Have you ever........?

I LOVE Disney lyrics. They always tell a great story about people , earth, joy and love and they are often law of attraction focused:what you think will happen,WILL, when you believe!
I think the song below is a GREAT one for these fast paced and economically troubled times...for this month.....for the world now:


You think you own whatever land you land on
The earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit has a name

You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew, you never knew

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon?
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?
Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

How high does a sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you'll never know.
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon.
For whether we are white, or copper-skinned,
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain
Need to paint with all the colours of the wind
Need to paint with all the colours of the wind

You can own the earth and still,
All you own is earth until
You can paint with all the colours of the wind.

10 rules for right now

1-If you can't pay cash for it, don't buy it

2-If you don't want it on your hips, don't pass it through your lips. Eat less, exercise more

3-If you want to be loved, be lovable

4-Make each day fun-worry less, laugh more,be like a kid and get on the floor

5-Be grateful and thankful .It always gets you more to be grateful for.

6- Learn something new every day.

7-Try something new once in a while. It can't hurt

8-Talk less, listen more. We all have problems, no need to go on about them

9-Remember the glass is always half full: it really doesn't serve us to be anything other than optimistic.

10-Never give up on your dreams.As it's said:If you can dream it,you can achieve it!

Got kids? Give them an attitude

I think kids are born inherently positive and knowing that what they want out of life, they CAN have!They have a winning ATTITUDE!!

Then it happens.

Some fool comes along and says "Hey buddy, that just ain't so. You can't always get what you want". "You can't be a fireman, you have to be a lawyer like Daddy" "You'll never be able to climb THAT mountain(read:attain that dream)'You can't do THAT!"

And slowly, unless they are filled with complete love ,joy and acceptance and encouraged to chase down and grab their dreams, they lose it. They start thinking that life is not all that great or that it is a struggle or that "it sucks"

But it doesn't have to be that way. You can grab that bull by the horns and turn it around. You can teach your children about the law of attraction.If the term "law of attraction" scares you or you think it's just too "way out there" remember that all the great achievers and leaders have believed in their dreams and envisioned themselves as what and who they wish to be.

I have been teaching my kids that life is all about mindset,appreciation, asking , receiving , detaching and expecting.It's also about working. You don't just ask and sit back and expect. You DO have to work toward your dream. If you saw "The Secret",remember where Jack Canfield spoke of his dream to get out XX amount of his books( I cant remember exact number). Well, he didn't sit on his lounge chair and hope for it.He went out and did book signings and promos and all and it surpassed his dreams!


And according to Abraham -Hicks, it's definately about going downstream. and it's such a SIMPLE concept to grasp. I asked my kids , if you got in a canoe...is it easier to sit and ride the river downstream or to try to turn it and paddle upstream?

Well, they looked at me like I was an idiot and said" Downstream of course, Mommy!" and I said "AHA! then you understand that is how you should choose to do everything in your life. Do not struggle and wear yourself out, do not fight, just go with the flow,be at ease ". Simple terms but its fine for a 6 and 8 year old.

And they understand of course.

Children are so wise.They are born wiser than we know. They are gifts to us.

We also talked about positive mindset and visualization. Take Michael Phelps...did he go to the olympics and say "Well, I'll give it a try" or was he 110% focused on winning? Did he expect to win? Did he PICTURE himself winning? Yes!Yes! and Yes!
And that is why he did.

My son learned A LOT last year doing a report on Edison. How many times that man failed was amazing. And how many times he went on to success was inspiring!


I speak to my kids almost everyday about gratefulness, understanding to appreciate all we have, share our abundance and expect more. I try to teach them about ATTITUDE..a winning positive one is the only way!

And they get it. They really get it.

Everyday I am so inspired as I watch them grow and learn. I am thankful and blessed to have the opportunity to know them and share our lives...to be the teacher and the student. They have much to teach me too. So much.

I'm listening......

Well, why not?

I was asked recently why I have such a tough time with decisions. Probably because my standards and expectations are so very high . It makes it tough for me as things aren't always a "perfect" fit. "SO", I was told "Lower your expectations"

LOWER my expectations?!!?
Not a chance.
I really do enjoy the best of things, the finest life has to offer. And while I am not be staying at 6 star hotels(yet) or have a private chef or a yacht(yet), why can't I dream of them as I work my business toward achieving them. WHY NOT???

