In that vein, I’m starting a gratitude thread here because thinking about what I’m grateful for, as well as seeing other people’s lists, always gives me warm, fuzzy feelings.

My only rule: Limit your list to five, and try to make it small things, rather than general ones.

Here’s mine, in no particular order:

1.  The sunny weather we’ve been having lately, which means summer is oh-so-close. I hope. In any case, I love to see the sun, especially after a very cloudy winter.

2.  Today was a really good day. Glen was here for awhile and the kids were busy and happier than I’ve seen them in a long time.

3.  The kids and I switched their rooms around so the girls each have their own and the boys are sharing. Not a fun process, but I enjoy even small changes. Plus three of them are so excited about having “new” rooms, I can’t help but be happy about it.

4.  My buddy from high school, Dan. We’ve had some great chats this week and he’s incredibly supportive and helpful, a true kindred spirit.

5.  Re-runs of Scrubs that just started over from the first episode. It’s a quick break that’s sure to make me laugh.

OK, your turn! What are you grateful for? If you’re reading this on Facebook, do me a favor and head over to my blog (http://parentingbytrialanderror.com) to comment.

I’ve said before how much I detest meal planning. I don’t mind the actual preparation, for some reason — it’s the figuring out WHAT to prepare that stumps me every time.

I’ve tried planning a week in advance, but somehow, that just doesn’t work with my fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants personality. I scrapped that method after several different tries over a period of several years. I almost always end up dissatisfied with my choice for the day, so then I’m back to having to make a different plan.

Now here we are, a scant 8 school days left, and I’m thinking ahead to the long days of summer vacation and all the meals I’m going to have to prepare for my four children, one of whom is quite picky. Thinking about that makes me want to cry.

One thought I’ve had is to make each child in charge of lunch one day per week. Lunch is the easy, light meal, so even if it’s just sandwiches, they’re at least getting some meal preparation experience, right? That will at least give me a break for four lunches a week. Maybe, in addition, I’ll pair them up (one girl + one boy) to pick out a recipe and make it for supper one night of the week. They don’t have time to do that during the school year and I want them to get some practice anyway.

Yes, I think that’s what I’ll do. They’ll get some cooking experience and I’ll get some relief in the meal planning department. It’s win-win, though I doubt they will agree with that assessment.

Now, anyone have some quick, easy, tried-and-true recipes to share?

My parents, sisters and I have been discussing the meaning of happiness lately. With a variety of ideas tossed back and forth, I think my sister put it best, at least for me, when she said, “…contentment ultimately is much nicer than happiness, the pursuit of which paradoxically only leads to unhappiness.”

Happiness, or rather contentment, has been on my mind quite a lot in the last couple months. More specifically, I have been, for the most part, quite unhappy this last year, and I wanted to figure out why. What I finally realized is that I have been letting other people influence my priorities far too much, resulting in my doing too many things, none of them well, and becoming increasingly dissatisfied and depressed.

This was most evident in my work life. Working full-time, commuting 1-1/2 hours a day, while also trying to be mother to four kids was absolutely not working for me. I know lots of parents do it, but I just don’t have the personality for it. Everything was suffering, from the state of my house to my relationships with the kids, to sufficient contact with my friends, and I knew I had to do something different.

Thankfully, some part-time, at-home work has drifted my way, with the possibility of more to come, and I’m happy to say that I will be working from home again from now on. I’ll still be doing Herbalife, just not at the nutrition club anymore. This arrangement suits me so well, I’m already 150% more content. No more feeling completely exhausted and behind; no more forgetting to help Logan do his reading for school or being too tired to deal with the fact that he has been getting almost as many yellow and red lights in class as green; no more looking at the disaster my house has become and not having the energy to even care; no more excuses for not exercising or taking better care of myself.

Almost best of all, second only to the time I now get to spend with my kids, I’m writing again, which I have been missing so much, I can’t even describe it. There’s so much stuff tumbling around in my brain, so many ideas untapped and projects begun but not yet completed, and now I get to explore them. One of my dear friends, also a writer, said that she gets crabby when she doesn’t write, and I have to say that I wholeheartedly second her on that.

I fervently believe that 2011 is going to be a great year. I’ve experienced a great deal of personal growth and put my priorities back in order. Relationships, particularly with my kids, have always been most important, and nurturing them is what makes me content and happy. I will definitely be making more time for the family and friends in my life.

Here’s to a fulfilling, successful, inspiring, lovely 2011, filled with meaningful relationships, good times, great memories, and, of course, CONTENTMENT.

What priorities will you change in 2011, if any? What makes you content in your life?

Because let’s face it: You can’t live very long without doing that about which you are passionate and still maintain true happiness. OK, so I just made that up, but it sounds good and is, at least in part, true. I have been spending the majority of my time the last few months working on my Herbalife business, which is in its own way very fulfilling, but I desperately miss that part of myself that makes me ME — the writer I’ve been ever since I can remember.

