MEME me February 27, 2008

I have been feeling blah lately. In all sincerity I am not the most energetic person when I am in a normal state. When my body is hosting and growing another human being and I am dealing with nausea I am excruciatingly tired. So I am going to steal a MEME from Elle and post that for now because I am too tired and have a headache etc etc wah wah wah…to write anything else but I feel like writing something.

• Your most marked characteristic?:  It used to be my incredibly long hair-I really don’t know-I guess my green eyes??? 
• The quality you most like in a man?:  honesty and a nice butt  
• The quality you most like in a woman?:  I admire confidence in general and a beautiful woman who doesn’t have to flaunt it even though she knows she’s good looking-does that make sense? 
• What do you most value in your friends?: loyalty and especially the longevity of the friendships I have-we all have changed yet we are still as close as ever.   Just knowing they are there and they have my back when I need them yet they’ll call me to the rug if I need a reality check.  
• What is your principle defect? procrastination 
• What is your favorite occupation?  I would favor it if I could occupy my time by being independently wealthy-really though-I loved working in a school environment but if I could have my hearts desire I would have a photography studio or write professionally. 
• What is your dream of happiness?:  Much of my happiness is my reality now-I would be continously happy to know I can provide for my family and keep them comfortable 
• What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?:  never having loved or been loved
• What would you like to be?: myself 
• In what country would you like to live?:  USA! USA! USA! 
• What is your favorite color:  I favor red tones 
• What is your favorite flower?: Iris
• What is your favorite bird?: One that doesn’t poop on my car-seriously-hummingbirds fascinate me 
• Who are your favorite writers?: James Michener and it varies
• Who are your favoite poets?:  I don’t know that I have a particular I like a lot of Robert Frost-back in the day I had a fascination with T.S. Eliot  
• Who is your favorite hero of fiction?: David Harper, Atticus Finch and  Boo Radley  
• Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?  Scout Finch 
• Who are your favorite composers?:  I like classical but do not have a particular favorite 
• Who are your favorite painters?:  Vincent VanGogh, Toulouse Lautrec 
• Who are your heroes in real life?:  those who are selfless, who do things without expecting anything in return, who are capable of unconditional love and coming from a background and very long history of people who served in the military-any man or woman enlisted  
• What are your favorite names? I like my name-of coarse I like my children’s names-we are considering Carissa if we have a girl at the moment(SUBJECT TO CHANGE of coarse)    
• What is it you most dislike?: at the moment puking and bugs-I actually let out a little screech most times when one is near me
• What natural gift would you most like to possess?:  a great metabolism-really I would love to comfortably speak in front of people-but really not kiddin’ about the metabolism
• How would you like to die?: the words “like” and “die” don’t jive to me - I guess surrounded by my loved ones if I must pick a way
• What is your present state of mind? For some reason this question made me laugh-in a word-scattered
•  What is your motto?: I have many-I like to try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt-I think most people have nothing but the best of intentions but sometimes it comes across all wrong… 

Maybe I’m Amazed February 19, 2008

My 2 1/2 year old

 My 5 year old

One of the the things I enjoy most about motherhood is watching my children grow intellectually (IE: the connections they make without my prodding.) My son is making the simplest of connections but they highly amuse me when they come up-when someone sneezes he says “God Bless you *fill in the sneezers name.*” The first time he did it I was like wow he is making these connections by himself because I don’t make it a point to say to ask him to say him say “Bless you” like I do with please and thank you. However he will stand there in your face and say “Bless you” until you acknowledge it with a “thank you.” He expects his thank you as much as I expect him to say it.

My daughter’s recent connection that amazed me concerned the baby. She very quietly watched me fill a glass with ginger ale and ice then just as I raised it to my lips she asked “Mom, doesn’t the baby get everything you eat and isn’t soda bad for you? Do you think you should be drinking soda?”

It makes me wonder about the things that go on in their little minds that they don’t express-although from my experience they don’t hold back much-no matter what company we are in…

Happy Valentine’s day February 15, 2008

Tonight I ate a meal-hot and uninterrupted-the way God intended. My husband and I always say we have to do this more often and not let 4 months or even a year pass in between the TWO of us getting out-somehow the monthly outing we promised each other 4 months ago-din’t happen. Oh I adore my children but even they need a break form us from time to time as well. It really does clear the mind and refresh you. So thanks to my sister in law, brother and my mom we had a nice night out. What did y’all do last night? If you didn’t get out last night are you planning a weekend celebration of love?

Speaking of love and Valentine’s day. I was raised under the philosophy that Valentines isn’t JUST for lovers. We celebrated all kinds of love on February 14th-we still do. My husband thinks it’s exclusive to those in love-what do you think?

We had everything before us, we had nothing before us February 5, 2008

I was raised in a very close knit, very Italian environment. Although my dad is not italian my mom is 100% and fortunately my dad agreed with most of the traditions that came along with marrying into my mom’s family. It was a wonderful way to grow up, however sometimes I feel like MAYBE I know too much about everyone or I get too involved in personal issues. Most of the time I do not feel that way but once in a while I get overwhelmed. I guess a lot of people do-then-something-a photo, an evening with my family or the following (I found while I was cleaning out my e-mails) reminds me how truly completely blessed I am AND I WOULD NEVER have my family ANY other way. This really puts things we stress about all in perspective:

Written by a family member who like a lot of us, myself included, found themselves in a rough financial situation this past year or so(one of my favorite quotes as well):

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us

I’m quoting these words from Charles Dickens because they are the words that came to my mind last night amidst the warmth and love at Mom’s house.

Yet another Christmas Day at the Pulli’s..noise, chaos, food, confusion, hugs, bright eyes, sadness, excitement, timelessness, exhaustion…all of which are part of the annual celebration….but this year…for me…it was all of that and more.

Admittedly, I was not looking forward to being part of the festivities yesterday….how awkward & embarrassing. I felt almost ‘unworthy’ of my presence there. Christmas just wasn’t Christmas without having gone through the traditions of walking aimlessly in and out of stores…counting down the days and hours left for shopping….stressing over picking out just the right present…feeling that satisfaction of running out of money just as the last store shuts their door on Christmas Eve. What an empty feeling driving over to Moms’ house with a car full of nothing…no anticipation of watching the people you love as they open up what you hope is the perfect gift…and feeling the joy that only giving can produce.

What I forgot was that I am a part of a unit. I forgot that we love each other for who we are…not what we are…

That when it matters most….being in the heart of that unit is what it is all about. There is no gift that is more perfect..no feeling so overwhelming than knowing that you are loved. Regardless of our imperfections…our differences of opinions…our successes our failures…..we are a family unit. I felt that last night possibly more than I ever have…or perhaps it was just so much clearer to me…as I sat and watched what was going on all around the room.

Thank you everyone…for reminding me that it is possible to have everything when you seemingly have nothing….for being an incredible light in a time of darkness. For being..each one of you…a very important part of our family circle.  I am blessed….as we all are to have each other.

Love you all….

To which my mom replied this:

 What a beautiful and elequent note…you say it all for all of us.  There is nothing like family and I know we will continue to stick together through thick and thin no matter what.  Mom and Dad are/were our guiding lights.  We are fortunate to have such a good foundation from which to continue building upon.  Loving and caring is the true meaning of life….everything else pales in comparason. 

Christmas was just as it should be…..all of us being together – whether physically or spiritually. 

Love you, one and all

 I don’t think anyone in my family reads this blog or knows about it-but anyway thank you for all the unconditionl love, wisdom from all ages, endless support and life lessons. Keep them coming!