Good afternoon! Thanks for visiting my blog! My name is Jeanette Paradis and I am a mom of two who lives in Erie, PA. This blog entry is going to be one of those times that I sit down as if I am writing in a journal and I am sharing it with you. Why share?? Because I know that many of you can relate! I really enjoy the conversations we have have following blog entries like this one.
This morning I was getting ready for our first MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting of the year! Happy Day!!! I LOVE MOPS!!! I am personally a MOPS graduate, after having begun there in March 2007 when my daughter was an infant. My son is now off to kindergarten himself and this prompts "graduation" from the group as you are no longer a mother of a preschooler! So why am I still there at MOPS this year? Well, the room of 60+ women is divided into tables of 8 women who spend the year together. Each table has a table mentor who has made it through the preschool years herself - we range from women in our late 30's up through women in their 70's! I am seated at a table in this role and am thankful to also have another mentor at our table - a mom of many kids who now range into young adulthood. All of the other tables just have one mentor... Two mentors at my table suits me well as I am typically one to be circulating the room and building for various needs that relate to my role as the Women's Ministry Team Leader at our church.
So, back to the title of this blog entry. The dreaded t-shirt order?? What is that all about anyways??
You know how oftentimes when you are part of something you wind up wearing matching shirts? It has been a couple of years since we last ordered new matching shirts at MOPS. In the photo above, you can see me in my pink Summer of 2013 MOPS shirt which I actually still wear to this day, after a 60 pound weight loss! But the first time I ever put on that shirt to be part of an event where we were supporting a member mom battling cancer, well that shirt had to be stretched and stretched in order to "fit". This shirt is special to me and I do still wear it regularly. Fresh from the dryer! It does begin to lose shape and is a bit big but it is still a favorite.
Fast forward to August 2015. Our MOPS Coordinator was collecting sizes in order to place a t-shirt order. This was a whole new world as I pondered the sizes. I ended up going with a large and discovered when putting it on this morning that the cut was generous and I could have even considered a medium?? SHOCKER to me, still. EVERY OTHER TIME in my life when I ordered the "group shirt", this would be a moment and then entire experience riddled with anxiety in my own world. First, I would hope that size 2x would be an option. 1x was just usually not quite big enough. And how would the t-shirt fit?? I have never been one for comparison and was not concerned with looking "worse" than others who were wearing the shirt. I just knew that I was very careful with what I chose to wear within my own wardrobe in order to feel comfortable. Not many things felt flattering to me. So to have to just go ahead and blindly order a t-shirt, choose the biggest size available and then put it on and wear it in front of people in order to represent something was just not an enjoyable experience in my world! It was honestly kind of painful. The sleeves ended up being down past my elbow with the shoulders way too low but that was what happened in order to accommodate other parts of myself.
This morning I was getting ready for MOPS and put on my new shirt and I had to actually hold back the tears. Yeah.... that isn't working so well as I type this. I had put on mascara this morning and didn't want to wreck it - first day and all. I distracted myself by snapping a couple of photos on my way out the door!
It is not about being a certain size. It is about feeling comfortable in your own skin and liking where you are headed. The healthy changes which I began to make two years ago are just how I live my life these days. Did we enjoy ice cream over the weekend while out as a family? We sure did! We do take a balanced approach! As I was thinking about what to take to MOPS to share this morning, I was happy to put together a favorite of mine: plain Greek yogurt layered with thawed berries and granola. Simple and so pretty in a trifle bowl! Healthy is still full of possibilities!
I had gotten up early this morning in order to do my PiYo workout and be ready for the day. Home fitness is convenient and I do programs that I enjoy. I honestly miss it dearly if for some reason I have not made a point to fit it into my day!
I became a Team Beachbody coach 18 months ago and cherish being able to help others find the same success that has made such a difference in my life! Please get in touch with me if you would be interested in learning more about this.
The MOPS International theme for this year struck a chord in my heart from the first time I heard it... "a Fierce Flourishing" where we will take the time to "Celebrate Lavishly, Embrace Rest and Notice Goodness". This is a very good place to be. I am thankful for this time in my life and look forward to all that is yet to come!
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