Appreciating the Small Things

This isn't really a funny post, I'm just in a thoughtful mood.

Jude and Dane were sitting at the kitchen counter last night playing with homemade play dough they got at a 4th of July parade. Today I was cleaning the kitchen and picked it up to throw out. I sat there examining the play dough and got to thinking.  A group of people believed they had this great idea-passing out play dough to thousands of people along a parade route to bring attention to their cause. Then these people made a ton of play dough, made labels for their community group, made ingredient labels, stuck these labels to thousands of bags, stuffed the bags, then flattened them out. Then they put them in baskets and proudly handed them out. A gift made with love, hard work and positive intentions that I was just going to throw away without even reading their name.

Then my mind wandered all over with ways people are affected by what others say or appreciate or ignore. I started thinking about times I've went above and beyond for someone, and he/she truly didn't notice. Or how funerals goers say the most wonderful things about the departed, things that person might have never heard while alive, but probably would have loved to have known. I thought about a story I heard many years ago about a teacher who had each of her students write something kind about all of their classmate, then compiled each student's personal list-lists that were treasured most of their lifetimes.

I don't really know where I'm going with any of this. I just know we are handed so many gifts every day whether we realize their intention, effort or impact. Today I'm just having a moment in which I want to be more, appreciate more, give more.

End of thought.

Wishing Flowers

The best quote of my day came from Jude while making our way to the car after leaving Como Zoo in St. Paul. We had to walk a little way.

We came across a sea of dandelions past their prime. As Jude ran into them, he looked back at me, "hey mom! Can you even believe it? Look at all these wishes!" I could have almost cried at the innocence and wonderment of the statement.

He picked some for me and some for him. We made our wishes and blew the seeds. Spreading weeds, spreading wishes. He wished that the Target store we were going to stop at on the way home sold the Bakugan game he wanted. I wished that we would all have a happy night.

My boys managed to be angels the rest of the evening. Jude asked if I got my wish, and I told him that I did. "See mom, wishing flowers really work. And ah, mom, I also wished you would paint a dinosaur in my room."

I guess the kid is getting a dinosaur. Who am I to question the power of the wishing flower?

I Hate Pizza Parties

There are only two ways a large group pizza order goes down and I hate them both.

When I know there is going to be pizza, especially if its free, I'm in.  I can't justify bringing a lunch or eating out if the office is buying.  But I have to immediately resign myself to the fact that I'll likely regret every minute of it and be reassured of my large group pizza ordering hatred.

In the first scenario, typically some very well-meaning person takes charge of the pizza order and just gets a standard set of cheese, pepperoni, pepperoni and sausage, then supreme or vegetarian.  Its not that I won't eat these, because I do if those are my choices.  It's just that these are always the choices.  

My first choice is pepperoni, but everyone's first choice is pepperoni.  The one person who actually prefers cheese is perfectly happy, but the rest of us are fighting over what amounts to our last or next to last choice of pizza toppings once the first lucky few get the pepperoni.  Oh well.  I eat the pizza.  Probably too much of it.  Gag. Gag. Gag.

The second scenario is far worse on so many levels.  I know you can't hear my voice as you read this, but you must imagine the whiny impersonation with the pissed-off overtone I'm giving it. Another well-meaning person will bother to solicit people's pizza topping choice.  Inevitably, most people will say something like, "well I don't like that many toppings.  I'll just eat cheese or vegetarian, pepperoni, whatever."  A few of us will excitedly say, "yeah, get a garlic chicken or Hawaiian or a BBQ chicken or a tomato basil or a......."  You get the idea.  

Well-meaning person goes to order and thinks, "well, I'll get ONE specialty pizza because a couple people wanted something different and then I'll get the basics." (see choices from scenario one)

Now you know what happens, I don't have to type it, but I will.  Cheese or pepperoni guy is first in line, sees the garlic chicken pizza and goes, "hey what's that?  Looks good.  I'll try a piece."  This is repeated over and over until the only people who actually requested specialty pizza get to the front of the line and its ALL gone.  What's left?  The crappy basics.

Once I demanded to be in charge of ordering pizza for my office.  I went desk to desk with a list of all the available pizza choices from this place downtown and had people mark first and second choices.  I actually made myself a note as to who put down what.  I included just two specialty pizzas because only a handful of people marked them as choice 1 OR 2.  I was surprised and a little dismayed, because I really thought more people liked that fancy crap, but I complied with group rule.  When the pizza arrived I stood in line about eight people back.  When I got my turn I saw that more than half of both specialty pizzas were gone.  I'm thinking wait a minute, looking at who had taken their share,  no F-ing way.  

I can't say I'm proud of my behavior, but what happened next I could not help.  I marched over to everyone enjoying their pizza and exclaimed, "you passed up ordering that kind of pizza in favor of the "basic" crap.  There are people in line who had the foresight to request that specialty flavor and you are screwing them!!!!!!  Eat the flipping cheese and vegetarian crap YOU ordered.  Some may say I overreacted, but I know at least a few people were on my side. 

So I had my outburst.  Now I'll eat whatever comes, but I won't like it.  Cheesy, I know.