her final illness progressed rapidly and while it took us by surprise on Wednesday evening, we are comforted in that she did not have to endure prolonged suffering. Although several procedures relieved her discomfort overnight, by Thursday morning we were forced to make the decision that so many pet owners dread. We were able to pet her once more and love her through her peaceful transition to sleep.

Throughout our years together, she brought us immeasurable joy and guided us through life in ways we didn’t always understand. We never imagined that one fateful trip to the mall for dinner in 2006 would change our lives forever. We DID know we couldn’t leave that little Australian Shepherd puppy in the pet store. She was “on sale” and would soon go to a shelter. We discovered that the reason she dragged her back end a bit was due to a lack of muscle, a result of being born into a puppy mill and confined to cages for her first several months. 

Being familiar with the breed from my mom’s family, we knew she would require a lot of physical and mental exercise. Her leg strength developed steadily with plenty of walks, runs and play. She was a spunky, feisty little ball of energy who would not stop chewing on my shoelaces (while they were on my feet)! She was our first “child” of sorts and as we saw her through puppy kindergarten, countless training sessions, classes and play times, and never-ending adventures, she taught us well - while simultaneously maturing into the instinctive, bright, playful, and mischievous overgrown pup that she remained her entire life. 

Eventually, she would receive her own dog in the form of “Bentley” whom she loved dearly and bossed around constantly. He loved her profoundly as evidenced by his absolute obedience and fierce protection of her. He looked to her for instruction (on even the simplest of matters) and dutifully became her personal bodyguard outside and whenever she was nervous.

They would both receive a human boy in their later years, whom they both cherished and they settled into “parenthood” with grace, maturity and a willingness to eat whatever he dropped on the floor or was stuck to his fingers. She overcame her fear of children in order to care for him and he in turn was born into a world knowing the love of a dog.

Through all our adventures and travels, (including crossing the country four times by car, visits to the Grand Canyon, Vegas, Memphis, Toronto, Virginia, Hollywood, pit stops along Route 66, countless hotels, muddy swamps, snowfalls, music studio sessions, music video shoots, and fourteen years’ worth of family events, laughter, and love), one thing she said to me once really stands out. (Oh… Did I forget to mention that she could talk?) ;)

I was thinking philosophically and considered that she was such a good dog, perhaps she would advance spiritually enough to come back to earth someday as a human. She looked at me with a sort of gentle pity. “YOU have it BACKwards,” she said in her melodic way. “If YOU advance enough YOU might get to come back as a DOG.” It’s true that dogs have indeed mastered unconditional Love in a way that we humans can only aspire to. People have always had a problem with hubris. She had it all figured out and I was just her silly human.

Thank you, Sadie. We love you. Your Spirit remains with us always and we are Blessed to have  you as our forever Angel dog, or as Zachary puts it, our “SUPER DOG!”

xo

The Snow Angel

 

A quick Google search didn't yield a precise answer as to the history or origin of the snow Angel. Some say (Noel Botham's "The Book of Useless Information") that Jewish mystics would roll in the snow to purge themselves of evil urges. The current world record of "Most People Making Snow Angels Simultaneously" is held by the State Historical Society of North Dakota (8,692 people on February 17, 2017). Numerous people have written books with "Snow Angel" in the title and Wikipedia will tell you how to make one. One comment online (by Richard O. Colestock on Quora.com) suggests that as long as there has been snow and children, snow Angels have existed.

Click here for guinnessworldrecords.com "Most People Making Snow Angels Simultaneously"

I just find it interesting that this simple act we did outside today, which I was mildly curious about, could be something that's been around since the beginning of time and have the ability to connect people from all walks of life, throughout time and culture. That's a powerful ability for one little playful action.

Have a good week everyone. Stay safe. Stay warm.

Love,

T

Click here for Tanya Diona's "United (Angels' Anthem)" on Spotify

Mom Voice

There's a whole heap of hate going on. People on the SAME SIDE of issues that really matter are actually hating on each other.

<uses mom voice>

KNOCK IT OFF!

Let me know if that worked, will you? Thanks.

Love,

T 

How to Lose

Try playing a competitive game with a preschooler sometime... and winning. (Anybody cringing yet?) Enter the "cooperative game" trend... the games where participants work together and everybody wins.

While I can see how the benefits of these games include things like increased confidence, sharing skills and kindness skills (especially for young or developmentally challenged children), and I certainly appreciate the value of these skills, it's easy to understand how a lack of competitive games might leave deficiencies in other valuable areas.

Look at the world. Then look at my living room. The boy did not get his way. He had a hard time with that. 

*pauses here to reflect on how ridiculous it is that the President of the United States resembles a preschooler*

We were playing the new game Zachary just received - Robot Turtles. He won the first game. He actually would have won the second also, but he wanted an extra turn and started arguing with me about the rules. A whole new set of skills to learn came into view. Things do not always go the way you want them to, and children have to learn that THAT is ok. Games teach so much more than the counting, patience and turn-taking that goes along with the particular game (in this case, Robot Turtles "introduces basic coding concepts"). What about learning the resilience, behavior management and empathy inherent in the act of competing itself? Zachary and I explored the concepts (age appropriately) of accepting consequences, being a good sport and congratulating someone who wins, even when we lose. If we don't learn these things as children, how will we manage the circumstance as adults? We don't always win, and that's ok. 

I remember trying out for cheerleading in grade school and when our principal found out that only some of us had been chosen, she insisted that everyone who tried out be accepted on to the team. LOL! We were the absolute WORST! Our coach could be seen in the stands at competitions with her head in her hands, but we had a blast. We lost all the time, and laughed our butts off doing it. I've often reflected on that with pride. We helped those who were less inclined to simultaneously clap and stomp their feet like they were supposed to, and we rocked out having fun, with less pressure to be perfect. At the same time there were other competitions. There were the basketball and track teams. There were times when I could be proud that I practiced, worked hard, got better and won because of it. There were times when I gave it my all and still did not come in first. It was ok because the journey was filled with precious moments, lessons learned and meaningful friendships.

Ravens fans have congratulated me this week (Buffalo Bills fan here) and it truly felt special. One comment I saw online was from someone who noticed an outpouring of concern from Bills fans for opposing player Lamar Jackson, who suffered a concussion in Saturday's game. They were proud to be friends with the kind of people who show support like that for the other team. It struck me that it didn't seem to be the norm for them.

When the process is fair... we can win and lose with honor and humility. Praying for everyone's health and safety this week... Congratulations to our new president and vice president!  

Love,

T

The following references helped inspire this blog post:

goodplayguide.com "Are competitive sports doing more harm than good to children's mental health?"

cooperativegames.com "Benefits of Cooperative Games for Young Children"

sciencedirectassets.com "The Effects of Cooperative and Competitive Games on Classroom Interaction Frequencies"

babywisemom.com "Why I Hate the Concept of Everyone Wins"

 

United

Love does not unite with hate. 

Love is who we are.

Hate is a choice people make.

Click here for "Relentless" on Spotify

Love,

T