I don’t even know if anyone will read this it’s been so long since my last post. I have no excuses other than we’ve just been kinda busy and blogging at the end of the day seems to be the thing that just never makes the list. Kind of like that “To-Do” list that never ends and just keeps adding up with the things that you didn’t get done today going on to the next, and then the next, and the next…blogging has been the “next” thing to do tomorrow for a while now. I apologize for not keeping up with the blog. Like so many things in my life, inconsistency seems to run rampant.
But since I last posted (which I believe was in July) we’ve been up to a lot. I think the same thing happened last summer – towards the end we got more and more busy outside and the blogging came to a halt. I see a pattern…do you? Maybe I need to note this on my blogging relapse prevention plan. Only if you work with me will you think that’s remotely funny…had to go there, another apology…
Anyway, we have been busy but nothing terribly out of the normal for the family. Zoo trips on a REGULAR basis are a standard here, we’ve made it to the beach, spent time doing house-owner stuff like adding flag poles and staining the fence (ok, Justin did both of those things!) and overall time with the kiddo and pets. Oh the pets…I know completely what it means to have a love/hate relationship and all three of them for different reasons. Honestly there is nothing like the love, affection and attention of a pet. It’s without judgement for what you look like, what you ate today or how you disciplined the kid after spilling yogurt on the carpet. True unconditional love. However, I believe one of our cats has an antisocial/borderline/narcissistic personality disorder all combined…but only with me as she purrs and snuggles with Justin. One cat is as needy as a baby, inching closer and closer to you during the night until I wake up with a large, overweight, fur-infested personal heater on the side of my head. And then one dog…oh the one dog. The one that digs, chews, runs, chases – but only things and places that I wish she wouldn’t. And despite the complaining, throwing off of the beds, yelling child-friendly slurs at 7:15 in the morning there’s that pet love. Hence love/hate.
Speaking of the kid. She is fantastic. Seriously. We are officially POTTY TRAINED! Woo Hoo! I don’t know who gets the silver ribbon award me or her, but I don’t care because I haven’t changed a diaper in quite a while now and am a-ok with that! She has started dance class and oh my heart is singing with leotards, pink tights, ballet shoes and let’s not leave out the sacred tutu! After a small, and by small I really mean immensely humiliating, meltdown we had yesterday over mom forgetting the tutu we will never leave for dance class without a tutu again. Thank goodness the heaven-sent angels at daycare who witnessed this incident were able to think faster than I was and pulled out a horrible hot-pink/leopard print tulle combo skirt that stopped the horror-filled shrieking of my toddler. I was speechless – both at her for such a reaction but also for myself at clearly not recognizing the importance and significance that the tutu held to my daughter. It will be known as the “tutu incident.”
Oh, and let’s not forget that in a matter of TWO weeks that my small child will be THREE years old! Three years seem both so long ago and just like yesterday. Watching her walk, talk, dance, reason, play, laugh and joke makes me think that she’s older than she is but then watching her sleep soundly in her still small bed makes me feel that she’s still a baby. We are not completely sure what our plans are for the birthday celebration but I’m almost certain that it will involve the zoo if we stay in town.
As for me, work has been crazy and I’ve been crazy right along with it. With more clients and more issues than are always able to be handled in one day, it makes the days seem to run together and not in a good beach vacation margarita buzz kind of way. I have had many days lately where I’ve struggled to find my center, my balance and my sanity. It’s a constant effort to stay focused and calm but along with the never-ending effort are days when I get an unplanned visit from an old client that tells me she has been 76 days clean and is proud of herself. This high school misfit with ongoing problems at home and school but is still clean…and smiling…and proud. That is cool. That helps things slow down and for me to remember that just because a lot of the time I don’t get to see the results that they are out there happening. So I’m still working on ironing out the kinks in my work schedule and work load but I see light at the end of the tunnel and have managed to find time and space for some decent meditation and prayer at the end of the day, which is kind of like taking the day and wrapping it up in pretty paper and ribbon and then looking back at whatever is was that I managed to do right that day, big or small, and feel content. I just need to find ways to carry that feeling with me throughout the day. Work in progress, right?
So, all in all things are good. Things are moving forward and despite struggles and obstacles along the way, we are a happy family of three. Healthy, Happy, Together, Blessed – bring on the struggles then.
Until next time…and hopefully sooner than later this time!
