Mother of the Year

Image via WikipediaAs a matter of fact, YES.
I am breaking into my son's Valentine's Day candy generously gifted to him weeks ago by his tiny preschool friends, all while he sleeps peacefully (and without clue) just down the hall. It's all in an effort to keep my resolution this year of eating 1) more kale (speaking of, try these and season it like crazy and have a party in your mouth) and 2) more chocolate. Because who wants to be on their death bed one day, regretting their under-consumption of chocolate? There are dozens of other things I'll be too busy regretting, so I refuse to let a lack of chocolate be one of them. So obviously in this instance, the ends totally justify the means. My son needs a strong, determined Mama who sticks to her resolutions, right?

Anyway, as I was picking through the precious heap of Valentine's, I noticed that his friends gifted mostly name-brand chocolate this year. Nice touch, kids. This has not gone unnoticed in this house. Buddy, you are such a great judge of character. Clearly, friends like yours who gift name-brand chocolate are friends you should hang on to forever. Because when it comes to chocolate, one should really go big or go home. Who has time to mess around with Hershey's when there are dozens of Dove chocolate hearts screaming your name?

And this has been another motherly pearl of wisdom I pass down to you, my darling son.

Destination: Mini Break

In less than 12 hours, Dan & I will be well on our way to a somewhat impromptu weekend away, sans children. That's right, we're hitting the road and headed for the darling winery-ville town of Paso Robles. Or, as I like to call it, "Romantic Mini-Break Extravaganza, 2011". This is a weekend that will be all about us, with no purpose other than to reconnect, enjoy using uninterrupted, complete sentences, and to have absolutely zero clean up responsibilities. The last time this happened was well before we even had children, so needless to say it's long overdue. The main focus, FOR ONCE!, will be each other. And wine tasting. And eating really great food that I have neither slaved over nor have to clean up after. 


When you get this sort of weekend trip once every 6 years or so, it's difficult to know how to plan accordingly. I mean, there are so many directions we could take! Do we just sit in the hotel all day, basking in our alone time, and order trays and trays of room service? Do we plan for the optimum amount of fun by allotting every minute we're away to something fabulous?  Do we just go with the flow? A combination of all the above? I have a feeling that the various Paso Robles wineries will be a fabulous starting point, and from there, we'll just fly by the seat of our pants. You know, sort of like the way we did things when it was just us two.


I'm sure there will be moments of temporary gloom when I'll think about the kids back at home with my (wonderful!) parents, and wonder what they're up to. This weekend, there will be no children calling out in the middle of the night, or awake and hungry at 6:30 AM. On a Saturday.


OH, THE SLEEPING IN THAT WILL BE DONE. This much I know.

The File Cabinet

The other night, Dan & I had an unusual evening of productivity, especially for a weekday. Usually during the week, if we've eaten dinner together followed by putting leftovers in the fridge, we high-five each other and call it a day. Throw in designated "bath nights" for the kids, and now we're really taking the world by storm.

But the piles of paperwork lying around this place were beginning to make me feel claustrophobic, especially considering the combination of master bedroom and office we have in our sleeping quarters. We cleared off the desk. We filed things. We created a "to be burned during our family's first official summer bonfire" pile. Then we attacked the file cabinet.

Oh, the things you discover when you spend an hour filing things away with your husband....

The first thing I learned was that he likes to keep everything. When I came across blank, unused checks from a checking account we closed YEARS AGO, I realized that I probably need to step in a take a more active role as "co-filer" in this marriage. Done.

The second thing I learned was that the contents of his "personal" file folders are quite different from mine. His contain old high school transcripts, test scores, and college acceptance letters. My folders include fertility charting, decorating ideas, haircut styles, and paperwork from a job I left 5 years ago. Apparently Dan loved the letter "A" because his report cards were completely full of them. Across the board. Sometimes I wonder if he & I would have even been friends in high school, because while he was busy propelling himself to the top of his class academically, I was busy being a varsity cheerleader, snagging the coveted "Most Spirited!" award my senior year.

What can I say, I really loved having a good time, ALL THE TIME in high school. In cheerleading, this love for fun gets translated into the word "spirit". As in, I have spirit. Yes, I do. I've got spirit. How 'bout you?

I guess you can say that I am living proof that in the end, the nerd really does end up with the cheerleader. And I love that handsome nerd with all of my heart. (Perfect little plot for an 80s movie, right?)

There Is Hope

Since the number one objective of this blog is to relay the everyday happenings of our little family, I can't not write about what we've indirectly been through and witnessed this past week. To write about anything else right now feels completely impertinent.

My sister-in-law's sister & her husband lost their beautiful 5 year old daughter, completely unexpectedly, a week ago Sunday. Most of you are quite familiar with the story by now, but for those of you who aren't, I believe this has been the most tragic loss our little community of friends & loved ones has ever experienced. It has literally rocked me to my core, made me slow down, hug my children more often, and rethink the things I've labeled as "hardships" in my life. How silly I can be, allowing something like a messy house to bring stress and discord to my home. How shallow I feel for occasionally allowing traffic to bring out the worst in me. It's beyond powerful when the life & death of a precious child can literally make you rethink your priorities in this world. Sweet Stella, if you only knew how much you've already impacted so many people!

Every day this week, I've woken up with a renewed state of mind: it is an honor that I get to spend today loving my children, my husband, and those I come in contact with. How blessed are those of us who have health, family, and love today....

My sister-in-law shared her own thoughts on this tremendous loss. I found it to be consoling and hope-giving, in a virtually devastating situation. In the midst of all of this, the power of love is truly irrefutable. You can read her beautiful tribute here.