Guest Blog: Life's Little Traditions

You met Melissa on Friday. Today she is back to guest post and talk about life and traditions. Let's give a warm welcome to My Life and How It's Going.

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I love traditions. I live for them. I am a creature of habit. I crave routine. For me, traditions are a part of my life that enable me to embrace and express my need for order in a healthy way.

Within my family, we celebrate and take part in many traditions. Some are relatively universal and don’t require much explanation, while others are more distinct and unique to our family.

Here are a few of the traditions of my family:

• The White Button-Down Shirt – Every year, we dress Hayden up in a white button-down shirt from The Gap. We started this on his first birthday and plan on continuing the tradition until he’s 18. He will grow into the shirt as he ages. It is adorable to see him grow and change as he wears the same shirt. It really is remarkable.
• Christmas Ornaments – Every year since Hayden was born, we have dressed him up in his Christmas pajamas, taken his picture, and put the picture in a picture frame ornament and hung it on the tree. I think when he is older and he looks back at those ornaments, he will appreciate it. I always enjoy seeing myself through the years – hopefully he will too.
• Pumpkin Family – Every year, we go to a pumpkin patch and pick pumpkins that represent each family member: Randy, Me, Hayden, and Alfie (the dog). We don’t carve the pumpkins, we simply place them on our porch and allow them to represent each one of us. It’s fun!
• Triple Anniversary Celebration – Randy and I’s wedding anniversary is June 13th. My parents’ wedding anniversary is July 5th. My sister and her husband’s wedding anniversary is June 27th. Every year, we all get together and have dinner to celebrate our anniversaries. Hence the name of the tradition: Triple Anniversary Celebration.
• Hayden’s Height – Since Hayden was 1, we have been measuring and documenting his height by marking it on his armoire with a black Sharpie. In addition to the height markings, we also take pictures of the process – that way we can look back and see what he actually looked like when the measurements occurred.
• Dying Easter Eggs – For as long as I can remember, I have dyed Easter eggs with my parents. I have never done it alone. I have never done it with just Randy. We always go over to my parents’ home and do it with them. It is something I enjoy and appreciate – spending quality time with my family.
• Engagement Anniversary – Randy and I got engaged on New Year’s Eve. Every year around that time, we make a point of going to dinner (just the two of us) to the same restaurant in which the engagement occurred. And although the restaurant itself has actually changed ownership several times, it remains a wonderful eatery – one that we will continue to patronize every year around our engagement anniversary. It’s nice to go back there and just remember that moment. Because it truly was a wonderful evening.

As you can see, I really value and appreciate traditions. They are part of my life – a central aspect of my being that I cherish and adore. They help to keep me stable – and for that, and for them, I am grateful.

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What kind of traditions did you have growing up and which of them do you still follow today? Did you make up your own as you got older too?

Thanks again for guest posting today, Melissa!!

Best Scoop of the Week-The Time Machine

Yay!! It's Friday!!! That means it's time for the BEST SCOOP OF THE WEEK. Are you excited? I am excited. My featured blogger is excited (or at least she is acting like she is.). Who gets the coveted ice cream award this week? 

Meet Melissa. She is a mom doing exactly what she wants to do right now. She's had her share of struggles in becoming a mom. She's even come head to head with some truths. Her son is a musical prodigy. She's also the luckiest girl in the world. She married an Oompa Loompa (and a cute one at that!!). Doesn't she sound fun? Well, go find out! Run. Go. We'll be here when you come back...

Back? Good. You enjoyed yourself, I can tell. I asked Melissa:

If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

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Honestly, my answer is simple and very personal. If I could travel back in time, I would go back to the Summer of 1987. That is the year my granddaddy passed away.

 

I was almost 6-years-old. My granddaddy had been a wonderful source of happiness in my life. He loved me so much, and when he suddenly passed away from a massive heart attack, I was traumatized. I vaguely remember aspects of the funeral and driving to the farmhouse to visit with family, but I was numb (my granddaddy had passed away at the “family farmhouse”). I was in shock.

 

Recalling those memories, I see myself from above. It’s as if I dissociated – which I very well may have done.

 

My mother has told me that I had an extremely hard time coping with his death. I can’t remember my granddaddy (I have essentially blocked out all aspects of him in my mind); however, whenever I think about him I almost start to cry. The emotions are extreme. To this day, I don’t cope well with death or loss. I can’t even think about it. The thoughts and feeling associated with death and dying overwhelm me.

 

So if I could travel back in time, I would travel back to that time period and comfort myself. I would hold “little Melissa’s” hand, hug her, comfort her, and let her know that it will be okay. I would support her and be there for her.

 

Because for whatever reason, I felt alone, lost, and scared. And I don’t want her/me to feel that way.

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You know, I have to admit when I first read her response, I felt like a debbie downer. Of all the silly questions out there, I just happened to pick this one.

Then, I got to thinking (she does that to me a lot, makes me think). Like Monday when she played Ian's Monkey Minute (giveaway!) Meme and said that she'd want to be famous for winning the lottery or for saving someone's life.  I've always dreamed of being famous, but when you get down to the nitty gritty, she made me think. Would I really want to be remembered as the woman with the Poop blog, or would I want to be remembered for something good? Definitely, definitely something good.

I digress though.

Her answer to my silly question made me really stop and think about things. And you know what? She's absolutely right. Who wouldn't want to go back in time and hold their younger self's hand or give them a hug when they needed it most? 

Thanks for playing along today, Melissa. You really are the Best Scoop of the Week. I can't wait to see what you have to say on Monday.

And before y'all leave to go to Melissa's blog (again. You know you want to), take a minute and vote for Jellybean and Scooby over at parenting By dummies. Contest ends today at midnight, so they really need you to help them prove they are indeed the cutest kids in blogland.

Ok, now what are you waiting for? Go on. Go see how Melissa's life is going, and leave her lots of comment love.

I participate in Trendy Treehouse's Follow Me Friday. Wanna blog hop with me? Just link up. You follow me, I follow you. And thus begins the start of a beautiful friendship...