from the Mixed-Up Files of Crystal

My Word for the Year: Moments

Here is the explanation of "word of the year," as told by
mastermind Ali Edwards on her website:

"Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2007?

It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word.

One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. And here's one thing that is totally interesting: sometimes a word will pop into your brain and it will not make any sense to you right now. Give it some time. Let it percolate a bit. I have often found that our hearts speak to us in very unique ways. Maybe this is a word you need to hear but just aren't ready for it yet. Again, be open to the possibilities."

My word for the year is "MOMENTS," the idea for which originated from Rob Thomas' song "Little Wonders." Here is the chorus:

"Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders,
These twists & turns of fate
Time falls away,
But these small hours,
These small hours still remain."

When trying to come up with my word for the year, I had been thinking of how a person's memory of their life is not comprised of one long, continuous timeline. We don't remember our lives like a movie, non-stop. We remember our lives in short bursts..."pieces" of our lives. And as a mother, I want my kids' short memory bursts--their MOMENTS--to be happy and wonderful. I want to take advantage of the opportunities that different MOMENTS present me. I want to teach rather than yell (haha--good luck to me!), I want to laugh and I want to be in the MOMENT with my kids.
* All photos taken by my children, during private moments of mayhem, with Isabelle's camera. I found later them on iphoto.