Look How I'm Growing!

Mommy keeps telling me that I'm going to be a big sister soon, and that being a big sister is going to take a lot of work. So we have been practicing new skills now so I'm ready when the baby comes. Sometimes it's really hard and I want to go back to being the baby and not listen to anything Mommy says, but usually I try really hard to act like a big girl. 

My favorite thing about being a big girl is that I get to go to school by myself. Mommy doesn't stay with me anymore. She walks to me class, I blow her a kiss, and then I get to play for an entire hour with just my teachers and friends. I love it! 

Here are some of the other big girl things I have been working on:

Letting Mommy comb my hair. I've always hated it, but I'm learning that if I just let her do it, it makes her a lot happier (not to mention all the comments I get from other people!).

Waiting patiently while Mommy fixes my food. Sometimes Mommy says the food is cooking, that means I have to be patient for a long time.

I'm also learning how to help out in the kitchen. I'm really good at cheese and toppings on pizza (which just happens to be my favorite food).

Experiencing new things. I've also learned that there is a reason Mommy puts those funny things on my hands. When I don't wear them my hands get so cold.

Walking places instead of being carried everywhere. This is my favorite! Most of the time Mommy makes me hold her hand. I don't like to hold her hand - I like to be independent, but I'm trying really hard to get used to it. I think it is worth it because it is so much more fun walking than being stuck in a stroller or in Mommy's arms.

Just being cute! (and trying not to complain so much when I'm stuck in my car-seat).

No More Excuses - Challenge #1

Back in September I ran my first marathon. I had never considered myself a runner, and even up until the day before the race insisted that I was not a runner, but was only doing it to accomplish a goal. Once I crossed the finished line I planned to take a long break from running.

Somehow crossing the finish line that day and the weeks and months that have followed have convinced me otherwise. Every time I see someone out running I feel an urge to stop my car and start running. I have missed hitting the open pavement more than I ever would've guessed. Yet even with the overwhelming feeling I have had to hit the pavement and start running again I had been out once since the marathon months ago. You might be asking "Why? If you love running so much why don't you go out and do it?"

Remember in my last post how I regretfully admitted my enhanced ability at excuse making? Yeah, I have a list a mile long of silly reasons why I don't get out and run. Most of my excuses have been that's it's cold, it's icy, I'm pregnant, the mornings are so dark, it's so hard to get out of my warm bed, did I mention it's COLD!!!

Well, with my determination to stop making excuses for myself I knew I would have to find a way to start running again. I've found a way to make it work! The university has an indoor track a mile from my home that is free to the public in the mornings. I have committed to getting up extra early three mornings a week and hitting the track. I'm so excited!

For the first time in quite awhile I feel like I am taking the initiative in my life to make some changes I have been wanting to make. It feels so good to know I am starting to progress in a direction rather than being stagnant. If you've been feeling stuck in a rut, go tackle one of the small things on your list - you'll feel so good for doing it!

Why Not Today?

This year instead of setting any goals on paper I have thought long and hard about what the most important thing for me to be working on right now in my life. It wasn't hard to know where I need to change the most. I make a lot of excuses. Excuses for everything in my life. It's a practice I have perfected over many years but was not aware of until I met my husband and he kindly pointed it out.

Some of examples of recent excuses (without revealing too many of my flaws) include:
I can't teach Antalya proper manners and behavior because her language skills are not good enough to understand me.
I can't take dinner to so-and-so who could really use it because they probably wouldn't like what I cooked.
It's alright if I loose my patience with my husband - after all I'm pregnant, tired, and sick.
I would read my scriptures, but it is so late and I'm so tired that I wouldn't get anything out of it anyways.

I could go on-and-on. But my point is it's become so easy for me to rationalize my behavior because "after-all it's not my fault or it is out of my control." And I've noticed that being pregnant has only magnified this tendency of mine. I'm tired of making excuses.

I've decided it is time for a change - but a real change, not just a change for a week until I forget my New Year's resolution. So instead of making a detailed list of all the things I want to have changed by the end of the year I have simplified it and decided that "Today I will do better!" Every morning I wake up with the goal to be kind and patient all day long and not let myself make excuses. I've noticed that some days I go to bed feeling like I didn't do very good, but that only helps motivate me to do better the next day. I'm hoping that after so many days of reminding myself that soon I will have changed my nature and won't need the daily reminders - I will have become the optimistic, kind, patient person I so long to be.

Wish me luck for today!