Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Intention...and reality!

I like words.  I always have.  I'm the kind of person that really pays attention to the meanings of words and what people say.  Every now and then I get hooked on a new word and it becomes my favorite.  For a long time, that word was: gratitude.  That is still one of my favorites and holds such deep meaning in my heart.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of the meaning and try to express my gratitude to not only people but to God for answering prayers in the darkest of hours.  Lately, I have a new favorite.  Intention:  the determination to act a certain way.  The word came up a few times in the last couple of months and always made me pause.  The first one to say it was, the one and only, Oprah!  (We all know how I feel about her.) She started every idea meeting for a show asking the producers what the intention was.  What was the goal?  Why this topic?  When forced to answer the questions of intention- you are really finding the reason or value behind whatever it is.  The next place I kept hearing it was at my yoga studio.  Each practice begins with deciding the intention for the hour.  To achieve new levels of fitness?  To just clear the space in your head for an hour of peace?  Whatever it is has value to the person making the decision.  I like it.  The last few weeks I have found myself looking for the intention of what I am doing regardless of what it is.  It can range from how I want to take care of myself, how I spend time with my kids, what I want for my life in general.  It is changing my thinking for the better.  Forcing me to slow down and think things through and to move with a purpose.  Try it.  You may just like it;)


That being said, let me share a story with you about my reality.  I emailed this to a couple of friends about two weeks ago after a crazy morning.  My INTENTION didn't really pan out here...  but sometimes it really does:)

So, because I am nuts, I pack up all three kids to head to target. I get the two older ones buckled in only to go back for Easton and realize my husband took the car seat with him to work in Lansing. Imagine my delight. I called my Mom and had her leave work to bring me hers. I've never installed a car seat in my life but looked up the manual online and got that sucker in! High-five! As you can tell, I am already off to a rough start but I saw on Good Morning America that Missoni had just released a line for Target and a girl like me is not going to miss a Missoni launch no matter what. We finally get to Target and all of the Women's clothes are sold out. Go figure. Moving on to housewares- also sold out. Just as I was about to get really angry I walk past the sweetest Missoni coat for Miss Paige with matching hat and mittens. Score! Next I find some adorable shoes for her. That girl is so lucky and she doesn't even know it. Meanwhile, my kids are acting like animals. They are wrestling, yelling, taking turns running around. I have just about had it when I see there are boots and shoes for women still left. As I am trying on my shoes, the kids go nuts. I swear to you I threatened everything I could think of and they still would not behave. I think Paige's goal was to dismantle the entire shoe aisle and she was damn near close. I had to throw her in the cart and go check out. Without my shoes. Let's just say these kids are not going to have a very fun afternoon. I even drove thru McDonalds on my way home for a Diet Coke and wouldn't get them apple dippers (gasp!) You would have thought I threw away their favorite toy.

Targeting with them may have to stop for awhile. I finally may have had enough.... Except for Easton. Easton LOVES to shop. He's my favorite today:)




Life at the Clarks is still pretty crazy.  Sometimes I think things have settled into a routine and then about five minutes later I change my mind and think it is just chaos!  People tell me that having three little kids means that its not going to calm down for several years.  I'm starting to believe them.  I'm back to work, Carter started football, Paige started dance, Easton is back to refusing to take bottles, Matt's never ending golf league finally actually ended,  the dog still tries to make me crazy, and nobody sleeps at night!  Woo hoo!  As tired as I am or as overwhelming as it can seem- not a day goes by that I am not reminded of how lucky I am.  It only takes one sweet comment or someone needing a hug or a little sly smile to stop me in my tracks and I know that this is exactly what I want out of life.  At least the chaos spares me boredom!





His Mama thinks he is such a stud.
Ballerina Girl.  Ha!
Gotta love a Wal-Mart parking lot.
What a brave boy letting his sister rock him.

1 comment:

  1. Miss you & your adorable kids :) so bummed I never got to hold Easton before we left. You are a natural at this blogging thing ;) and shopping with kids? It never gets easier!

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