Same conversation took place a while back about my children. "Why do you take them so many places? They're so young, they won't even remember it when they grow up." WELL, WHY NOT? They ARE enjoying all the things we do, they are learning and it IS shaping their world. And we have so much fun! THAT in itself is priceless.

Why do I spend so much time teaching them and working with them and traveling? Isn't that what school is for? No WAY! I am their Mom, their first teacher and I am the one who helps them become more worldly and helps to open their eyes to all that is out there. Classrooms can't always do that. AND WHY NOT Anyway? I LOVE learning and learn new things each and every day.I love new experiences, new towns, new discoveries. I grow as a person, as a business owner and as a MOM by all that I seek out , and all that I share.And I will do this if I live to be 100. Well, WHY NOT?

Balanced Living

As I was practicing yoga today, I looked around my house and saw how we live and it made me think about balance. Maybe not in the way you are thinking. More like yin/yang....dark and light....new and old. My house is a collection of old furniture, scuffed floors, rustic signs, dried hydrangeas,jars of shells and rocks, old books.....all comforting items that say sit and stay a while ..all things that have been around this earth for a while. Their well worn look and feel says "home".

Then there's the cell phone, the computer,the microwave, the DVD players, my printer running as I do some sun salutations. All the modern conveniences strewn here and there mixed in with the old. An eclectic yet wonderful balance of new and old, nature and technology.

And isn't it like our lives? A longing for the new and exciting technology yet at the same time, we need the earth and it's offerings to offer the grounding and the balance.
A walk on the beach the other night while the sun was setting made me feel that I could live forever with just the sun , the sand, the air and my kids at my side. Yet coming home to snuggle on the couch and watch a movie offered the other side and we quite enjoyed both.

The awareness for a connection with nature grows as we are bombarded with more and more high tech.More people I know are choosing to live relatively simply. Though they have high tech items, they are taking time to teach their children about some "old fashioned fun"....a walk on the beach, a day on the farm, a picnic in the mountains. It's really just being aware of the need to ground and the need for balance as life turns more hectic.

As our senses can be overloaded with lights, noise and action, it's taking a chance to balance that overload with another sensory blitz: fresh air, ocean waves splashing us , serene lakes to gaze upon, leaves to crunch in, sunsets to absorb, sand to sink our toes in, animals to touch, mountains to climb, smooth rocks to hold.....

Anne Frank said "The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature."

A blind and deaf woman, Helen Keller, relied only on her sense of touch and smell. "To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug"

When feeling confused, down or lonely, very often a day out in nature can help us find that inner strength and peace we forgot about. "Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."(Rachel Carson)

When we take the time to open our eyes and all our senses to the natural world around us, the balance we so desperately seek will present itself and wrap a warm arm around our shoulders.

You are the artist of your life

The Universe provides the canvas and the paints. It's up to YOU to paint the pictures of your life.

So, what are you going to paint? Sunny yellows, bright skies, open doors, blooming flowers, fields of joy , a newborn baby in her mothers arms, a stroll on the beach, a warm smile, friends holding hands, children laughing, contentment, abundance, great joy, pure love, peace.......yeah paint peace and love today!

Create YOUR life today!

Half full?

Ever notice certain people tend to drag you down?

To squelch your good mood and enthusism? To try to make you think your glass is half empty when you KNOW it's half full?Then you are one of the MANY people very sensitive to others vibrations.....really we all are.

And the only CERTAIN way to keep yourself in an ever happy joyful calm environment is to surround yourself with others who are the same state of harmony ,peace and happiness .

Make the choice to be with people who:

Love you unconditionally

Make you laugh and feel good

Are open minded, curious and eager to seek fun experiences

Who are comfortable in their own skin and not complaining often

Are interested in improving themselves and always learning more

Truly love living life

Appreciate the beauty of nature and the world around us and take care of it exquisitely

Who aren’t afraid of being loved, being silly or trying new things

Who offer encouragment and support in your choices

Who are positive and see the glass half full

Who dance , sing, love and laugh like children

What is the Question?

