Sunday, September 12, 2010

I {HEART} Blogging ~ Women I Admire: B2B Day #4 and #5


I am participating in the SITS Girls Back2Blogging challenge.






I missed Day #4 and it's now Day #5, so I'm going to double up here. (bear with me, I think it's worth your time?)

Day #4 of the B2B Challenge asked that we discuss A woman we admire.....I had trouble narrowing this down to one woman. So I decided that I would create a LIST of Women that I admire.

~ I admire Mothers of Preemies. Preemies come with so many special challenges at the start of their lives and the mothers have to be resilient, and remain hopeful in the face of the uncertainties. There are SO many unknowns when you have a child(ren) born too early.

~ I admire Mothers of Multiples.
One child is a challenge. I thought I had it tough with one....AHAHAHAHA....and then I had twins. And now I watch mothers of triplets, quintuplets and sextuplets and I am grateful for my twins and singleton. I admire those women who, often after enduring life in the NICU find their way to a balanced life with multiples underfoot. Well done ladies!

~I admire Mothers of Monoamniotic-Monochorionic Twins - it is a special journey all its own.

**These women mentioned above, happen to be in a group with me...and I really do not want to seem like I am admiring myself because that is not the case. I have a unique perspective, because I have been in their shoes and I know what they are enduring, I empathize with their journey and I know that I personally came out on the lucky end of all three of those things. I had two babies, who were preemies and Monoamniotic-Monochorionic twins...but our journey wasn't nearly as challenging as it could have been. I am blessed with healthy, happy babies who have wonderful temperaments. I am lucky. I admire those with triplets (or more!), those with preemies who had a journey filled with setbacks, and mothers of Momo twins who lost one or both of their beautiful children. Although we endured some of these challenges, I know we were fortunate to avoid the bulk of the most difficult and heartbreaking scenarios. So...this is why I admire those who have been in my shoes but amplified ten fold.

~I admire women who have battled cancer . I am inspired by their resiliency.



~I admire single mothers. They do it all on their own, and make it work. It's amazing and something to be proud of. We all live our lives, and most of us envision life in a partnership raising children, and when it must be endured alone, that's an exceptional challenge.

~ I admire wives of deployed soldiers. Especially those who remain positive in the face of life without their partner for an extended period of time.

~ I admire Nurses - I was cared for by an army of nurses throughout my hospital stay with the twins. There are no words for their dedication, patience and love. They are the reason my girls are here today.

~I admire Mothers of Special Needs Children - Children who require continued assistance requires a Mother with optimism, unconditional love and overall commitment to their child's needs over their own.

~I admire Women who in the face of challenges choose the positive path. It's not always easy to make that choice to focus on the good in life, to continue to make good choices, even when the bad are tempting and simple fixes. I admire those who make their lives work in the face of challenge and they do it in a way that's positive.

Phew......I'm long winded! I could honestly go on...why did I not post yesterday? SHEESH!

Day #5 of the SITS girl challenge was to explain our reasons for blogging....

Top Reasons Why I Blog:

1.) I like the idea of having my words out there for my daughters to read in the event that I cannot be with them. I worry a lot about something happening to me and not being here for my girls, blogging brings me comfort in knowing my words are there for them. My girls can log on anywhere and find “me”.

2.) I enjoy journaling my thoughts and experiences as a reminder of days gone by. And when I am an old lady and barely sane – it’ll make for an interesting “story”.

3.) I try to keep to my blog’s overall message and focus on the moments that define me while keeping a positive perspective. It’s a good reminder to myself that life is good, even when the half-empty days happen.

4.) I blog to connect with other mothers and women who share my perspective on life. It makes the experience of motherhood a little less lonely.

5.) I enjoy reading inspiring stories as well as those that make me laugh out loud. It's a nice way to enjoy my morning coffee.

6.) I am a writer and this is the start of the elusive platform. I aspire to share my words with others and I hope that I will find my way to a larger audience one day.


Thanks for enduring a double post! I hope it was one that brought additional perspective on life and those Defining Moments that make us who we are.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Back2Blogging Day#3 ~ Blog Title Success! (I think?)

I'm participating in the SITS Girls




Back2Blogging challenge this week. Day #3 instructed that we share a post with a title that we were proud of..
I loved this post in general, and I think the title is catchy and one that hopefully brings in the reader.


