Holidays

<p>This year, I have tried to maintain my attitude of gratitude. I have tried to focus on turning my complaints into positives, to find the good things I can say about hosting. </p>

<p>So, fast-forward to early September. My little H noticed some Halloween costumes in Target and asked what he would be for Halloween. I told him it was up to him. Shockingly (no, not at all shockingly), he asked if he could be an excavator. I told him I didn&#8217;t think I could make that, to which he replied &#8220;Why? You made a bulldozer. An excavator can&#8217;t be that much harder.&#8221; Touche, kiddo! I knew I could do it.</p>

Don’t get me wrong: I have 100 percent respect and admiration for those who’ve served – most notably, my brother and my late grandfather. But admittedly, for me, Memorial Day has always had predominant overtones of picnics, parades, and a day off from school.

Mother’s Day is almost here. It’s always one of those holidays that can be so anticipated, yet we know the day will generally not go as we expect or hope.

Maybe this year, you can add another tradition to your holidays. Let’s work on spreading the message of the holidays in new ways this year, starting with kindness.

Fact: College is not cheap. The thought of our kids having considerable debt in their early adult years is not pleasant. So, why not start preparing now?

If your kids are anything like mine, they are going to bring home waaaay more trick-or-treating candy than they could eat. (Or, more accurately, than I will ever allow them to eat.)

Infertility can put you in a dark place, and it can rear its ugly head when you least expect it. Mother’s Day should have been the perfect time to celebrate my own loving mother and wonderful mother-in-law, but living far away from family then had me feeling selfish.

 I have this thing for succulents right now, but I don’t have any in my home. So that is where it all started! I also wanted a cement planter, and I had found ways to make them, but they weren’t super easy and seemed to have lots of room for error, which, with my luck, is never a good idea!

Let's face it, normal life doesn’t stop just because it is Mother’s Day. Some everyday tasks still need finishing.  Sometimes my expectations of the day do not allow me to notice the small, wonderful things that my children do for me. And either I can focus on how bad I feel because I didn’t get what I expected, or I can see what is there.