The question is not what you look at, but what you see." Henry David Thoreau

Just for fun

I uploaded a pic of me onto http://www.hairmixer.com/ then I added Julia Roberts hairstyle. How do I look with dark hair? Try it out yourself!

Today's two-minute tip to take you to the top

What you put into your mind will come out in your actions. Thinking happy positive thoughts will make you do happy positive things. It's really a simple equation. Learn something new and follow through. Set a higher standard for yourself, smile at strangers, teach someone what you know, look for the horizon, dare to dream and dream BIG!

I am not MOST PEOPLE.

I have this little game I play with myself when I vaccuum. Using my always great and powerful Oz-like Dyson, I vaccuum my whole house as if I was having the Queen over for dinner, or better yet, Oprah . I spend what seems like hours in the nooks and crannies and going over the wide open areas of carpet and flooring. Again and again and again.

Then, I dump out my clear canister and do it all again !And I am always gleefully amazed at what the 2nd round picks up. I almost want to save the canister and show it to people "Look", I’d say , like a 4 year old with a big smile ." This is what the 2nd trip brought me" ....te he he

And so my point is, and I DID have a point, I think, that often when we think we’ve done the best and most thorough job we can at ANYTHING IN LIFE, we can do it again and produce more and different results.

Ok, so my analagy has to do with dirt and dust and dander but nonetheless, it’s my analagy.

And maybe my quirky sense of humor and odd ways makes me not like most people. Since as far back as I can remember, I was always compared to "most people" and never fit into that category. "Most people do it this way" "Most people eat meat" "Most people don’t say that" "Most people like ___"(fill in the blank)

The older I get however, the more I am sure of myself and am proud that I am not like "most people". Oh sure, I have thousands of traits that overlap with the general population yet many that are my own. Call me quirky, call me different. It’s OK! I don't give up when and where others do. Rather, I come up with a different idea or challenge that keeps me going along the path, be it my own path with my own drummers.

And I was always drawn to the people that do their own thing with wild abandon. The ones who’s homes you walk in which are not cookie cutter replicas of others but ooze an individuality of eclectic odds and ends, sounds and smells that make them so utterly and perfectly unique.

I am drawn to people who think out of the box. To leaders who set the trends, never caring who follows. To life long learners who seek out the extraodinary , the odd, the new, the challenging, the diverse and ponder the big picture. To those who see what is not always visible to the eye. To those who live with all senses tuned to “ON”.

So, however I choose to vaccuum my house, wherever I choose to vacation, whatever I choose to listen to or read, whatever I choose to believe or not believe, I am proud of my indiviudality and I embrace my uniqueness. While "most people" may be walking, I’m doing cartwheels with my kids, big goofy grins on our faces . And loving it!

Seeking approval?

I hope not! Remember , you are YOU....your own person with your own attitude, desires, skills, style and dreams. You do NOT need anyone's approval. You should NOT be affected by their opinion, no matter how negetive it is or how much they disapprove.

I know that in my teen years, while I did seek approval from my peers in some ways, I'm sure, I was also strong enough to do my own thing, wear what I want, say what I want and be who I want and I became a sort of trend setter....a "rebel", if you may. But I was not really a rebel..it was simply everyones inability to understand that people can do what they want, even if it against they grain of the whole society and not care what others think. I was choosing to be free, to be me. And I'm ok with that, always have been, always will be. That sense of freedom allows us time to think of and do things that are important TO US and not spend time worrying if someone else approves or what they think.

I instill this belief on my children..teaching them "You may do what you want, how you want, when you want, as long as you are not harming anyone or breaking rules (ie-trespassing, etc..)

They ALL march to the beat of their own drummer and I am so proud of them.



Read this Abraham quote:


"When you feel free, you're free to be who you want to be under
any and all conditions, and you really don't worry about what
anybody else thinks about it, because you know that what they
think about you is their problem.

It has nothing to do with you.

And when you really feel that way, you become in the greatest
place that we know of, which is in the place of allowing -- and
you know you are in the place of allowing when you can see another
not approving of you and it is okay with you."

Cold feet, warm memories and observations

Ok, what's this all about? Just got in from a fabulous vacation in 86 degree Florida, mostly at the Disney Parks. I have made many realizations during my trip and took the time to relearn things about myself.