-------->My Minivan Does Not Define Me!!<---------Awesome Title?

I am a stiletto wearing, cabernet sipping and yes……minivan driving Mama of soon-to-be three children. That’s right… I said MINIVAN (and did I mention I’m going from one child to three in fell swoop?)



I have found myself struggling with the idea of driving a minivan for several weeks now, ever since we drove it off the lot. I swore I’d never be that Mom. The one who drove a Minivan because somehow, that means I’ve given up right? Given up myself to that persona of “Soccer Mom” or “Mom Jeans wearing Mom”?

Absolutely not!

I recently read a status post on Facebook from an acquaintance and I quote:


“Why on God's green earth do people ever buy mini-vans? Does anyone realize that SUVs have just as much cargo capacity and don't make you look like you've completely given up on aspiring to be at least minutely cool. Seriously, what's the draw? Are they giving away lifetime supplies of unisex mom jeans with each purchase....?”


Really? REALLY?


What disheartened me about this post was the fact that many people make this assumption! I tried not to let it bother me. I did. But it still sits with me because I totally disagree with this assumption! My BCBG shoes and dresses are still in my closet….I will still find time to slip them on from time to time (once the twin belly is gone of course) and while I can acknowledge that with twins, and a four year old those totally awesome shoes and dresses will take a small break, they will not retire! They will simply be on hiatus. Period. No argument. Got it judgmental people with no kids?


That is all. Thanks.


I had fun writing about this topic because it was such a tough transition for me to make in life.......I actually used the first paragraph in an article I wrote for Hawaii Parent Magazine ~ a local magazine that I have had the pleasure of writing for this last year.

Back2Blogging Day #2 ~ A Post I Wish You Would Have Read.....

Back2Blogging Day #2 with....





Assignment: Share a post you wish more people would have read......

I wrote this post in June and I really liked how it came out......


Keeping it all in Perspective



I often reflect on my life and wonder how I've gotten through the things that I have endured - not just the ordeal with the twins (see posts Nov. 2009 to present), but so many other things along my 31 year journey in this life. And I have come to the conclusion that we are all innately strong and therefore capable of weathering any storm given the right perspective. Life is complicated, it's messy and it's often times unfair. Life is full of selfish, disheartening individuals who cause undue pain and that just plain stinks.

~BUT~

Life is also

BEAUTIFUL



MIRACULOUS



and

AWE INSPIRING.



I am a "glass is half-full" kind of person. I try to choose the positive perspective and run with it as much as possible. Occasionally, I have a "half-empty" day - after the last six months and other life hardships, it's kind of a given. If I have those days, I allow myself the cycle of emotions - because they are warranted.

~then~

I pick myself up

dust myself off

and

move forward.

I consider myself blessed and I choose to focus on my blessings rather than the hardships...it's this perspective which has carried me through even the most daunting of challenges that life has thrown my way.




I like to write posts like this to remind myself, as well as others that there are remarkable things in our everyday life that we should be thankful for. And with the journey of our twins being Monoamniotic-Monochorionic a.k.a Momo's....I remind myself regularly how very blessed we are. I had hope more people would read it because I think it is a reminder of how beautiful life can be and it can serve as a place to visit when you or I are having one of those "glass half-empty" kind of days.

Back2Blogging Day #1 with the SITS Girls! My First Blog Post......

I'm participating in the Back2Blogging Event with:




My very first Blog Post was written in 2006 about my oldest daughter. She is now five years old....still very much into music and dancing.


Dance! Dance!

My Daughter has a love of music. She sways, bounces and flings her arms in the air to anything musical. She does not discriminate. She loves Sesame Street, the Oscar Mayer commercials, and Mommy's booty rap. All music inspires my girl to bounce her tush or sway her arms around. It is so adorable and free. I say to her, "That's right Jordan, Dance! Dance!" She looks at me with her beautiful round eyes, that are the spitting image of her Daddy's, smiles excitedly and continues her bouncing....(dancing).
Sometimes we dance together. I scoop her up into my arms and we rock back and forth, cheek to cheek to whatever moves us on the radio. It warms my heart and has made otherwise average days, beautiful and more spectacular.
Today, she and I danced together standing in front of one another. This is new for us, because she just started walking and now has the ability to dance while standing. Prior to this week, her dancing consisted of being held by me while she moved her arms up and down or bouncing from a sitting position, swaying her arms back and forth, up and down. Now, well, she is a pro! She stands, bounces on her legs AND sways her arms all at the same time. My growing girl is growing to fast. I only hope she will continue to dance with me as she gets older.



