Notice

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Notice

Ready?

GO.

My thoughts on the word "Notice" actually blend very well with the theme of giving thanks.  

First of all - who doesn't like being noticed?  I recognize that people differ in the way they prefer to receive recognition.  Some like some fanfare.  Some like a wordless pat on the back.  But we all like to be noticed in one way or another.

I am trying to become more aware of things people do that I am grateful for, and consciously and verbally acknowledge my gratitude toward them.  I especially try to do this with Mike (secret's out, Mike, now you know).  I think about how much I love it when Mike notices something I've done, so I figure if he filled up the car with gas while he was running errands, he would probably love it if I noticed and told him thank you (am I right, Mike?).  

Of course, we all notice when people don't do something.  Like if someone doesn't do the dishes or doesn't take out the trash.  When I was in high school, I remember thinking to myself "[they] Don't notice if you Do, Do notice if you Don't."  This is so true.  Homework.  Cleaning.  Brushing your teeth.  Putting on makeup.  So I want to focus more on "noticing if they Do" and complimenting people for whatever it is they've done.

Unrelated: I want to say thanks as well to those of you who read my blog.  Thanks for noticing me!  

STOP.  

Still

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Still

Ready?

GO.

Yes.  Being still is good.  

But it is also fun not to be still.  My now-9-month-old is NEVER still.  I'm sure every parent says that.  However, if I were a betting woman, AND if I had a fitbit I could strap to her, I would bet GOBS of money that my baby would win any wiggle-worm-fit-bit competition.  Anyone up for the challenge?

I love that Caroline can't hold still.  She is EVERY MOMENT excited to explore and thrilled each time she discovers something new (when you've only been alive 277 days, this happens every 5 minutes, give or take).  Lots of clapping and squealing.

A good friend of mine recently blogged about her son going off to kindergarten and having a hard time sitting still to learn.  He misses his "freeplay" at home.  I can't imagine trying to get Caroline to sit still to learn; I can't even get her to stay put to change her diaper - I have to strap it to her as she's crawling away from me at a speed you wouldn't expect from something on all fours unless it was a cheetah.  

I have to admit, I don't do too well sitting still to learn either.  I remember trying to do my homework at home, and thinking "Oh, I wish Mom would come over and help me focus!"  She usually did.  I'm still not sure how I made it through college, I fell asleep in every class.  I don't mean every class maybe once a semester.  I mean every class, every day, every semester.  That was actually the main factor in me choosing to jump into a career after college instead of pursuing a masters, as most Poli Sci majors do.  Which means I met Mike.

So, not staying still is OK.  Keep moving, Caroline.

This is Caroline with her five month old cousin!  They're buddies!  And both bald.

Leave

I can't believe this week's Five Minute Friday prompt (see http://katemotaung.com/five-minute-friday/)  is "leave."  Can we just count my post from Monday? :)

Well, I'm sure the idea is probably for me to discuss the verb, rather than the nouns.

I've been taking a leadership course this week, and we've spent A LOT of time talking about how people are different and will think about or react to things in different ways.  For me, "leave" has a negative connotation, because I don't like to leave people and don't like it when people leave me.  But for an introvert, "leave" might have a different connotation.  "Why don't they leave already?" or "I wish they'd leave me alone."

Ok, gotta go, it's Halloween!  So exciting to be in the US and to see all the neighborkids in their Elsa dresses, I mean "in their wide variety of costumes."  So cute!!!

Leaves

Caroline LOVES leaves.  We know this because:

- She would rather eat leaves than any other food (quite literally).  She actually swallows them.

- She wildly smashed and threw and swiped at the leaves outside this afternoon and cried when I picked her up and took her inside, trying to get back down to the leaves.

- She checks everyone's shoes that come in the house, to see if they brought in any leaves she could eat.

Dare

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Dare

Ready?

GO.

OK, so in the interest of full disclosure, I took two minutes to prep this time.  That's because as soon as I saw the prompt, all I could find in my head was "Dare to do right, Dare to be true!" but I couldn't remember the rest of the Primary song, so I had to look it up.  Then I saw that the scripture reference for the song was Matthew 4:1-11.  When Jesus fasts 40 days and then is tempted by Satan.  Did the Savior "dare" to do things?  I dare say he did!  Remember how aghast the religious leaders in his town were when he started preaching in the synagogue?  And how he caused a lot of concern among the Pharisees when he would heal on the Sabbath?  The words to the song are below (sing it in your head if you know it :).  I hope we all can "dare" to do right, since these days it does sometimes take courage to be the tender voice in a conversation, to show kindness to an outcast, or to talk about your faith.

STOP.

Lyrics

1. 1. Dare to do right! Dare to be true!
   You have a work that no other can do;
   Do it so bravely, so kindly, so well,
   Angels will hasten the story to tell.
2. Chorus. Dare, dare, dare to do right;
   Dare, dare, dare to be true,
   Dare to be true, dare to be true.
   
   


3. Words: George L. Taylor, b. 1835
   Music: Arr. by A. C. Smyth, 1840-1909

   

Fall Fun

We had so much fun on the farm today.  Caroline is such a trooper - even with a yucky cold and being exhausted, she was so excited to be there.  She lit up when we saw the farm animals and walked through a hanging garden of black tubes in the corn maze.

Unfortunately, none of the happiness was caught on camera.  

Long

For an introduction to Five Minute Friday, click here.

This week's one-word prompt is: Long

Ready?

GO.

Wait, am I writing about Long the Verb or Long the Adjective?  I think Kate Montaug wrote about the Verb, but looks like I'll be in good company if I write about the Adjective.

This week has been SO LONG!  Why is it that short weeks with a holiday in them always seem longer than the regular weeks?  Just goes to show that time is so relative.  

Haha, I think that's about all I have.  Maybe I would have had more to write about if I had gone for Long the Verb.  I still have three minutes, I'll give it a try.

OK, right now I am LONGING for chocolate.  And longing for playing outside in the sunshine among the pumpkins tomorrow with Caroline - we're taking her to a farm for some fall fun!  Maybe that's why the week has been so long - anticipation seems to slow time down, and dread seems to speed time up.  Pretty sure I got that from Harry Potter.  When he's trying to get ready for the challenges in Goblet of Fire.

So, the lesson here is - if time seems to be dragging on, life must be pretty good because you're anticipating something awesome coming up?  Sounds good to me.  I remember in 4th grade thinking how SLOW time was passing for me.  Must have been my first realization that the coming summer was going to be more fun than school.  I cried the day second grade ended because I didn't want school to stop.

Love how our perspective changes.  With time.

STOP.