The Little Things

As the school year gets ready to begin, I will have 3 glorious mornings where I am completely kid free. That is worth repeating. Completely kid free. Already, I have been fantasizing about what I will do with myself in those precious few hours. To some, my list will seem so simple and unambitious. But to me, my list makes me giddy with anticipation and excitement, like when I stood in line with tweeners at midnight to get the last book in the twilight series. Shoot. Did I just admit that out loud.

Anyway, these are just some of the things I'm looking forward to this year.

Eating breakfast. I think I can count the number of times on one hand during the year that I actually sat down to eat breakfast. My mornings are usually spent feeding the kids and running out the door to get them to school. I gulp my liter of coffee down and let that tide me over for the day. Ironically, I love breakfast foods, especially eggs. I'm coming for you spinach and mushroom omelet with pepper jack cheese melted on top and fresh fruit on the side!

Shopping. Any and all kinds. Grocery. Clothes. Cleaning supplies. I don't care. I just look forward to having a cart to actually put things in, since usually there is a kid or two in the cart limiting my space. I look forward to taking my time instead of seeing it as a mad sprint to grab what I need before the time bomb that I call Selah erupts. On a side note though, if ever there was a competition that required finding groceries, scanning it at self check out, and bagging it in the quickest amount of time, I would rock that baby.

Bookstores. Oh, how I have missed you bookstore. You were a constant in my life, but the kids took me away from you. Aside from the quick visits to the kids section, I rarely peruse your shelves anymore. There is a couch at borders calling my name, and books that I am meant to find.

Adult conversation. I can finally hang out with girlfriends again without feeling distracted and pulled away. I plan on putting on my heels and enjoying the company of quality women.


Maybe after I tackle these little things, I will move onto more ambitious goals like changing the world. But this will do for now.

My "Happy Place"

So number 4 has been having a rough few days. As stated in my last post, her gremlin side has come out with a vengeance, and coupled with my husband working long hours this week, I have been on edge. Actually, to be more accurate, I've gone over the edge. The only thing worse than my four year old having a tantrum is when this 35 year old does.

Anyway, the only way to come back from the edge is to rely on the things that keep me sane. These are my personal tried and true coping mechanisms.

Running. Just me and my music. Something so therapeutic about sweating out my frustration. The longer I run, the more stress or frustration I have in my life. My neighbors have seen me a lot this week on a seemingly endless loop. There she goes again. There she goes again. There she goes again.

Books. I love getting lost in a story. Coupled with a good cup of coffee, that's an instant happy pill. Liesel Meminger, Lisbeth Salander, Jeannette Walls, Zoey Redbird (sheepishly admitting this one). They have been my happy pills. Extra credit to those who know who these characters are.

Prayer. I simply can't fathom trying to do this parenting thing on my own. I'm drowning. I need Him. As that great theologian Jon Bon Jovi so wonderfully stated, "whoa, we're halfway there. whoa-oh, living on a prayer." Alright, maybe that's not what he meant by the song, but that is the beauty of individual interpretation.

Mom friends. They are the ones who remind you that you aren't going crazy. They are the ones who won't judge you when you don't want to be with your kids anymore. They are the ones that whisk you away on a girl's night out because they know it's a matter of life and death. They are the ones who understand the journey because they walk it too. It's nice to not feel alone.

Thankful for all of the above. Starting to feel sane again. At least till tomorrow.