Category Archives: Musings

Camilla’s Gratitude List: Week of February 12, 2012

Posted on by

February 12, 2012, Sunday, I am grateful for:

Grits, bacon and toast.
Thomas’ love for Lillian.
Thomas’ excitement and enthusiasm for reading.
Experiencing Thomas’ imagination.
A Lillian vacation.
Great, helpful, kind and caring friends.

February 13, 2012, Monday, I am grateful for:

Receiving what I need exactly when I need it.
Experiencing first hand the power our thoughts hold.
Friends and family who love and support me.
The ability to change my thoughts and habits.
Lillian having a GREAT time with Momma and Frank.
Lillian’s smile.
Thomas’ hugs.

February 14, 2012, Tuesday, I am grateful for:

A morning all to myself.
Technology.
Connections.
Friends.
Nature.
Hearing Thomas say, “This place is beautiful” today at Geiger Lookout Park.
Subway sandwiches.
Pickles.
Guinness.
The Internet.

February 15, 2012, Wednesday, I am grateful for:

Snow.
Snow ball fight with Thomas.
Building a snowman with Thomas.
Natalie Gorden.
Daniel Svoboda.
Janet Storie.
Hugs from friends.
Laughter with friends.
eWomenNetwork Reno chapter.
Kymberlee Simantel.
Tina Haley.

February 16, 2012, Thursday, I am grateful for:

The support of friends.
My nice warm, comfy, cozy bed.
Lillian’s smile.
Thomas hugs.

February 17, 2012, Friday, I am grateful for:

Diana Michelotti.
Dr. Amanda Rammel.
My Daddy, Robert Downs.
A special lunch date with Thomas.
Thomas’ inquisitive mind.
Our house.
Our car.
Nature.

February 18, 2012, Saturday, I am grateful for:

Time alone with Thomas.
Memories.
My Mammaw Downs.
Sense of taste.
Adventures with Thomas.
Gas for our car.
The abundance of parks in our area.
Thomas’ excitement and pride in himself.
Movie night with Thomas.
Popcorn.
My Jr. High friend Lillie Salsberry.
Friends and supporters who have pre-purchased SIXTEEN “D iz for Different” books.

Camilla

Happiness Journal for Camilla: Week of February 5 2012

Posted on by

 

February 5, 2012, Sunday, Happiness is:

Thomas and Lillian playing together.
A clean house.
Pepperoni Pizza.
Family reading night.
My comfy cozy bed.

February 6, 2012, Monday, Happiness is:

Support and love from friends I’ve never met in person.
Thomas having a good day at kindergarten.
Music.
A visit from Mom and Frank.
A pantry and fridge full of good, healthy food.

February 7, 2012, Tuesday, Happiness is:

Reaching goals.
Encouragement from friends.
Dinner out with Momma and Frank.

February 8, 2012, Wednesday, Happiness is:

A full tummy.
Lillian’s happiness.
Thomas snuggles.
Thomas having a good time with and getting along with his Dad.
Gas in the car.
Time spent with special friends.

February 9, 2012, Thursday, Happiness is:

Thomas having a good day at kindergarten.
Date Day with Lillian.
Having Momma and Frank here for a visit.

February 10, 2012, Friday, Happiness is:

A roof over our heads.
Food in our fridge and pantry.
A few extra rolls of toilet paper.
A very good car in excellent condition.
Thomas and Lillian playing in the park.
Nature and her beauty.

February 11, 2012, Saturday, Happiness is:

Lillian’s excitement about spending two weeks with The Romanos.
Alone time with Thomas.
Library day with Thomas.
Seeing Thomas so absorbed in a book, he does not stop until he has read the entire book (even if it takes an hour or two).
Happiness is kind people. Happiness is the man in Walmart who directed Thomas and I to a shorter line. I was not in a hurry and Thomas and I were happily talking to one another and being patient. Then the kind man in front of us asked us to go ahead of him. AND, then when I turned to thank him once again, he smiled and blessed me. Happiness is kind people and being kind to others spreads happiness.
Dinner with just my Thomas tonight.
Toasting with Thomas over dinner.
Thomas’ toasts to Lillian making it to Vegas, to Lillian having fun in Vegas, to our yummy dinner and to our exciting and fun day together.
Movie night with just my little man tonight!