...this was my kickoff post into the blogging world. Unfortunately...I only wrote a couple more times that year (In My Daughter's Eyes and Wild Horses) and then took a very LONG hiatus....I love looking back like this. It inspires me to continue documenting my journey as a mother and otherwise.....

Reasons I like this post.....

***It focused on one of my favorite things about my daughter at that age
***I wrote in a way that you can picture whats happening

Something I would change....

***Add a picture of my Luv Bug at that age! :-)



***I would also space out the post a little more for affect and maybe change the fonts to make it easier to read.


Friday, September 03, 2010

I'd Like My Brain Back

Dear God,

We've known each other for quite some time and I have a small request....

I'd like my brain back please.

It's really become apparent that I have lost a significant part of my brain power. And since you are my creator, I feel like you have the ability to make this happen for me.

Just today, I was driving along, happy as can be because I dropped Jordan at school on time and managed to get the twins both dressed complete with diaper bag prepped for their OT appointment. I EVEN had a hot cup of coffee ready to go in the travel mug.

All very timely....SCORE for Mommy!

As I wave goodbye to my big brave Kindergartener and head out to get on the highway, I'm marveling at how "together" I seem to have things today.

And then...

my minivan begins to slow....and sputter........and finally, it dies.

That's right....dies. On the highway, at a major merging point.

FABULOUS.

Lets not forget I currently live in Hawaii....and that beautiful, breathtaking Hawaiian sun is at it's finest today.

AND

My wardrobe choice for the day....jeans, black top, black flats - no, not the shorts, tank top and flip-flops that I normally wear...it's laundry day. So....yeah....I'm feeling the burn. But hey, I looked totally cute for that Emergency Roadside service!

How did I let this happen?

No brain.

You see God, hard boiled eggs don't taste so great when they're charred due to forgetting them on the stove. Jordan really isn't a fan of being left at school way beyond the normal pickup time. And those crocodile tears that she shed last Friday because I forgot to put her Jamba Juice fundraiser money in her backpack....heartbreaking.

I'm seriously going to start losing friends because I rarely remember our planned get togethers unless they remind me repeatedly and with multiple forms of communication. Thank goodness for facebook Birthday reminders because I would really be dropped from the friend list!

I completely understand that I need to be accountable, but this is getting ridiculous. So.....if you could just make an exception in your policy of free will and all....

I know I should be able to figure this out, but your intervention is obviously needed.

Thanks in advance.

