January’s Tree

The holiday season has ended but the Fortners are still celebrating. Our front door has a sparkling wreath and we’ve continued sipping our spirits around an ornament-overloaded tree. It’s a little warm these days and even the after-Christmas sales are outdated but it works. Honestly, I just haven’t had the time to carefully pack away our traditional decor so we’ll just say that I decided to prolong the most wonderful time of the year. Thankfully, in Southeast Louisiana, people just assume it’s a Mardi Gras tree anyway. 

So, the season came and went in a flash and unlike most years, I feel like I didn’t really enjoy myself, savoring the special moments. Typically, I’ll start my shopping early as to carefully choose the perfect gifts for those on my list and I’ll enjoy it. This year, I waited until the last minute and became one of those people honking the horn in crowded parking lots and scowling at the slow shoppers; therefore, helping to create that dark cloud over those who were in tune with the season’s real meaning. 

Even though resolutions have been made and those practical red and green storage containers are sold out, our tree reminds me that I need to slow down and not get caught up in the hype that comes with every holiday. If a holiday is worth celebrating, worldly marketing schemes and societal expectations shouldn’t matter, right? It doesn’t matter if you didn’t get the latest gadget, that you take your tree down before 2011′s end or if you had decorations at all. It’s about a warm heart, being kind and the joy that comes from selfless acts.

My thoughts—whatever part of the passing holiday reminds you of something greater than yourself, hold onto it. And if your tree’s still up in February, so be it.

Photo Op

The day has arrived. It’s a special occasion when my husband and I are in agreement that this is the right thing to do. We’ve put it off long enough. The task of digging out the perfect coordinating, but not matching, outfits is behind us. Will the little one cooperate? I hope we get some good ones. Does this shirt make me look fat?

We’re at our first family photo session. We’ve booked 20 minutes with a photographer who’s not only talented but affordable (for real). For a change, the one holding the camera is not someone in the photo. After six years as a family, we finally have the undivided attention of an artist packing equipment worth more than my car.

The session was over in a flash. As I waited for evidence that we actually did it, the call came. “I don’t know how to say this…” This can’t be good, I thought.

“My computer crashed and your pictures are all gone,” said our sweet, ever-sincere, apologetic photographer (who efficiently dealt with an unavoidable situation).

Crap. Seriously? This sort of thing happens to me all the time. No big deal.

As we’re on the way to our second family photo shoot in one week, clouds took charge and rain ruined our date with the lens. Why me?

Thankfully, the third time’s a charm and our final session worked out. We now have something tangible to help us remember our family and our happiness from this special place in time. Despite technical difficulties and the rain delay, the photo session was a success and a cd full of images, our reward.

I don’t need a photo session or a photographer to catalog my cherished memories but a beautiful 16×20 canvas capturing a moment I never want to forget sure looks great on my wall.

Don’t wait as long as I did; book a family photo session before your moment passes!

Thanksgiving Eve Epiphany

Wait! You’re in the right place. I changed the name of my blog; it was formerly called “Feelin’ Alright” and I was feelin’ all wrong about that. So, I’ve decided to keep it real because if you know me at all, I am almost never feeling “alright”…mostly elated or silly and sometimes down in the dumps but never really in the middle. And, if I were, I would call it “mellow.” However, I am always “Parenting Grace” because my daughter’s name is Grace.

Take today as an example of my elated mood. I am home with the family and enjoying a much-needed solace after a busy month and this makes me silly with satisfaction. I should probably be in the kitchen cooking a sweet potato casserole and some pumpkin pie but that can wait until after the season’s inaugural viewing of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Besides, I prefer to wait until the last minute.

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I am thankful. I have a joyful and healthy daughter, loved ones with whom I will celebrate tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, more family and dear friends in other places, a job, food and shelter during a time of economic instability and happiness in my heart.