Camilla

Camilla’s Gratitude List: Week of January 29, 2012

Posted on by

January 29, 2012, Sunday, I am grateful for:

Thomas and Lillian’s excitement about cleaning.
Friends who are test reading and proof reading my book.
The smell of a clean house.
A beautiful day.
Thomas’ enthusiasm for tasting new and different food and drink.
French fries.

January 30, 2012, Monday, I am grateful for:

The sense of touch and the way my sheets feel against my cheek.
Patience.
Listening to my intuition.
My Momma, Patty Romano.
Kerry Connolly for test reading two chapters of my book.
Monica McDivitt for test reading two chapters of my book.
Cheri Hill for test reading my book.
Rachel Flower for test reading my book.
Sharlea Taft for test reading two chapters of my book.
Alisha Peters for test reading two chapters of my book.
Daniel Svoboda for contributing his artwork for my book cover and for use within the book.

January 31, 2012, Tuesday, I am grateful for:

Lillian wanting me to tickle her.
Music.
Kymberlee Simantel.
Deep breaths.
The guy at Papa Murphy’s who gave me the coupon price of $7 even though I forgot my coupon. I had exactly $7.34. Kindness of others is truly remarkable and perfectly timed!
Pepperoni pizza with Thomas.
$1 ice cream cones.
Sitting next to and reading to Lillian.
Thomas and Lillian, Thomas and Lillian, Thomas and Lillian.

February 1, 2012, Wednesday, I am grateful for:

Thomas having a good morning in school.
Thoughtful friends.
Money to put gas in the car and buy a few groceries.
The guy at the smog check place accepting a competitor’s coupon and saving me $6.

Walks with Thomas and Lillian.
Thomas and Lillian asking to hold my hand.
Hugs from friends.
Smiles and laughter shared with friends.
Opportunities to meet new people.
A warm house to come home to with kids so happy to have me home.

February 2, 2012, Thursday, I am grateful for:

Healthy eyes.
An eye doctor who gave me 6 months of contact samples.
Kindness and generosity.
A good day at kindergarten for Thomas.

February 3, 2012, Friday, I am grateful for:

Clean, fresh contacts for my healthy eyeballs.
Enthusiasm.
A walk with my kids.
A sunset watched with Thomas and Lillian.
Kymberlee Simantel and Wade Hodges.
Great time, laughter, good wine, yummy food with friends.
Time away from my sweet Thomas and Lillian.

February 4, 2012, Saturday, I am grateful for:

Good coffee.
Those who cheer me on.

Those who support me.
The Chromosome 18 Registry and Research Society.
The families that make up The Registry.
Facebook.
My MacBook Pro.
Washoe Lake.
The peaceful and quiet drive my kids and I had around Washoe Lake.
Thomas and Lillian enjoying our drive and the stops along the way.
Nature and how she fills me with peace and faith.
A dinner loved by all tonight at Team TLC Casa.
Movie night with Thomas and Lillian.

Camilla

Happiness Journal for Camilla: Week of January 22 2012

Posted on by

January 22, 2012, Sunday, Happiness is:

Thomas and Lillian sleeping later than usual.
My nice, warm and cozy bed.
Eatin’ grits with Thomas.
Boiled peanuts.
Going for a walk with Thomas and Lillian.
A warm home to return to after a cold and windy walk.
The love all three of us have for reading and books.

January 23, 2012, Monday, Happiness is:

Touching Thomas’s soft face.
Tickling Lillian.
Laying next to Thomas and Lillian on my bed while we are reading.
Watching Thomas play in the mud.
Filming Thomas make a “movie”.
My electric blanket and heating mattress bed.
Justine Reyes of Take 2 Performers Studio.
A full belly!