~Nicole

~~~~~A quick open letter to Honda~~~~~~~


Dear Honda,

The little yellow circle light, the size of an eraser head, you know the one that lets us know we're out of gas....NOT EFFECTIVE. Please add bells and whistles in future models. Maybe one of those really friendly OnStar-type services could call me....repeatedly.....until I fill up. I don't know...something? And if you have an add-on kit for those of us with the minivan already, that would be awesome. Thanks.

That is all.

Sincerely,
A recently stranded Mama of Three

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Wordful Wednesday.........The Giggles





The twins are giggling.....all the time. And I can't get enough of it. Neither can their big sister who will jump up and down, flail her arms, coo, make ridiculous noises, pretend she's stuck between the seats in the car just to get a giggle out of her little sisters. It is ear to ear grin-worthy....let me tell you.

Here are a few pictures of Jordan and her captive audience.....












This last picture just makes my heart melt......



Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Reflections on Marriage



Craig and I married on August 10, 2002 in a small church in my hometown. It was everything I had hoped for in a beautiful day to celebrate our love and commitment to one another. We've been through quite a journey and this very day are celebrating our eighth wedding anniversary!

It's amazing how fast time passes you by. It seems like just yesterday I was standing arm and arm with my 74 (now 82) year old grandfather ready to walk down the aisle to my handsome groom.

My Grandfather is a sensitive soul. He was very emotional that day. It took all he had to keep it together down the aisle and I feel so blessed to have so much love from such a wonderful person.



I walked down the aisle, beaming with joy and love for my husband and the dreams of our future together as man and wife.

I remember being very at ease the whole day. Nothing was going to take away from the moment when I said "I Do"...

Not even a yellow paint mishap that very nearly could have been disastrous to my gorgeous dress....YIKES!

It was a fabulous day filled with friends, family & celebration. I never imagined such a beautiful day in my life and nothing has compared to it since other than the birth of my three daughters. Here are a couple of pics that I love from that day.....


The Bride to be.....





The now happily married couple....told you he was handsome!






Sooo...here's what I've learned so far about Marriage...

#1 As Jordan would say...."It's a BIG Job!"
#2 Compromise is not an option it's a necessity....
#3 It's important to be the other persons biggest fan.
#4 Communication is key.
#5 Forgiveness is necessary.
#6 Laughing with one another keeps life together lighter.
#7 Hugging & kissing daily helps to maintain closeness.
#8 There will be many tests along the way to tempt the strength of your bond.
#9 It's important to keep your spouses dreams alive as well as your own. Working together to reach them is part of the journey.
#10 There will always be ebbs and flows as the years pass.

I feel blessed to be sharing this life with my husband Craig. We've been through so much already in our short 8 years. I look forward to our future together whatever it may bring.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Writer's Workshop: Motor Mouth


That's me....I'm the "Motor Mouth".......or at least that's what my Dad used to call me. "Niki" he'd say, "You're such a Motor Mouth!"

~OR~

"Hey, Motor Mouth....be quiet"

in other words....

I talk.......

A LOT....

and my little one Jordan

talks.....

ALOT.

Jordan knows all, can dispense advice with the best of them.



In her long five years of life, she's learned a ton and she's not afraid to share what she knows. Just the other day, while on stage for her end of dance camp performance, Jordan felt the need to tell me all about the types of dances....did I mention she was on stage? Getting ready to perform? She also was motioning me to move to a certain place and instructing me to take video versus a picture of the performance....

ummm...


yeah....

My little miss is a smart cookie who loves to chat....and truth be told.....boss a bit.

She'll have a conversation with anyone - she does not discriminate.....old, young, girl, boy - it does not matter- if you are a willing participant, she will give you an earful.

And you know what?

I was JUST like her

and now

I get it.

I really do.

It used to hurt my feelings when my dad would call me a "motor mouth" but now I TOTALLY get it.

When I'm just trying to be in my own head, it's impossible, because she's in my head, god love her...she has a lot to share. So instead of calling her a motor mouth and giving her that complex, I try my best to just listen and participate in the conversation in a somewhat productive manner....I'm not always successful (did I mention I just recently had twins and a solid nights sleep is still hard to come by? Therefore thinking straight is a rarity) but I try, because....

Jordan.....my chatty, friendly, boisterous, amazing little girl is a force to be reckoned with at the ripe old age of five and I want her to run with her fearlessness. I want her to feel no judgment so she can share her perspective on life with the world. I want Jordan to feel compelled to call people on what's right and wrong and speak up for those who won't speak for themselves. Because ultimately, she can be the voice for those who aren't willing to put themselves out there. She's got that kind of potential....the potential to lead, to influence and guide. Honestly, I am often in awe of her.

Which leads me to another thought......being her Mom is a BIG job....making sure she grows into a responsible, empathetic, giving, loving individual will require my guidance and it's a BIG job....but you know what? It's one job I'm willing to hang onto throughout all time. Hopefully she doesn't fire me.....


