My Happiness Project

I called my Grandma E last week and Danielle this week.

I started my hockey Canada stuff. I may have put that on hold until I’m at home. I am using way too much data watching those videos.

I put a hold on my running. This one is making me really sad, but my body is totally not cooperating. I had a groin/hamstring/glute thing going on since February. That has almost healed, but I tweeked my knee at ball a couple of weeks ago and it won’t stop hurting. The summer is the best time to run. I have so much time and the weather is beautiful. I actually feel like crying as I type this. I want to be healthy and for me being active is so much a part of it. I guess I have to redefine active to not be running. Sigh.

I need a new phone. This seems like a strange thing to put on My Happiness Project’s list, but taking pictures and videos makes me happy. Long gone are the days that I lug my camera and video camera around (in fact I even forgot to bring them to the lake). Unfortunately, my phone is only a 16 GB. I have very few apps on it, because there isn’t space and I am still CONSTANTLY running out of space to take videos and pictures. I actually hate to get a new phone as the one I have works perfectly. I have had it for over two years, though and I am due for an upgrade, but alas, I am cheap, so it might not happen any time soon!

I have started trying to say yes more to my kids. I am not actually letting them have/do more (hahahaha), but rather than saying things like “No, you can’t have more milk until you finish you plate” or “No, you can’t go on the iPad”, I am staying things like “Yes, you can have more milk once you are finished your plate” and “Yes, you can have the iPad in the morning for 20 minutes”. Just a little flip on how I am communicating and I’m not sure if it is making any kind of impact, but this new twist on things is not only making my brain grow, it is reducing the insane amount of times I say “No” in a day. And that is a win in this mom’s books.

In June we went to Winnipeg for a spring hockey tournament of Calder’s. It was a double win as we also got to see our billet, Brad. On our way there we stopped in Brandon for the night. We went for a swim that evening and planned on swimming in the morning before we left. The kids were acting NUTS when it was time to go to bed. Hugh threatened, “If you don’t get to sleep, we aren’t going swimming.” The kids didn’t respond (and we don’t give empty threats at our house!). Hugh quickly rephrased and said, “If you want to go swimming tomorrow you have to earn it. Right now earning it looks like getting dressed for bed, crawling into bed, and going to sleep. If you can’t do that, you won’t earn going swimming.” There was an immediate shift in the kids’ behavior. Lawson got on board right away and that allowed us to point out to the boys that “Lawson is earning the pool”. We are trying to use this tactic more as it was very effective. And cooperating kids makes EVERYONE happy.

Summer = Reading for me. I have taken this seriously and so far read 6 books (two of them 650 pages worth!). The only problem with this is when I am really into a book (and 3 of them I was) it is really hard for me to be motivated to do anything else. Lol.

I started reading “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis. The biggest thing I have pulled from it so far is that I need to stop breaking promises to myself. I hate breaking promises to other people and yet, I break them to myself on a daily basis.  Hollis suggests to start by promising yourself to drink more water. I basically am at the point where I might drink 250 ml of water a day. It is bad. I am always thinking “I should drink more water”, but never actually do it. Like don’t even do it for one day “never do it”.  For this reason water seems as good a place as any to start. So, I have promised myself that for one week I am going to drink 2 water bottles a day (1500 ml). I am thinking I will extend it to a month long promise, but I wanted to start with a baby step. Initially, I was so pumped to make and keep promises to myself that I started making a bunch of grandiose plans, but I think I will just start small and start to get good at this new mindset before I go too big!