In the next week...or two

Next week there are a few major holidays coming. One is Valentines day during the week of Love (Feb 10-16; hence the change in the blog) the other is Presidents day on the 18th and Love your Pet day (Feb. 20th). I think that Love your Pet day is every day, however Hallmark has not cornered that market yet so truly pet owners own that day.

During the Week Of Love and Love Your Pet Day, I will have the opportunity to review and give away the brand new Jim Henson's Pajanimals DVD "Pajanimals Playdate" By the Jim Henson Company. Yes the same that can be found on Sprout TV (online)! The DVD is on sale now and available at NCircle Entertainment and Amazon (It's only $9.99 USD). So stay tuned and I will leave you with a song from The PaJanimals themselves.

How to teach love

Button Heart

How do you teach love to your children when you are struggling to love yourself? That is my challenge right now. I have to teach two little ones that are looking to me to show them how to love themselves when I am knee deep in self doubt and self pity.

I am trying to make a better life for myself by keeping a roof over my head and my small kids, food on the table, clothes on their backs, and being there for them emotionally is priority one right now.

My needs and wants are second to the priorities I have listed above, however that doesn't show my kids anything about loving oneself because with little kids you need to lead by example. Self love and care is something that is a big thing for me. I wasn't taught that by my mother unless guilt trips, self loathing, self destruction is healthy. I have learned that way of life is not a path I want to follow.

However I look at myself and that is the path I have been following and I hate do not like what I am teaching my kids.

I have to put my priorities first when they are here and when they aren't. I have to find a way to motivate the heck out of me because if I don't I will be in the same place as I am now next year writing about the same issues and I feel like I am a failure. And that is NOT what I want to teach them.

So this year is all about learning with them to love the self and others the way we want to be treated. I don't want to be a welcome mat and I don't want to be a hard butt either. I am trying to find the line in which I can be who I am and still show them that self love is important and necessary for a healthy life.

Is there anything you all do that helps remind you to love your self with out books or people everyday to remind you about things that need to be done?

Telling my daughters I love them

Going through the divorce is painful let alone feeling isolated from the people you really love. My daughters have to spend two to five days away from me. I see them through modern day technology on those days through FaceTime an Apple app that allows me to see their eyes and hear their voices as well for them to see me and to hear my voice. Sometimes they laugh and are joyful around the iPad and sometimes they are not. That is when it hurts.

My youngest sometimes starts to cry for me and that is when it hurts to be on FaceTime. I don't want to stop just because of it though. I feel bad and I want to drive the 40+ miles to her to comfort her and to tell her it will be okay and sooth her to sleep. The x would not like that at all.

I want them have a connection when I can not be there. I want to let them know I love them and care for them. I want them to know that they can call me if they want at any time. I guess the later will happen when they get older however I want to set an open door for them to walk in and out of when they want.

Am I foolish to want to keep the connection alive? Am I banging my head against the wall when they are this small? Any advice?