Milestones....

Today is a milestone day. My Baby Hat C turns 13 today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY C! It's official in our house...no more little kids. No more kid's meals at restaurants, no more kids admittance prices to movies, theme parks and museums. No more birthday gifts of barbies and toys; it's on to electronics. No more knocking on the neighbor friend's door to come out and ride bikes - we are on to facebook chats and texting. We have moved on into the world of teens. It is a milestone day.

In fact, this is a milestone year.

All my baby hats are reaching milestone ages this year - 21, 16, 13. How strange it is going to be to know that my oldest baby hat can sit down and have a glass of wine with her father and me if she wanted to. How strange to see my middle baby hat move from foot power to horsepower as a means of getting around. And my youngest baby hat...well, we've already covered that!

When they were younger, I remember not really wanting the time to pass before my eyes, but yet always looking forward to the day when they were a little bit more self sufficient. As a young mom with three kids I got worn out and tired. As much as I enjoyed being a mom (and still do) , the thought of a bit of the load lightening with their increasing independence seemed like it would lift some of the weight that I felt. The small little pebbles of "ableness" - buckling their own car seat belt, tying shoes that actually ended up on the right feet, walking to the bus stop for school, gave me the illusion that my job as mom was getting easier. My back was less tired as a child spent less and less time on my left hip. I had two free arms to get things done. When we reached the milestone of having all three kids in school, my load was light....so I thought.

As they have gotten older and reached more milestones, they weight of motherhood is different. I may not have as many physical demands and they may not be as physically dependent, but the load is still there. My back may not hurt and feel like it's going to break, but sometimes my heart does. Sleepless nights because of a crying baby or chasing away nightmare monsters are replaced with sleepless nights of worry or soothing a sad child who has just experienced a breakup with a boyfriend. The milestones that in many ways lifted the load from my back did just that, but placed them right on my heart.

Milestones are necessary. They are to be celebrated. In most ways they are good. The milestones our children reach are indicators that as parents we are doing our job. But, they aren't always easy.

I am so proud of my baby hats and proud of the milestones that they have reached. I am privileged to be able to share their moments of accomplishment and independence. And as much as it weighs my heart to watch them grow up, it also strengthens it. I guess that's so my heart has the muscles for the rest of life's milestones.....

I'm Still Here!!!!

My postings have been few and far between as of late. I apologize for that and I am working on getting some new material posted on a much more frequent basis. I have not abandoned my blog or vlog. It means too much to me to let it fall by the wayside.

Over the last few months, there has been grief, stress, and busyness. I have lost two loved ones that have been so important in my life. They both played a part in making me who I am. There has been the stress that accompanies raising children - the fighting, the homework, the trials of three teenagers. There has also been busyness with school, work and all the other tasks of existence. Sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming. Unfortunately, my blogging and vlogging hats got crushed under all of my life hats.

But, as I said, I am determined to change that. I realize that blogging and vlogging are things that feed my soul. They re-energize me. They are a creative outlet for me to express myself in print and in words. I hope readers and viewers are interested in what I have to say. But, I realize that some of these words may never be read or heard by another. My purpose is not to simply hear myself speak (or type, or write....not exactly sure how you would phrase this...) but instead is a way for me to express who I am and what I am about. It is freeing. It is liberating. It builds upon the foundation of what makes me....well, me.

So, with that said...I would like to tell all of my current readers, past readers, and future readers that I appreciate your willingness to spend a bit of time on my blog. It is truly a gift when I hear from each one of you.

I am working on some new material to be coming very soon....some fun, some serious, some crafty, some frugal. You name it...I've got a hat that goes for the occasion! Check back soon to for a peek into my hatboxes. It feeds my soul. It just might feed yours too!

Hat Trick Tips - Crafting Hat , Fashion, Ease, and Affordability!

A fun and easy stenciling technique that will help you wear your crafting hat with style and ease! Create original and fashionable gifts for the holidays and still be friendly to your budget!

Hat Trick Tips - Crafting Hat

This is an easy and creative fall decorating craft idea. This craft was originally filmed an posted last year on my other blog Daily Goulash, but I thought my AZ Mom of Many Hats readers would enjoy it also. Enjoy!

