That tiny little girl

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on May 11, 2012 8:28 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
There is a tiny little girl in my life now.

She is a week old today. She weighed 5 pounds 11 ounces when she was born and was 19 inches long. Both her brothers were 3 pounds heavier when they were born. So was her father.

She is delicate. Her features small and refined. Her fingers long and thin. She has dimples.

She is a girlie girl!

Ahhhh pink. Ahhhh ruffles. Here we come.

Reaching a milestone is a big deal

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on April 6, 2012 2:44 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
My oldest grandson turned 6 years old last month.

When I wished him a happy birthday, he threw his arms into the air and announced, "I'm 6!" in a tone full of joy. He knew turning 6 was a big deal.

It was the first time he's reached a milestone that he recognized. We have seen many - the first time he smiled and we knew it wasn't gas, when he sat up and when he crawled, when he stung sounds together like he was trying to put a sentence together, when he walked. There are many.

He didn't recognize those but he recognized this one.

It made me realize how many more are in his future. I hope he meets each one with the same boundless joy he had for this one.

Balancing time is always a balancing act

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on March 27, 2012 3:33 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
I used to have a lot more time on my hands. I seem to recall having nothing to do at some point in my distant past.

Nowadays I feel like I'm always crossing tasks off a list as "finished" only to find several more pages have been added of things left to do. I'm not sure how that happened because I am a much better time manager today than I used to be. I got that way by necessity...as the to do list kept growing.

So, there are the things I have to do at work. The things I have to do at home. The things I want to do at both those places. The things I have to and/or want to do with family and friends. And, of course, there are the things all over the place that I don't "have" to do or "want" to do but feel obligated to do.

To keep things balanced I've started throwing in the "things for me," making sure the to do list includes items that are fun, relaxing, or make me feel good. I think everyone should do that. 

Everything on my to do list is important ... including me.


Spring baby, spring

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on March 14, 2012 4:52 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
This is my kind of weather. I long for it all winter and this year it came early.

In fact, winter kind of failed to show up on any kind of regular or frequent basis this year. Oh, it snowed once or twice. It got cold - like walk fast, bone-chilling cold - a couple times. That was pretty much it.

It was mild but not warm. Not like it gets warm when spring is here. This is a toasty warm. It's not hot. It's just warm.

I love it. I hope since it is early, it will stay awhile.

That would be perfect.

She's a girl

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on March 6, 2012 3:17 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
My youngest grandchild will be born in May. She is a girl. As the mother of a son and the grandmother of two grandsons in my imagination she is a girlie girl.

In my imagination I know she will love pink and ribbons and having someone (her grandmother) mess with her hair. She will prefer patent leather shoes to sneakers and she will always pick a frilly dress over jeans. I can see myself cruising through the little girl section of a store (a first for me!) carefully selecting the perfect girlie girl kind of clothing.

That's what I imagine, but I strongly suspect the reality will be something else entirely. She will, after all, be the younger sister of two rough and tumble boys. 

All the hand-me-downs will be shirts with trucks and super heroes and blue jeans with permanent grass stains. She will learn quickly how to hold her own in a free-for-all and how to out-run or out-wrestle or out-box the other guy. She will only play with dolls in the quiet moments of early morning or late evening. 

That's OK.

I imagine I will love her just as dearly as I love her brothers.

Travel as a form of entertainment

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on January 23, 2012 10:20 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
I think traveling should be entertaining, interesting and something you look forward to - not something you dread.

In this fast-paced world we really are more about "how soon can I get there" then the "how can I turn this into an adventure."

At least when I travel it seems that way. So, I pledge to spend more time appreciating the trip not just the destination.

I'd like to ride the train and look out the window and eat in the dining car. I'd like to get off the interstate and cruise an old U.S. highway looking for interesting places to stop. I want to take a slow boat somewhere.

If I have to fly, I want the best seat I can afford.

Makes travel seem so much more enticing when you plan it that way.


"I don't want a sister"

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on January 5, 2012 5:22 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
My third grandchild is due this spring. I told my two grandsons - ages 5 and 3 - that it would be nice to have a baby brother or a baby sister. The youngest made it clear that a girl would not be welcomed.

He is the younger brother to an older brother and expects to have the exact same relationship with the next child. He told me in no uncertain terms he wanted a brother so he could be a big brother to a little brother. It would not, he explained to me, be the same with a sister.

On Christmas day, his parents shared with us that the new baby is a girl! I'm very excited. I have one son and two grandsons. Now I can experience a little girl. I can actually buy something with ruffles! I can buy dresses and tights! I can buy dolls!

The 3 year old is accepting of this news, but not excited so I try not to gush around him. When the issue of the baby comes up, I can hear him muttering "I want a brother." 

So, I told him not to fret. With two older brothers to keep up with and defend herself from, this baby is bound to grow up as rough and tumble as they have. It will be just like having a brother.


Blessing on you and happiness for all

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on December 23, 2011 1:09 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
Soon it will be Christmas. With the anticipation I used to have, I can hardly wait. 

There is something special about sharing Christmas with children that make it more magical. I can't wait to see the faces of my grandsons as they open their gifts at my house and talk about what Santa has already delivered.

May you know the pure joy of a child this Christmas season. It is a most special gift.

He's going to spill the beans

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on December 16, 2011 11:13 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
So far both my grandsons - ages 5 and 3 - believe in Santa Claus. But based on who my oldest grandson has been outing lately, I don't look for that to last beyond this year.

We were all in the car the other day going somewhere, both boys talking away a mile a minute at the same time about two completely different things, when they suddenly got on the same topic.

The youngest had been telling us about the wonders of Batman and all the special qualities he had. The oldest popped in with his opinion - "Yeah, but, Batman's not real."

There was a moment of stunned silence before the youngest said passionately, "Yes he is!"

There was a heated round of "He is!", "No he isn't!" before my husband and I could marshall our forces and join in. Grandpa made a great observation about how Batman might be real and how all the great things he did should be real.

Both boys could accept that and moved on to some other topic I have since forgotten. 

I'm pretty sure Santa's days are numbered.

I've been bad

Posted in Things I don't say to your face and other stuff

By Liz Thompson on December 13, 2011 11:25 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
I can't remember the last time I wrote in my blog. With someone with the title "digital director" behind their name, that's bad. Very bad.

So, I hang my head and admit my transgressions and promise to do better in the future.

This is not the time of year when you want to have "bad" associated with your name. This is the time of year when you want an aura of goodness surrounding you, uncluttered or discolored by any feelings of guilt.

So, when I had that "uh-oh" moment about the blog, I rushed to my computer to write this post. Now. I am free of guilt ... as long as I don't think too much about cheating on my diet and exercise plan.



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