So what did I learn? That I don't like cold feet...here in New York it's in the 30's today. I really need to live somewhere where I can wear flip flops year round. It makes me happy.

I learned that I LOVE to drive(knew that) but over 10 hours is just too long for me (and the almost 19 was waay long)

I learned that my kids are better behaved than most. Actually even had a hotel desk clerk and an older couple at Applebee's both call me over to compliment me on my kids behavior. How nice is that?

I observed that most people don't smile enough. Even at Disneyworld,there were many serious faces while we walked around with HUGE grins most of the day.

I learned that it's ok for kids to drip ice cream down their arms and lick it off.

I observed that whale and dolphin trainers have a look of pure joy when "working". They really LOVE what they do, Bless them!

I learned I will always do what I want, and not listen all those who gently (or forcefully) mentioned that taking the children out of school for vacation wasn't a good idea. I made many wonderful warm memories with my kids that they will cherish forever! Missing 6 days of school, in the big picture of their lives is nothing!

I learned that being a single Mom and traveling with kids 1200 miles is challenging, exhausting and so much fun!


I learned that there is NO way I could live in the country. I think salt water runs through my blood.


I learned that I truly NEED the sun to feel good.

I learned what I knew already...that I could travel once a month. I LOVE it!Just booked the next trip for June. Plus many day trips in between.

And lastly I made wonderful memories with my 3 most favorite people in life! And had a GREAT time. And isn't that what life is all about?

Taking challenges in home business and in life

So, how are you with challenges? Are they overwhelming and hard to rise up to and meet ? Or do you take it with a smile and acceptance and a firm belief in yourself? Like a game you simply MUST win.

Whether you challenge yourself or someone proposes a challenge, treat it as a leanring experience to better yourself. No matter what the size of the challenge.

I'm sure Michael Phelps's coach challenged him to swim the fastest he ever had...to beat his previous time.

Actors challenge themselves to be better..to accept more difficult roles , to go for something they have never tackled before.

Mountain climbers will always try to get higher than they did before.

So how does this relate to a home business? If you don't set goals or challenge yourself to reach new heights of success, then where are you going? Are you sitting back and hoping you will get new customers or team members? Or if you are a leader, are you challenger your team to better?

I've started working closely with some of my team members who are sort of "stuck". Treading water , they call it. Keeping your head above water,but not really going anywhere.

I challenge them to get out 100 business cards a week ( into hands, not just left around)
Or
to give 3 samples a day out.
Or to join 5 social networks and write at least 20 posts. To blog daily.
To promote their contest and get 10 new entries a week.
To talk to 5 new people a day.

Sometimes saying " I challenge you to do this" is more motivating than suggesting they join some groups or put out cards. Meeting your challenges is like meeting a goal..very rewarding!

Remember the "100 NO challenge" that is classic to direct sales businesses. How fast can you get one hundred no's when asking people to take a look at your business? Because if you get 100 no's, then you have spoken to at least 100 people...and of course, I'm sure you will get some YES's too! How great will that feel?

I challenge you all to grow to new heights .
Are you doing the above steps ? Are you actively promoting your business on a daily basis or just reading boards and forums? Are you looking for new online ways to expand your contacts? Are you setting goals for personal growth too? Diet, exercise, quitting bad habits?

Take the challnge, plan your work, work your plan and meet new levels of happiness and success!

Social Networking and life online

There are so many sites nowadays where one can share their lives, their photos, updates, articles , home businesses and more.It also provides a wonderful opportunity for people like me who love to write, to share knowledge and express our creativity and hope others will enjoy it. Blogging is one of the most popular forms of self expression, but now many sites like Bukisa allow us to upload our articles , make a little extra money and be published easily .

Social networking online can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning,but if you learn to use sites and your time effectively , you can definately make GREAT connections. I met a fabulous life coach who I now call a friend.And through her, I met a whole group of people at ning who share my beliefs and values.
My personal sponser/team leader has also become a long distance friend whom I love chatting with, both on the phone and online.