This blog was inspired by none other than MamaKat - one of the few bloggers out there that truly makes me smile on a regular basis.

For more Writer's Workshop, check her out!
Mama's Losin' It

Wordful Wednesday......My Swagger Wagon ~ Part Two of "My Minivan Does NOT Define Me"....






I'm still a hip Mama.....even while driving my minivan ;-D I wrote on this topic not too long ago - see November 16, 2009 post - You can also see my article "Giving into the Van" in the next issue of Hawaii Parent Magazine (www.hawaii-parent.com)
Photos are the result of the fabulous Laura Fleming Photography - they are copyrighted and should not be used without permission from Laura Fleming Photography - http://www.lauraflemingphotography.blogspot.com/

And then there's this...


For more Wordful Wednesday check out



Sunday, June 20, 2010

Keeping it all in Perspective......


I often reflect on my life and wonder how I've gotten through the things that I have endured - not just the ordeal with the twins (see posts Nov. 2009 to present), but so many other things along my 31 year journey in this life. And I have come to the conclusion that we are all innately strong and therefore capable of weathering any storm given the right perspective. Life is complicated, it's messy and it's often times unfair. Life is full of selfish, disheartening individuals who cause undue pain and that just plain stinks.

~BUT~

Life is also

BEAUTIFUL



MIRACULOUS



and

AWE INSPIRING.



I am a "glass is half-full" kind of person. I try to choose the positive perspective and run with it as much as possible. Occasionally, I have a "half-empty" day - after the last six months and other life hardships, it's kind of a given. If I have those days, I allow myself the cycle of emotions - because they are warranted.

~then~

I pick myself up

dust myself off

and

move forward.

I consider myself blessed and I choose to focus on my blessings rather than the hardships...it's this perspective which has carried me through even the most daunting of challenges that life has thrown my way.

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Wordful Wednesday with Charlotte






Charlotte.....my sweet, sweet Charlotte.

She's my calmer twin.....(er...most of the time). Which is funny, because she was the one who was the hardest to find on the fetal monitors while I was hospitalized for five weeks AND the one who caused our emergency c-section due to her decelerations (little stinker!). But, she's now my more laid back kid.

This week she started laughing. She and Daddy were staring at each other...and she laughed out loud. Today, when I was kissing her tummy and her tootsies (aka feet) - she laughed for me. Oh that made my day! It's the slightest little laugh, and it doesn't continue on and on, but she is definitely laughing out loud these days and I am so excited about that!



Charlotte has found her thumb in the last couple of weeks. She will be much like her Big Sister Jordan in that venture. It might even be the way that I tell her apart from Maddie in the future!



But Charlotte also seems to be my twin who takes it all in....



and in what seems like a very serious way....



She's not all business, all the time. I love that when she sees me, she smiles. It just makes my day to see her grinning at the sight of her Mama. It makes it all worth while. I am SO very blessed!

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Wordful Wednesday with my Luv Bug





I heart this little girl. She makes my heart swell with pride. Jordan loves big, she loves with her whole heart and I am thankful. She makes my whole world a better place to be. When my glass is half empty...she fills it back up. When I need a hug, she's the first one their to offer it up. Over the last several months when things have been tough, I have found a child who is unselfish, resilient and loves unconditionally.

Jordan amazes me on a regular basis. She has been the strongest and most loving big sister. This is all in spite of the attention that has been taken from her. She went from being the only child for four years, to one who's mother was taken from her for five weeks (see inpatient hospital stay posts), MIA for eleven weeks (see NICU journey with the twins) and yet she still holds onto her optimism and her love of life and family. She loves her sisters fiercely, and without question.




I could not be more proud of my oldest child. I've written on this topic before (See "Luv Bug a.k.a Big Sister post) and I continue to be more amazed everyday with her unending grace, maturity and love for all of us.

Jordan will be five next month and I can hardly believe it. She recently finished her Pre-K year. Her graduation from preschool came complete with a beautiful song, "The World is a Rainbow" which she had the best time singing to everyone in attendance.She got to wear a graduation cap, and she received a diploma.She is officially on her way to Kindergarten and we are so proud of her.


Jordan loves to dance. She's got more rhythm than her Dad and I put together. I often find her banging on our Wii Rock Band drums to the beat of whatever song is playing on one of her kid TV shows. Recently, she was in her end of year dance recital and she did wonderfully. She shaked her tush with the rest of them like a champ. And we were so tickled to watch her have fun and enjoy music.



Jordan is a creative soul. She loves to draw and color. She loves to make creations out of random things like tissue paper and cardboard boxes. I love this about her. We can't throw anything out in the house because she wants to use it to create something.


The tissue paper skirt she created......



One of her usual spots...out in her lanai playroom drawing and coloring.....


Jordan is silly, sassy and oh SO sweet...I am eternally grateful to have her as my daughter....

Toes are tasty?!?


My heart is overflowing......