Like a Cup of Tea

I have become quite a fan of herbal tea as of late for several reasons:

1 - It brings the blood back into my fingertips during the frigid winter temperatures.

2 - It tastes good. Soothing chamomille, fruity rasberry, yummy peach, a kick of cinnamon, or one of my favorites -- Christmas in a cup, otherwise known as peppermint.

3 - It helps me with my water intake. I tend to live in a constantly dehydrated state.

4 - My kids are not all that interested in stealing it from me. 

5 - It provides me with memorable awkward moments like Sergito yelling out in the middle of sharing time on the word of wisdom, "WE DRINK TEA. MY MOM LOVES IT!"

6 - Lastly and most importantly- It's a good excuse to SIT DOWN, to stop long enough to relax and enjoy the sweet calming effect of a cup of tea!

And so, I am dedicating this post to the little things in life that we stop to enjoy amidst the piles of dishes and laundry that are never done, and the floor that no matter HOW many times I sweep is almost instantaneously littered with crumbs, orange peels, socks (and then we wonder how they get lost), papers, blankets, sweaters, broken pencils, pen caps, toys, basketball cards, endless amounts of coloring books, regular books, school papers, and who knows what else. . . . Where was I again?

Oh yes, remembering to enjoy the little things in life . . . . 

that like a cup of warm tea bring flavor to our day. 

Experiencing the sweet joys of froot loop necklaces!

Getting caught up in the excitement of  . . . THE POWER PUFF GIRLS!

Made from Sugar & Spice & All Things Nice & . . . . CHEMICAL X!!!

Gather the ingredients together . . . mix them up . . .

If Only we had Chemical X it would have been a complete success!

Enjoying Basketball Buddies

Bonding over Family Puzzle Time

Success!!! (Never mind the fact that the most important piece of the puzzle fell on the floor, was misplaced, discovered, deposited into Sergio's shirt pocket, washed, dried, and found a couple of weeks later -- it may be a bit deformed, but at least Mario is no longer faceless!)

Getting a drastic haircut

Is there anything as refreshing?

Reading a Good Book

Emma is my little book worm and I must confess I envy her a bit. . .
I don't envy her the dramatic twists and turns of life. I remember feeling the injustices of life as acutely as she does: Her brothers' getting all the gold medals in their backyard Olympic Games, not finding her new toothbrush with it's matching hourglass timer before bed, having to wear a different shirt than yesterday even though it's her FAVORITE, being required to do difficult housework for so young a person like picking up the jacket she dropped on the floor an hour earlier, or being required to put toys away in their bin as opposed to being simply tossing them in the general direction of where they belong . . . . Anyway I digress.
Back to envying Emma. I love to watch her read (except of course at bedtime when I can't get her to turn the light off). I envy her the time she has to lose herself in a good book. I remember loving Sunday afternoons or vacation days when I could cuddle up on our big papasan chair, ignore the rest of the world and lose myself in fiction until reaching the back cover. Now I’m actually required to do stuff: make dinner, clean the house, put the kids to bed . . . . You mean they won't get done on their own??? Where are those magic hands, that took care of everyone, put food on the table, washed the clothes, and kept the household running when you need them??? Oh wait, they were my mother's . . . . and now I  AM THE MAGIC HANDS. Ahh to be young and free . . .

(to see the rest of the post, refer to part II)