I also have a fantastic group on CafeMom about law of attraction and met some wonderful and amazing souls there. If that wasn't enough, I have had the opportunity to chat with old friends from as far back as 6th grade on facebook . And I have grown my team with my home business almost entirely online through networking. I don't buy leads, I don't place many paid ads ( and when I do, they are under $10) or do pay per clicks with google.

Social networking works for businesses and definately helps us keep the "social" in our lives through a long and icy winter. The only thing that, to me, gets out of hand, is when people do it from vacation. I'll be on vacation soon, and I will check e-mails and my sites at night after the kids go to bed, but there's no way I will spend my relaxing and adventuring time online.

I like to think I'm a mix of old-fashioned back to nature and high tech junkie. I like the benefits of both. My kids get to sit at meals and on rides with me with my 100% undivided attention. I don't bring anything electronic into hotels and they do not watch TV on vacation. Yet during our car ride, we have DS games, a touch screen multi media cell phone and a DVD player . I think it's a nice blend of a little of both.

Time to plant the seeds

And not just because it is just about Spring!

Remember, even the largest oak, started as a small seed. Take your idea, your passion, your thoughts, prepare your "soil" and firmly plant them. Be patient, nourish them and watch them grow and blossom. AS the tulips that come up on my lawn each and every Spring, EXPECT they will come and be more beautiful each year. EXPECT that they will expand , as that is the way of nature...when surrounded by beauty, more beauty can thrive!

"Within the seed of your desire is everything necessary for it to blossom to fulfillment. And Law of Attraction is the engine that does the work. Your work is just to give it a fertile growing place in order to expand." --- Abraham

A quick note about turning thoughts into action!

Do you often think about doing something new? Or maybe there's been something in the back of your mind for years now, that you've wanted to do but put off?
Thinking about taking a chance? Pursuing a passion? Starting a home business? Taking up skiing, painting an oil pastel, publishing a book? Starting a yoga practice, going back to school, or taking a trip around the world?

Don't just think, DO. The right time is always NOW and if you don't, you may wish you had!


"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover".
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

The Food diary- Friend ,foe or a good laugh?

To overindulge on good food can be one of life's pleasures. After all, Websters defines "indulge" as to satisfy, to give way to ones own desires.
So how can that be wrong?

When our overindulgences are written clearly for all to see in a food diary, or perhaps a chart on the refrigerator, our glutoneous habits become all too clear. If one were to drop dead on the kitchen floor, and the police arrive and stumble upon the friendly food diary, the list would speak for itself: 27 cookies, 68 grapes, 19 pretzels.........

"But they were the SMALL cookies", they'd hear the voice from the grave, screaming "The little ones. And I had a really Bad day"!

Excuses!
and food diaries have no pages for excuses.

I was never one to think that the simple act of truthfully writing what I ate would bring upon such a lifestyle change. A pen, a paper and a whole new lifestyle. Cool.

Cracking eggs for an omelette, as I reached for egg #3, my hand paused, mid air, and I realized I would have to write 3 eggs. I opted for the 2 and had a wonderful breakfast nonetheless.

If you can be brutally honest, you can change long engrained habits. Even a healthy food like a tomotoe , a pickle or green bean looks ludicrously like a suspect when listed as 4 tomatoes, 3 pickels or 62 green beans.

Real food, eaten by real people who may be 5 or 25 or 45 pounds overweight does not look like the food you see in cooking magazines or even on cook shows, That gorgeous little sliver of meat, 2 new potatoes garnished with 1/2 teaspoon parsley and 5 julienned carrots is hardly a meal for those of us used to heaping platters and overflowing bowls. Perhaps a fine medium would be beneficial to the general population.

Writing your food consumption can be hard. You need to carry a little book wherever you go. You need to know that if you stop at Starbucks, you have to write each and every calorie of that latte. Your new catchphrase will be "no thank you". More coffee? No thank you. More ice cream ? No thank you. some cake? No thank you" I'd rather write down that I had a small salad and be proud of myself as my head hits the pillow at night, only to be awakened by a loud growling sound from my mid-section.

When you add those calories in your food diary, the first few days or weeks may be very depressing. You will most likely reach your projected calorie consumption by 9:30 am.
and of course, you will be starving by 10:30. Oh,my what a life!