Hat Tricks Earth and Pocketbook Friendly Hats

Be kind to the earth as well as kind to your pocketbook! Re-purpose your excess jarred candle wax as well as other household items to get every penny's worth of scent as well being good to the environment!

Memories

I am going to dedicate this post to memories today.

It is a day that, if you lived anywhere in the US, you can probably recall with very vivid memory. I know I can. In fact, I am writing this, sitting in the same restaurant chain where I met a friend to pray with shortly after the attacks happened. I needed her support that day. I feared for my family in New York. I briefly panicked when I couldn’t remember if and where my husband was traveling that week. I remember my daughter coming home from school in tears because her school wouldn’t let me call her to see if her great grandmother in New York was OK. I so clearly remember thinking that life would never be anywhere near normal again. The feelings, the fear, the flow and the events of that day are burned in my memory and probably will be for as long as I have cognitive function……

This memory is extremely powerful. It has changed my perception of a lot of things. Although I have always respected those in public service, I have an even greater appreciation for the sacrifices that public servants make to protect their fellow man. I am much more aware of what is going on in the world, and make a conscious effort to understand those that are different than me. I pay more attention to my surroundings. I look for exit signs and escape routs when I am in public places. Overall, I realize the world is not always a safe place.

But, even though my perceptions have changed, that event and this memory does not define me. It does not change who I am or control me. As much as the horror of that day could have crippled me and the rest of this country, I took strength and shelter in my loved ones, my community, my places of worship, and my faith in this country. I did not let this event or this memory take over my life.

This memory is specific to September 11, 2001. I know that this was a day of unfathomable pain for so many. I can not even imagine what so many others went through, and I would never even think of trying to minimize or deny those people their pain.

But, any memory, whether it be of this day or another memory, does not have to define us. Our memories and experiences will undoubtedly change our perceptions and become a part of our personal stories. But, we do have the ability to use those memories to make a difference in ourselves, in our relationships, or in our communities.

Choices...The Struggle of Choosing the Better of Two Goods

Not all choices are hard.

The choice between clearly good and clearly bad is a pretty easy choice. I think the vast majority would not have to put much thought into this one. We see a clear line between the two choices. We have clear cut information that helps us decide the pros and cons of each. Usually the tally marks line up with the cons for the bad option and the pros for the good option. We choose the good.

The choice between two clearly bad options is also not that difficult either. Here we know that both options are not good. But in the end, we look at our list of tally marks and the one with the most negative results usually is the choice that loses. Even though we would rather not have to make a choice, the lesser of the two evils usually is the decision of choice.

But what about when you are faced in choosing the better of two goods?

This is where, at least I think, it gets hard.

Some times we are faced with choosing between two good decisions. Either choice will reap benefits. The benefits may be personal, professional, financial, or a combination of any of those things. No matter which we choose, we can't lose....at least we don't think we can. How do we make a choice?

I think the decision making process comes down to a few things.

First, a lot of soul searching needs to take place. We need to look within ourselves and see why both choices are appealing. Are they appealing because they are filling a void in ourselves? Or, are they appealing because it fills a void somewhere else or in someone else? Maybe the two fill different needs. Looking inward - although that sounds selfish on the surface, will help us to see what the appeal of the choices are. When we weigh it out, we need to follow the choice that the compass of our being is telling us to.

Next, we need to look at the long term benefits and effects of our decision. Sometimes, both choices are good in the short term, but not always in the long term. Sometimes it is appropriate to go with the option that does the greatest good for the longest amount of time. Sometimes the opposite is true.

Lastly, we need to not be afraid to commit to a choice. If we don't commit to it, it doesn't matter that the choice is good because we won't see the benefit anyway. Wasting time being wishy washy over the decision gets us no where in the long run. We need to choose boldly without regret, moving forward with the decision.

This process is not always a simple thing to do. People, emotions, situations and life make even two good choices a complex decision. Choosing between two goods can be a daunting experience. But, there is a blessing to having to choose between two goods. Even if we do make the wrong good decision we are still ahead in the game.