Ouch. Clearly the blog, (and keeping a running tally of our life for the future me to look back and reminisce on) isn’t high on my priority list this first part of 2014! I can’t believe we are already nearly a quarter into the year…it just doesn’t seem to ever slow down.
I wanted to hop on here, if for nothing else to post a few pictures and remind myself of this crazy, busy time in our life. I know for certain I am going to miss this one of these days. At least that is what I keep trying to tell myself when I feel like I cannot get up and out of bed one.more.day.
I’m going to miss the bickering girls and the non-stop Tuesdays that never seem to end. I’m going to miss the all day volleyball tournaments and entire weekends spent at ballet performances. I’m going to miss helping kindergartners learn how to use a mouse and not pick their nose, while simultaneously fixing a teacher’s printer for the 1,000th time. (Believe it or not – I’d take the kindergartners ANY day over some of the teachers!) I’m going to miss cleaning up Cooper’s accidents that seem to land just millimeters from the easier-to-clean-up hardwood floors, and on the carpet instead.
Wait…I don’t think I’ll EVER miss that last one. Potty training a dog is harder than a human…kinda want to buy those doggy diapers some days! Just kidding. (No…I’m really not – do you think they work??)
So we have pretty much been charging full speed ahead around here. Addie is continuing to do well in 3rd grade – surprising everyone, including herself. She told me the other day that she feels like she has learned more than she really needs to know to be a third grader. She thinks she is ready for 4th grade, apparently. I can’t believe how very grown up she is all of a sudden. When we pull up to the dance studio she has started telling me, “you can just drop me at the curb, you don’t have to come in, Mama!” A little bit of my heart broke the first time she told me that, but I notice she still stops when she gets to the door and blows me a kiss…not quite all little Miss Independence. (But she ia a great babysitter in the making. She and Amelia are two peas in a pod…CAT LOVERS…here they are watching the cats.)
And over in the other corner is Ems who I have to remind myself DAILY – “is only 10 years old.” It is hard to not expect a lot more out of her when she looks, and acts, like she should be driving a car next year. She and her “girls” are rockin’ 5th grade. They went to JMS last week to tour the middle school. She also reminds me constantly how she is going to middle school. “Next year when I’m in middle school….” “Did you know that middle schoolers….” She just loves to drop that little bomb in wherever she can and give Mama just a bit more anxiety.
Where her sister is all about dance, Em has fallen in love with volleyball. Her skills keep improving weekly, almost as quickly as she is sprouting UP. The girl is going to be as tall as me next week, I’m pretty sure. She put her jeans on that I got her for Christmas the other day and they are – I’m not kidding – two inches too short. Her coach is loving her growth spurt(s). I guess I should just be happy she has a birthday coming up and the hot weather looks like it is here to stay…we are going to be needing a new wardrobe. And SHOES…we are going to be able to share shoes next year if her feet keep up at this rate! (I didn’t say it was ALL bad!)
J just returned tonight from Rome, for work and he has been working like crazy these past few months. His team’s big project finally launched. (Disney Movies Anywhere – download it from iTunes!! It’s wicked cool.) But that only means more work. We are trying to figure out a summer vacation because we all could really use a week of doing no-to-the-thing.
And me. As I might have indicated, I feel a wee bit overwhelmed most days. I woke up last week and realized that I’m not really in love with this crazy lady I’ve become, in fact, I don’t really even like her. I’m impatient and crabby and just plain grumpy. The things I love doing, the people I love hanging out with, all of those things that are important to me….just don’t seem to be happening. I’m frustrated and not quite sure how to get it all back to that sweet spot.
But then I get a kick (or two) to the head. I have a dear friend who is fighting cancer. She started chemotherapy again. One of our families from school had a house fire last week and lost almost all of their belongings. Another couple is struggling just to have a baby. And I see so many people in our community that need some sort of job and would LOVE to have mine to go to each day.
So, I’ve decided I am going to attempt to struggle over here with these so-called “problems” with optimism and a little bit of grace and thankfulness. And I’m going to go away this weekend to a lovely yoga and contemplation retreat and get some perspective.
Because really? Isn’t it all just about having a little perspective.