My suggestion is to go right ahead and buy that little dress, or pair of size 6 jeans, or whatever it is that is a concrete goal for you. Try it on daily. Oh sure, the first weeks, you amy only be able to get a fist in it, but eventually it may just glide right on.

ANd scales? I know we've all heard to throw away the scale, but not me. I'd rather hop on it 25 times a day, if it keeps me from overindulging. If the number drops, I don't dare mess with this fantastic downward spiral of amazingness, as I may throw the whole thing out of whack if I eat a morsal more. And if the number is up, well, then I can hardly head to the kitchen , feeling like a tub of butter. Rather, I can indulge my other senses:a great book, some fantastic blasting loud music to dance too, a scented candle and a bath.....

Back to the food diary, it's also a gentle reminder to write down your mood with your food as so many of us are mood eaters.When you consistently see the words "sad or stressed" on the pages where you ate 55 crackers, you will see the pattern. ANd though you may have known it in your mind already, the proof is now on the paper for all the see.

If you choose to create your diary on a paper hung on the refrigerator, be prepared. If an girlfriend is over and casually goes to help herself to a drink and reads "14 fish sticks", you may decide that eating a bit more "dainty" portions does suit you after all.

So grab the pen,get some paper and hop on that scale with a confidence that in a few short weeks, you will see some small but amazing changes. Buy the jeans, the bathing suit, the belt and do what it takes to make your body into that vision you hold in your head of a healthy strong perfect sized body.
And then BURN that diary!!

A day in the life (of a single WAHM)

I think my mother thinks I'm strange. Then again, the feeling is recipricol. Why does she think I'm strange? Well, take this morning for example. She walked into my house to find me on the floor struggling to put a pillow case on one of those 5 foot long pillows. I had it pinned down with my knees like an alligator wrestler, my hair was dangling in my face,my teeth bared with the end of the pillow case gripped tight in my jaw. It was not a pretty sight. But after 10 minutes or so, I had defeated that sucker and tossed it on my daughters bed with a smug smile of triumph! I spent the last hour cleaning up her room beacuse last night she threw up all over what seems to be every stuffed animal and sheet and pillow on her bed. Miraculously, as kids seem to do, she made a 100% recovery and is now shoving her face with peanut butter crackers. I am tired from being up at 6 am with the baby , but I managed to get in an hour of computer and invoice work for one of my home businesses. I also responded to 4 e-mail orders and packed up a few orders. Not bad for one saturday morning.

Then my mother unpacks her handbag onto my counter. A small water bottle and a sandwich she made at home. She's staying for exactly 2 hours. And it isn't like I don't have food. I actually have a working refrigerator full of choices , a stove, a microwave and a toaster oven. A real 21st century kitchen but she wants a picnic, I guess. Smeared on the counter is what looks like fingerpainted peanut butter circles so I quickly attempt to clean it up. That is my pet peeve nowadays- a clean house. Never was a thought before I had kids but now I guess I am a neat freak. or maybe just a semi-neat, this- is- walkable, smells- ok, we- can- live- like -this- freak.

The baby is crying now, my daughter is running toward me with one of my high-heeled boots on and the other foot bare, telling me the toilet is "overfloating". Perhaps if she and my son didn't put half a box of wet wipes in, this wouldn't happen daily. The next thing, I'm plunging the toliet with the baby in one hand and my son and daughter are taking all the cushions off the couches to jump on them. They're screaming like banshees which makes the little guy scream too . Grabbing a bottle, I sit down to relax and feed the baby. My mother is no where in sight. When I finally find her, she is scooping the litter boxes for me. "You really need to do this more often", She tells me. I know she's right but it just seems that when I head into the laundry room, where they are, I always have huge piles of laundry in my arms.The laundry never ends.

Handing the baby to Mom, I say I need about an hour of downtime to relax in the den and do some Yoga and then some computer work. (this is the reason she is here...to give me a little "me " time ). First though, I have to replace all the pillows on the couches. Under them I find crushed pretzels. Pretzels break like safety glass in a car....into about 3500 pieces so I run the vacuum over the rugs and since I have it out, take another 20 minutes and do the whole house. A quick stop in the bathroom before my work-out leads to another delay. I pick up wet towels , scrape globs of toothpaste off the sink, get on my hands and knees and pick up what looks like chunks of my makeup that my daughter must have gotten into and add a quick lavender mist to the air to freshen it up since it smells like God only knows what.

