Saturday, June 4, 2011

eat that ugly frog first!

i'm in the weeds...again! i know it's pretty bad when i get a phone call from my sister...
"hey, you ever going to post again. i have been checking everyday at work and ...nothing! what is up? get on it. i need new pics of the kids." and usually for good measure she'll throw in, "but no pressure, i know you're busy!"

(my words are all smooshing together. maybe a blogger glitch. sorry about it.)

i used to dread those calls because when i am behind in posting our family memories, it weighs on my mind like barrel of bricks. of course, as the days pass...the barrel gets heavier. a heavy barrel is rarely a sign.

truth is, i love writing here. LOVE. IT. but another equally honest nugget of truth...i overwhelm myself with stuff to do and then instead of working harder to get things done, i spin my wheels doing unimportant projects or smaller tasks that can probably wait until after i 'eat the ugly frog.' why would i eat a frog, you ask?

“If you eat a frog first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you do all day.” – Mark Twain


my husband shared this 'frog' thing with me after he returned home from a rejuvenation weekend in New York. an all-expense paid trip in which some large company with more money than they know what to do with, pumps inspiring stories and ideas into the young minds of the young professionals of today and tomorrow hoping to make them the best that they can be. it's very touching.

they are the trips that don't happen often, but when they do, i feel jealous and have been known to fall to the floor, stomp my feet and to wail about how unfair it is that his job offers him free training and the time to better his professional self; they are taken out for beautiful surf and turf dinners in some beautiful hotel i'll probably never visit and they get to visit old towns in new york where the church bells sing throughout the day injecting it's song, history, and faith into the dullest of financial gatherings.


i think moms should get these kinds of "Perk You Up" gatherings. it should be mandatory!
Rejuvination for the Tired Mama or Super Chic Domestic Goddess Conventions aimed at healing our bodies and revitalizing our minds so that we can be better mothers, daughters, and people in general. let's face it, in the beginning years of babyhood and new mama hood, and all the new 'hoods' that come with being a new parent...life can be a bitch.

being in love with one's baby for the first time is vulnerable, beautiful, scary, amazing, surreal,...it's life changing in a way that is...

sublime.

which is why most of us don't mind looking like soggy cheerios for the first few weeks of new baby's life because we are in survival mode...the mode where we learn about how much our body can take and it's also when the concept of a full night of sleep changes and becomes a distant memory. it's a time that we celebrate REM sleep by calling our mothers and best friends and sharing the good news, "i feel like a new person. i slept for four hours straight last night!"

we need mandatory sleep seminars.

unfortunately, i'm out of that phase in my life for now. my kids sleep throughout the night and although i find this tidbit of reality comforting, i sometimes long for the sleepless nights of nursing and diaper changing. i realize that this only because i am out of that challenging phase. if i were knee deep in mustard seed poop and lanolin creams...i'd be singing a little bit of a different tune i'm sure :)

back to the frog...
to eat the frog means to do the task that has been causing the most procrastination first, and then all of the other things on your to do list won't seem that bad or daunting.

i love this quote.

brian tracy also says, "that if you have two frogs, eat the uglier one first. that way the second one won't seem quite as bad. translated into procrastinating things, this means do your hardest task first, the one you have been putting off the longest, and then the other task will not seem as bad!"

in my case, my ugly frog is a huge photo shoot that needs editing. i keep completing smaller shoots but the large one. in turn, i let everything else go, namely my blog.

procrastination has positive side for the kids...
*i blew up about 1000 (not really) water balloons today so the kids could have a water ballon fight.
* i shopped online for some wall art,
*and i cleaned out a closet.

booyah. it's not all bad! i'll eat my frog first thing in the morning though...my ugliest one and it's going to be finger lickin' good!

i have a bazillion photos from a trip to the keys, but for this weekend, i leave you with some singin in the rain pics!

by monday, i will have eaten another frog and vow to have another post up with a brand new recipe for mahi mahi! sooooo good. amazing good!

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rain, rain go away...

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***
and when the rain stops...
thank you to our babysitter, sarah for these photos!
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i marinated this shrimp in a ziploc bag of...
2 tblspoon of olive oil, fresh squeezed lime juice, kosher salt, pepper, minced garlic. 30 minutes or more in fridge. grill over med heat! a few min each side! squeeze more lime at end.

spring green mix of lettuces you like, a dressing of lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper. dice fresh mango and throw over greens. top with crumbled bleu cheese.

devine! and healthy!

happy almost summer, now go and eat the ugliest frog you can find and enjoy the rest of your day with watermelon and happy tunes!

xoxoxox

15 comments:

Nicole said...

Okay, so you made me hungry for grilled shrimp, and even more excited for sleepless nights and diaper changes! One more week or so, yay!! Girlfriend is straight cramped in there. Oooh, and I'll take just a little summery rain too..the kind that smells good when it hits the hot concrete. Gorgeous post!

Belinda said...

Awww I love the rain photos! And the photos with the kiddies loving their pets!!!
LOL eat the frog - I would so roll with this thought, but I'm terrified of frogs! So I may change the animal!!
xox

Sarah said...

I agree about those trips. When I stayed home with Anna Cate, I sold Southern Living @ Home and went on fabulous trips. While helping people decorate their home is a fabulous endeavor, being a mom and teacher deserves more rejuvenation but alas that don't happen! ha! As you know girl, I love your "voice" and the way you string together thoughts and words and love the pics. I'm a procrastinator, too. I was just going to read this blog before I do laundry, my ugly frog.:)

Rebecca said...

I've been caught checking for a new blog lately too! Love the beauty you capture Heidi! :)

xo

Jannice said...

If it makes you feel any better - I think all of us moms face those same procrastination issues! My list just keeps on growing - and yet I find myself at Michaels ready for a new craft challenge...I'm a mess!
My babies are 4 and 6...I too miss those nights of nursing and changing diapers, but remember wishing to get out of them when I was in them! I need a time machine!
I finally got my first DSLR camera! I'm so excited! But I was looking through the book last night and feel a bit intimidated - don't know where to start!!
That shrimp looks yummy!! Have a great weekend!!

Sian said...

I so have the book Eat that frog. Whenever I start procrastinating (which is often) I have to remember those morning frogs. In fact I haven't blogged as much this month for that very reason. Beautiful rain shots btw, love your blog x

shay said...

So happy to read a new post - was missing it so much! My ugly frog....dishes in the sink!!

HeatherB said...

I have to say, I feel like you are talking about my life. I live in CT and my husband just got back from a "work" trip to Palm Beach, FL. How nice! I need a mothers retreat! And for the procrastination...that is my life. I clean when I have to edit photos and edit photos when I have to clean. It all works out in the end!!!

patsy said...

love it! never heard 'eat that frog first....but what a good way to look at it, to get the worst out of the way. unfortunately i, like you, like to put the worst off..and off...and off :) love the rain photos, can you send some of that wet stuff to tennessee?

Anna Ruth said...

I love kids playing in the rain. There is nothing better. The shrimp looks delicious.

The Manrings said...

ohhhhhh i've missed your blog posts...wohooo! and i agree there is no job that could use a glamorous, refreshing getaway more than being a mother! lets call up 'the company' and make a reservation. hehehehe. your pics and words are beautiful and real. love the rain pics...happy summer!!! miss you and see you soon! xo

Daniele said...

I went on a long overdue date with one of my best mommy friends last night...we sat outside on the patio at the local houlihans sipping sangria for a couple hours...we totally forgot we were in suburban Chicago...sitting under the moon and the white string lights it felt like we were on a getaway haha. I tell you, even just something like that is rejuvenating- I can only imagine how a few days away would be!!

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