I hope to someday get back to that part of my life full-time again; to make real all the ideas I have running around in my head; to reclaim the part of myself that has gone somewhat missing. In the meantime, I will keep posting here as I can because it’s the one last tentacle I have out there in the writing world.

What’s your passion? Do you indulge it frequently?

As my loyal readers know, I have long been a fan of LeapFrog products, so when the public relations folks at LeapFrog chose me as one of their reviewers for the as-yet-unreleased Leapster Explorer, I was thrilled. It’s absolutely awesome. All four of my kids, ages 6-11, have been using it and they love it, even though it’s technically for up to age 9. My two youngest, especially, have been using it as often as I’ll let them, since we received it.

Since it hasn’t technically been released yet, we haven’t been able to hook the Explorer up to the computer, but all the pre-installed apps are great. My kids are thoroughly entertained and educated all at once and have nothing but good to say about the games. “The games are more fun than the Leapster 2′s,” says my 7-year-old, Cody. Logan, 6,  now refuses to even touch the Leapster 2, deeming it “boring” in comparison, though knowing the temperamental nature of kids, that will change soon, I’m sure.

Kids can watch videos, read e-Books and play games via “Leaplets,” which are downloadable learning applications. They can also go online to LeapWorld, where they can turn the achievements they’ve made in their Explorer games into tokens with which to create an online character and dwelling (similar to Webkinz, if you’re familiar with that).

The Explorer is very intuitive (it personalizes games according to your child’s grade and remembers her progress) and the screen is crisp and clear. Kids can use the accompanying stylus or just touch the screen with their fingers, and the Explorer is built to run Flash, video and 3-D graphics.

Bottom line: This is LeapFrog’s absolute best product yet! I’m very impressed with it and can’t wait to see all the games and Leaplets that come out for this new gadget. I think its price is extremely reasonable for everything it does.

The only downside about the Explorer is that, unlike with all the other Leapster models, the game cartridges are not interchangeable, which means you’ll be buying a whole new set. However, its advantages more than make up for that, in my opinion, and Leapster games have long been a staple on my kids’  birthday and Christmas lists.

So, because LeapFrog chose me as a reviewer for this new product, guess what? I get to give away a Leapster Explorer too! Here’s the scoop:

THE PRIZE:

A brand new, direct-from-the-company, Leapster Explorer PLUS the Toy Story 3 cartridge game! Retail value: Nearly $95!

TO ENTER:

♣ Leave a comment telling me about your favorite LeapFrog product. Limit one comment per person.

WANT BONUS ENTRIES?

♣ Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email, then leave a comment letting me know.

♣ Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment with the link. (You can do this daily.) Optional phrasing for your Tweet: I’m entered to win a Leapster Explorer & game from @MomofTwinsPlus2. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/2e69j2x.

♣ Post on your blog with a link about the giveaway and leave a comment here with a link to your post.

♣ Follow my blog on Networked Blogs and leave a comment here letting me know.

♣ Become a fan of Parenting By Trial and Error on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know.

PLEASE READ: Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time, Saturday, July 3, 2010. Any comments left after this time will be deleted. Open to residents of the U.S. only. The winner will be chosen using random.org. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to notification with shipping info. If no response, another winner will be chosen.

GOOD LUCK!

Serving Our Veterans Piece By Piece

By Rachel

Veterans all over have given their lives,
They are brave, strong people in our eyes.
Give thanks to the veterans by honoring our flag,
Love them and serve them for all they have done.

We have no idea how bad it is there,
We just know how much they care.
Some are fighting, some are hurting,
But they’re all serving us as best as they can.

We thank the veterans for all they’ve done,
They’ve served their country and won our freedom.
Pledge the flag and if you care,
You may join them over there.

Serving Our Veterans Piece By Piece

By Andrea

We say the pledge to honor them
For what they do around the world
They deserve much more love
And honor for what they do for us

They give us pleasure
To be as free as ocean waves
They deserve much more
Than we give them

We have the right for speech, voting, and much more
Because of what the veterans do for us
We should all come together
To serve the veterans piece by piece

♦      ♦     ♦     ♦     ♦     ♦     ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦

What did you do today?

“Dad,” the character around whom this memoir written by two of his twelve children is based, is an efficiency expert. Evidently I was born with efficiency DNA because Dad’s experiments, such as determining whether it takes longer to button a shirt from the top to the bottom or the bottom to the top, really spoke to me. I was completely fascinated with his attempts to shave seconds off of the most mundane tasks, mainly because I found myself naturally doing the same thing.

You see, even as a little kid, I hated to waste time, energy or movement. Ever since I can remember, whenever I’ve been on my way to another room in the house, I’ve done a little check to see if there’s anything I should take with me in order to save time, movement and energy. Going somewhere in the house empty-handed is usually a big no-no in my brain.