Ok, finally my time for me! I head into the den, closing the french doors and start my practice. Big inhale. Relax. Big inhale. AAAAHHHH. SOO good and blissful to relax in the poses. I am so blessed. Then I make the mistake of glancing out the french doors into the dining room. And there is my beautiful 4 year old, grinning ear to ear, in the same triangle pose as me, mimicking my every move. It's distracting and adorable and hysterical at the same time. I give her a kiss and send her down the hall to find Mom and the boys. They are sitting on my son's bed surrounded by every single childrens book we own. That is about 132. Big breath. Relax.

Back in the den, I am almost calm on the floor in bridge pose. During Yoga, you are supposed to focus on one spot to calm the mind. I decide to focus on the spot on the ceiling. Actually, it's more like a scratch from the Christmas tree and it's bothering me more by the minute. Five minutes ago, I didn't know it was there and life was fine and now I have made a mental note that I have to repaint the celing , perhaps tonight.

When I'm done with my exercise, it's onto the computer to work on my website, enter some orders, check e-mails, pay some bills , etc. All the time I am doing this, the music from the other room is blasting out classic Disney songs like the "Bippidy Boppedy Boo" , but since my desk is out of sight from the door, the kids are content to dance like crazy without the benefit of Mommy clapping and woo-hooing like a crazed football fan.

As 2pm approaches, my mother warns me that she has to get home to start dinner for her and Dad. He has called 3 times already . They are the old-fashioned couple who's lives revolve around food and meal preperation. She tells me "We're making lamb tonight and chicken tomorrow because Stop-n- Shop had them on sale this week. Friday we'll barbeque steaks". Me, I just open the fridge and whatever is there, we eat. I can't seem to plan ahead and often am so forgetful and busy that in the morning, I'll open the microwave to heat up breakfast and find 2 potatoes that I inadvertantly forgot to put out with last night's dinner. Call me crazy, but I literally ate my whole dinner and did not even remember about the potatoes.

Mom leaves and I play with the kids for a while until dinner. Since I have no more potatoes, I opt for macaroni with meat sauce. The older 2 are arguing over who will set the table( a nightly arguement) and the baby needs a nap but has gotton used to me laying with him, which I can't do at the moment. I bounce him on one hip as the phone rings and I take an order from a customer ; "Is this a bad time?" she had asked hearing all the commotion in the backgound. "NO, perfect time", I reply with a smile . I do usually try to take orders in the quiet of the office but since most of my customers have become friends, they understand what my life is about.

I am here with the 3 kids and no husband and I run 2 businesses from home. I go to both schools for events often. I chauffer to friend's houses, I take them to swimming and gymnastics. I grocery shop. I do laundry (and even put it away at times). I am the nurse, the game player, the story teller, the book reader, the dance partner, the cook, the cleaner , the gardener, the vacation planner, the homework helper, the gift buyer and wrapper, the Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the cat feeder (and sometimes litter box scooper), the bed maker, the bath giver, the boo-boo kisser and most often, referred to simply as "Mommy" (one of my all time favorite words). And most of all, I am happy.

After dinner, there's a few more business calls to return. Then there's one big cuddle session with all 3 kids, 3 individual cuddle sessions, 4 or 5 bedtime stories , a song or 2, teethbrushing, snacks, teethbrushing again, and a important stuffed animal re-arranging and tucking in . Next I will attempt to take a hot bath and read a book. I'm in the middle of about 6 books...I have one in each room and whenever I get the chance I pick one up and read 1/2 a paragraph. Admittedley, this might not be the most organized way, but eventually I will get them all done. When summer comes and we are at the beach, I may get to read a whole page.

I still have bout 121 things on my list to do, but they'll have to wait. When I finally lay my head on the pillow each night and take a deep peaceful breath, a warm glow comes over me as I feel so thankful to God for my life, my health and my amazing beautiful children . I can find no words to explain how much I love and cherish them. And I wouldn't change a thing about my life (well, maybe I'd hire a maid..)