Mother Nature needs some meds. . .

Monday, after Miles got out of school, we headed straight for the park.  It was gorgeous.  70 degrees, sunny, windy.  It felt like spring.

Today, we woke up to snow.  Since the park is obviously not an option - this kid hates the cold about as much as I do - we're hanging out at the McDonald's play place.  Lunch is taken care of, Miles is running off energy, and I'm using the free wi-fi.  All in all, not a bad deal, I guess.

I still think Mother Nature needs some good meds for this serious case of Bipolar Disorder she has.

Highlights

I have a hard time reading other people's blogs sometimes, because they all seem so . . . put-together.  Here I am, almost 30, and most days?  I still have no idea what I'm doing.  I work at it, but there are days that my hair is a mess, my jeans are covered in snot, and my house looks like a tornado went through it.  And if I'm completely honest, those days are more common than I'd like to admit.

Last night, Miles and I were playing with some activity boxes I had put together. (More on those another day.  Promise).  We were laughing and giggling, and best of all, Miles was learning.  Miles called for Daddy to come see, and Patrick ended up recording a short video of us.  Then, he e-mailed the video to family.  And I realized, this was on my highlight reel.  And if I review that highlight reel?  I'm doing pretty okay.

And honestly, if I review my behind-the-scenes?  I'm still doing okay.  I'm not perfect.  I will never claim to be.  But in the end, that's completely okay.  Because perfection is not only boring, it's false.

So, I will continue to post my highlights as well as my behind-the-scenes footage.  And occasionally, I'll even share the bloopers.  Because that, my friends, is real.  And I think it's important to share what's real.  Not just what's perfect.

Everything Stinks

Literally.

I had forgotten one of my least favorite parts of pregnancy until recently: the Super Nose.  My nose, which usually is pretty much useless, suddenly smells everything.  And it all stinks.

At least, those seem to be the only scents I notice.

And worst of all, I always seem to assume that it's me that stinks.  Even when it makes no sense.  This morning, at toddler gym, I smelled poop.  I kept sniffing all my stuff to make sure it wasn't me.  Never mind the fact that I am wearing clean clothes.  Or the fact that I checked the diaper bag this morning and there were no extra surprises.  And we can completely overlook the fact that I don't generally smell like poop when I leave the house.  Somehow, I was convinced that it was me.  Until someone took their kid to the bathroom to change their diaper.

Oh.  Duh.

And I'm realizing that most of the places that I like to take Miles smell bad.  Like sweat.  Or feet.  Or both.    Because they are all places where kids are running, usually without shoes.  I just never realized how much little kids can stink.  (But, somehow, not my kid.  I sniff him regularly to make sure, and he smells like soap and sunshine, and occasionally of a dirty pull-up, but never of sweat.  Weird.)

But it doesn't stop there.  I got a new crock-pot for Christmas, and used it for the first time yesterday.  The smell of new plastic nearly drove me out of the house.  At the grocery store the other day, I nearly choked on some lady's bad perfume.  And let's not even talk about the stink of the gas station.  Yuck.

I miss my normal, useless nose.

Boo.

The posts I wrote for the last week of December still won't post correctly.

I give up.

Here's a summary:

Christmas Day: Merry Christmas!

December 26: So.many.Christmas.celebrations.  Exhaustion.

December 27: Millions of toys, no space.

December 28: <Friday Photos - I will post them later>

December 29: Sigh of relief.  The holidays are almost over.

December 30: Battles and Blessings from that week.  Most of which are irrelevant, now.

December 31: New Year's Resolution - Take it Easy this year - try not to over-extend myself for a change.


There.  You're caught up.  I am officially wasting no more time trying to get those silly things to work.

Happy New Year! :)

What I want to give my children. . .

This post would have been published on Christmas Eve, if all had gone correctly. :)

Everyone is talking about what they are giving their kids for Christmas.  I'm constantly hearing questions from other parents.  "Did I buy enough?"  "Did I buy too much?"  "Do you think my ___-year-old will like ____?" And comments: "I really wanted to get them ____, but (it was too much, they don't need it, whatever)."

It got me thinking about what I want to give my children.  Not just for Christmas, but overall.  Here is what I came up with.

• Unconditional Love.  I want them to know that I will love them, forever, no matter what.
• Safety.  Not only physical safety - that's a given - but emotional safety.  I want them to know that I will always be there to laugh and cry with them, to enjoy the good times with them, and to offer them a hug in the bad times.
• A sense of "home".  No matter where we are, I want them to know that as long as we're together, it's home.
• A healthy balance of selflessness and selfishness.  I want them to take care of others, definitely, but I hope I can teach them to take good care of themselves, as well.  For I have learned the hard way that one cannot help others unless they, themselves, are healthy.
• Spirituality.  I don't care if they end up believing exactly what I believe, so long as they have faith that there is a Greater Power at work in our lives.
• Laughter.  I want to be a mom who laughs more than I admonish, and who smiles more often than I frown.
• Responsibility.  I want them to be productive, contributing members of society, throughout their lives.
• Honesty.  I don't want to sugar-coat life for them.  I want them to see it for what it is.  To quote my favorite poem, Desiderata, "With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world."

But, Dearest Miles, and Darling Samantha, most of all, I want to give you the gift of my time.  As fleeting as it is, it is by far the most valuable gift I could give you.  I love you both.  Merry Christmas.

Oh, Glorious Day!

Miles goes back to 'school' today.  To say I'm excited is the understatement of the century.

Today, I will go grocery shopping by myself.

Today, I will get my hair cut, alone.

Today, I will shower without interruption.

Today, I will (hopefully) figure out how to get those back-posts from December to actually post.

And then, I will sit in my chair, and read.  Or craft.  Or watch television that isn't animated.  I haven't decided, yet.  But whatever it is, I will do it without furtively listening for screams of pain or anger from upstairs.

It will be glorious.