January 24, 2012, Tuesday, Happiness is:

Oatmeal.
Hot black coffee.
Knowing that Thomas’ rough moments will soon turn into moments that he learned something.
Being in the library.
Being Kind.
Jumping into Thomas and Lillian’s world and their imagination.

January 25, 2012, Wednesday, Happiness is:

Playgrounds.
Parks
Feeling the sun.
Being uplifted by the joy from Thomas and Lillian.
A clean, uncluttered house.

January 26, 2012, Thursday, Happiness is:

Hanging out with girlfriends, drinking wine and eating GOOD food.
Learning about healthy alternatives.
Coming around the corner to find Thomas laying on the floor engrossed in a book.
Garlic.
The ability to smell.
Hugs, smiles and laughs with friends.
Thoughtful and kind people.

January 27, 2012, Friday, Happiness is:

Lillian laying on the couch in my office and reading her books while I work.
Picking up a very happy Thomas from school.
Watching Thomas play with his friends.
Complimenting others.
Spreading smiles.
Helping Thomas and Lillian make choices.
The view from our backyard.
Nature.

January 28, 2012, Saturday, Happiness is:

Reading.
Working on my book.
Adding content to our Team TLC website.
Helping Thomas and Lillian with each of their blogs.
Adding content to my blog.
Bacon and scrambled eggs.
Adventures with Thomas and Lillian.
The peace and joy nature give to me.
Seeing the breathtaking beauty and gift of nature.
Thomas and Lillian realizing how special, important and unique they each are.
Watching a GREAT movie with Thomas and Lillian.
Eating popcorn with Thomas.

Camilla

Camilla’s Gratitude List: Week of January 15, 2012

Posted on by

January 15, 2012, Sunday, I am grateful for:

A Team TLC stay at home day.
A nice warm house to be inside of while the wind is blowing pretty darn hard outside.
Feeling the force of the wind.
A day spent in “comfy clothes” all day long.

January 16, 2012, Monday, I am grateful for:

The opportunity to make my own schedule.
The walking trail behind our house.
Having a park within walking distance.
Nature and her beauty.
Walks with my kids.
Heat to warm my fingers when they are so cold they hurt!

January 17, 2012, Tuesday, I am grateful for:

Patience.
Listening to my gut.
Electricity.
A heater that decided to work again while we were at Lillian’s therapies! Baby it was cold in this house . . . 54 degrees!
Unexpected money in the mailbox when we had just spent our last $20 on groceries and the gas tank was nearing E!
Kelley McDaniels of Simply Delegate.
Pizza delivery.
Quiet.

January 18, 2012, Wednesday, I am grateful for:

Thomas’s kindergarten teacher . . . Kim O’Connor.
Reno’s amazing cloud formations.
Friends who give selflessly.
Kymberlee Simantel.
The elderly woman in Walmart I was able to help. She couldn’t find her chips on the shelf. Only one bag left laying flat, pushed back and too high for her to see. Made her SO HAPPY! I floated on down the aisle after that!
Thomas hugs.
Sneaking kisses on Lillian’s forehead.

January 19, 2012, Thursday, I am grateful for:

Supportive friends.
Shelter when the wind is gusting to 70 miles an hour!
The firefighters, first responders, volunteers, police and everyone who worked so hard helping and working on the Washoe Valley brush fire today.
Caring friends.
Life.
Love.

January 20, 2012, Friday, I am grateful for:

Thomas’s kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kim O’Connor.
Friends.
Brian Benson.
Rain.

January 21, 2012, Saturday, I am grateful for:

Slow Saturday mornings.
Smell and sound of coffee brewing.
Smell of bacon cooking.
The library.
How much Thomas and Lillian love going to the library.
Finally finding unsweetened almond milk – every grocery store I’ve been to in the last week has been out!
Dark Chocolate Almond Milk . . . Mmmmmmmmmm!!
Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Hot Dogs.
Thomas stopping before he left the room, saying he forgot something, then coming up to me and giving me a big hug and telling me he loves me.

Camilla