As I folded laundry this afternoon, I realized how ingrained this time-saving thinking is in my head. There are certain items I never, ever fold: underwear and pajamas. When I first got married, it just killed me that my then-husband would always neatly fold up freshly-washed underwear, as did his mother. My theory is that no one who views these items is going to care if they’re wrinkled, so I just stuff them in my drawer, yet another time saver. It just seems like such a waste of time to bother.

So I’m curious: How many of you fold underwear and/or PJs? If you do, why? Is it just some innate need for order, similar to my innate need for efficiency?

When she died in early March, the ground was far too muddy to bury her, so we had to wait. We planned to do it the first weekend in May, but my former father-in-law ended up in the hospital and nearly died himself. Now that he’s on the road to recovery, he rescheduled for today instead.

I really didn’t think the burial would affect me much because I feel like I’ve already dealt with her death, for the most part. There’s something so raw about watching a loved one’s body being lowered into the ground though; it definitely gives a sense of finality, a sentiment echoed audibly by Cody’s wailing. I wasn’t prepared for the waves of sadness and loss that I felt all over again at seeing her put into her final resting place.

As illustrated in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, the impact of one person’s life cannot be underestimated. The little group gathered at her graveside today was just a fraction of the many people she’s touched, and we will all forever be profoundly affected by the life that was hers.

Still, as frustrating as it can be to try to avoid naval-gazing via my blog as I try to get my new business going at the same time, it is excellent discipline to commit to blogging every day. For people like me, discipline does not come naturally, so any and all is good for me.

Tomorrow I will be featuring a cool giveaway, so stay tuned!

9:15 a.m.: The kids and I pulled out of the yard and headed to town.

10:00 a.m.: I left a nervous Andie and carefree boys at the Boys & Girls Club, equipped with all the cash I had left in my purse.

10:15 a.m.: Rachel and I arrived at the SPURS Therapeutic Riding Center, where we soaked up the gorgeous spring weather and beautiful surroundings as we waited for the staff to get there. The place was exactly her bag.

10:35 a.m.: After signing some papers and meeting Julie, the Volunteer Coordinator, I left SPURS feeling all kinds of excited for Rachel’s new venture.

10:45 a.m.: I arrived at the nutrition club and began work.

2:00 p.m.: Andie called to inform me that Logan was having a horrendous, embarrassing meltdown in the middle of The Boys & Girls Club, all due to the fact that the three of them had used all their money and had nothing left with which to purchase a snack. Logan, sleep deprivation and hunger are a lethal, ugly combination.

2:15 p.m.: I drove hurriedly to The Boys & Girls Club, digging for loose quarters in my van’s ashtray. All I could think was, Must. Get. Food. In. Logan.

2:25 p.m.: I walked into The B & G Club where Andie waited for me right by the counter. “That guy at the counter gave him 75 cents,” she muttered, pointing an inconspicuous thumb at a staff member.

2:30 p.m.: After reimbursing the guy at the counter, I gave Logan a mini-lecture as he shamefacedly offered me two half-melted Yogo-bites and a flock of kids leaned over the dividing wall to listen.

5:30 p.m.: Talking seriously with a customer at the nutrition club, I looked at the clock, only to see that I was supposed to be picking up all 4 kids at their various destinations at that moment. I excused myself and locked up quickly.

5:40 p.m.: I pulled into the B & G Club, where the kids were waiting with a staff member on the swings. Andie, nearly in tears at my tardiness (I had told her I’d be there around 5:00), got into the front seat and told me about how she didn’t make any friends. Logan’s face and hands sported mud and food, smeared all over his clothes and cheeks.

5:45 p.m.: We got to SPURS, where Rachel was waiting on the bench, looking sunburned and exhausted.

6:00 p.m.: We stopped at Subway to get some supper.

6:05 p.m.: Logan stood in the middle of Subway and began to wail, “But I don’t WANT water!”

6:06 p.m.: I had Rachel remove Logan from the premises as I paid for our meal.

6:10 p.m.: Arriving at the nutrition club, we got our food in and the kids ate their supper as I cleaned up.

7:01 p.m: We left the nutrition club, Logan dragging his feet the entire way.

7:06 p.m.: Rachel and Logan fell asleep in their seats and didn’t stir until we got home.

7:37 p.m.: Cody’s eyelids finally won the battle and he fell asleep too.

8:02 p.m.: Bathed and still exhausted, I kissed the boys good night and tucked them in.

9:34 p.m.: Andie and I finished tonight’s episode of American Idol, the season finale, and were thrilled when our favorite contestant won.

Needless to say, it was a very, very long day and I’m now at the tail end of it, trying to keep my eyelids open and my brain semi-functional as I write today’s blog post.

What’s your summer schedule like? Let’s hear a rundown of a typical day.