In addition to these things of significance, I have a bounty of trivial things such as too many Real Simple magazines, an embarrassing amount of DVDs, clothes with tags on them that I’ll never wear and extra tupperware, with missing lids, spilling from my cabinets. Noteworthy? I think so. I have too much and so many people don’t have enough. I have too many blessings to name and I realize this; I should be thankful.

I look forward to tomorrow and after I eat an obscene amount of dressing, I will toast YOU and my 7 blog followers! Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that if your cup is as full as mine, you already know.

My Charlie Brown Refrigerator

I love a clean, uncluttered, modern stainless steel refrigerator. Even better, the kind that’s camouflaged by miles of high-end cabinets nestled in a spacious, luxurious kitchen. We don’t have one of those. Ours is, what I affectionately call, a Charlie Brown refrigerator. It’s cluttered and has chocolate fingerprints. It doubles as an essential food-cooler and art studio. It’s the oversized heart of our home and houses reminders of our busy family schedule.

I love it, though. I see photographs of my daughter as an energetic kindergartener and as a smiling baby, remembering the times in between. I see artwork produced by my imaginative little girl and am thankful that her masterpieces grace my kitchen. While we are cooking she’ll arrange the magnets and hang love letters for us. The fridge is like her office and the hub of her evening activities because she wants to be near us. Aren’t we lucky?

Although I like the minimal look in a home and try to make that happen here and there, I don’t mind a little clutter. It’s evidence that our house is a home and a family resides here. I often visit houses of the bigger variety and always notice the fridge. A small part of me envies the clean lines of the bare appliance and I wonder what it would look like in my kitchen.

Soon after my green color fades, I remember that my fridge has something theirs doesn’t have. Mine has photographs of a beloved family, cherished artwork and letters from my happy daughter and it’s filled with food that my husband lovingly cooks for us. I can confidently say, my fridge is better.

 

My Baby Googles

I miss the days when I could rock my little girl to sleep. I miss smelling her sweet baby scent and folding her miniature clothes. Those days are cherished memories but the transition from baby to kid wonder (I know, I’m biased) happened too quickly-she’s only been six for a month now.

Gradually, I have come to the realization that she’s not a baby anymore. The clothes decorated with cute animals have been replaced by trendy duds with glitter or peace signs and the tooth fairy has visited our house several times. She ties her shoes, reads and can pirouette with the best of them. But, her latest acquired skill shocks me; she googles.

She was telling me about this new toy she wanted immediately, a Fijit Friend to be exact. I reasoned with her after the standard, “We’ll see” and since it’s fall already, I suggested she start her Christmas list. I mentioned that I didn’t know what this fijit thing was or where I could direct Santa to make the purchase. Fortunately, she had the solution.

She took my computer captive, like usual, and launched America’s favorite search engine. She told me that Wal-mart and Target had the goods and that I could even try Amazon. “It’s only $39.97,” she added. Then she presented me with the Fijit Friends’ commercial on YouTube.

Sure, I’m impressed; my kindergartener can navigate the internet. I’m horrified because this whole new world is before her. Her decisions get harder and life gets tougher from here on out. Of course, I’ll strive to protect her innocence but the passage of time is more aggressive than any mother. Nope, she’s not a baby anymore but I’m gonna keep her in those oversized hair bows and feed her mac-n-cheese for as long as I can.

Falling for Fall

There is really nothing like digging in a pumpkin to get you geared up for fall. After this weekend, I am ready! With some pumpkin carving and a trip to the corn maze under my belt, our family’s fall season is in full swing.

Watching my daughter run through the corn maze was the highlight of the weekend, though. It was her first trip and she loved it. It wasn’t a huge, confusing labyrinth where you could get lost but for someone 39 inches tall, it was an adventure. We made some memories and despite complaints of my excessive picture-taking, I managed to capture some great moments.

With every festive outing, my excitement grows. I love this time of year-chilly weather, comfort food, holiday prep and football. And the best part is the memories we are creating for our daughter.

Yep, it’s official, pumpkin carving is gross and I can never get those toasted pumpkin seeds just right but as long as my daughter is happy, all is well with my world.