All month I've watched a good chunk of my Facebook friends take time out of their day all month to post something they are thankful for. I would love to say that I'm the kind of person who would be able to follow through with something like that. I'm not that kind of person though. I would post maybe for one or two days, skip 4 days, post a couple more, then give up. I just don't have that kind of attention span. Instead I've determined to write one blog post dedicated to the many things in my life that I am thankful for.
First off I'm thankful for my children. They can be a handful sometimes but they bring my so much joy and pride, I honestly feel like I'm going to burst sometimes. It's hard to picture what my life would be without them.
Secondly I'm thankful for my husband. We have been together for so long that I'm kinda surprised we still like each other! Kidding! He has been the best partner a woman can ask for. I'm not always the easiest person and I have the tendency to overreact and get wound up, but he never yells, or gets mad. He is just always there, calm and collected and it makes me realize how ridiculous I'm being. He just completes me.
This year I'm very thankful for our move to Texas. A year ago we were still new around here and were still unsure if this move was for the better and still missing everyone back home terribly. This past year I've really recognized that this move was the best thing that ever happened to us. Moving to Texas has put my child in an amazing school district which has helped him improve tremendously. Moving to Texas has also made our dream of buying a home and much more realistic goal. Buying in CA was not an option and if we were able to pull it off, we would have had to move to a crummy neighborhood and work our butts off to live in a house we didn't love. By this time next year I'm positive I'll be adding photos of our house in this blog, and giving thanks for it.
And finally I'm thankful for the rest of our family and the friends we've made here and the ones we had to leave behind. My sister and brother moving to TX made my life here easier in many, many ways. Having them close is also really good for my kids. I'm very pro family (blood relatives or not) and it's been amazing to start building a support system out here for myself, Mike and the boys. I still miss the friends and family in CA and I'm glad we've been able to maintain a close relationship even though I'm so far away.
I could go on and on giving thanks to my job, car, cat etc, but that would take way to long. I'm very thankful for my life and all the positive changes and positive people in it. During these hard times I see people struggling all around me and it's humbled me in so many ways. We could very easily be one of them, but we're not and I'm grateful for that. I hope next year is just as amazing as this years been and brings us new happiness and more friends and family to be thankful for.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Time to get back to "normal"
So Thanksgiving has come and gone and it was once again a chaotic holiday, full of frustrations, laughs, and of course enough food to feed an army. I'm a big fan of large family gatherings on holidays and this one was that and more. The entire week leading up to the holiday was also a little chaotic since my best friend was in town on vacation. I took a couple days off work so we can hang out and be tourists, but that was had a small hiccup due to my oldest coming down with a nasty virus. Sickness has the uncanny ability of rearing its ugly head at the worst possible moments. We still managed to have a great time and I was also able to get some bonding in with her fiance.
Despite all the craziness of the past week, Thanksgiving was amazing. My husband showed off his amazing deep frying skills (after my friend and I injected and rubbed the bird down). My best friend and her sister in law showed off their amazing kitchen skills by putting together some super yummy sides. My kids behaved for the most part and we had a great time drinking wine and gossiping like old maids.
Now that the holiday has passed and my best friend is back in CA, it's time to return to our normal lives and prepare for the next round of crazy AKA Christmas. My dad will be flying in for two weeks for that one and my boys are going to go bananas when they find out (it's a surprise). So here's to my "normal" couple of weeks!
Despite all the craziness of the past week, Thanksgiving was amazing. My husband showed off his amazing deep frying skills (after my friend and I injected and rubbed the bird down). My best friend and her sister in law showed off their amazing kitchen skills by putting together some super yummy sides. My kids behaved for the most part and we had a great time drinking wine and gossiping like old maids.
Now that the holiday has passed and my best friend is back in CA, it's time to return to our normal lives and prepare for the next round of crazy AKA Christmas. My dad will be flying in for two weeks for that one and my boys are going to go bananas when they find out (it's a surprise). So here's to my "normal" couple of weeks!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Mommy Guilt
I think at one point in every working moms life, you've been over come with mommy guilt. The guilty feeling you get when your at work knowing that your child has a school event/program going on that your not able to make. How do you explain to a 7 year old that mommy had to submit contract modifications and time sensitive offers so she couldn't make it? How also do you explain to them that we have bills that need to paid so mommy has to be at her desk?
Today Mikey had a Veterans Day program where he was going to sing. I knew a program was coming up but a reminder note was never sent home and sometimes Mikey struggles with communication. He was able to tell me about this morning (you know, the day of) and I had to let him know that I couldn't make it. The look on his face crushed me. If I had known maybe a day or two in advance, I could have tried to get an hour of two off so I can attend but the day of just isn't enough time. Mike was able to swoop in and tell him that he was going to try to be there so Mikey did come back to life before school. It still didn't help my disappointment.
Mike was able to make it to the program which brightened Mikey's day. I'm glad one of us were able to make it but I'm still racked with guilt. I would love nothing more then to be available all the time to attend every program, event and even volunteer in the classroom. Unfortunately we live in a time where having a two income household is necessary to thrive in this world. Sure I can quit my job and live off Mike's income, but then that means we'll never have enough money to buy a house, never buy a new car, won't go to fun events or take vacations, and we'll have to eat ramen and hot dogs every day. Not exactly the life I want for my children.
So I'm going to work and have days like this. Days where I wish I didn't work. Days I wish I can run and be at the school in less then 5 minutes for anything. Days I'm going to have to shake off the mommy guilt.
Today Mikey had a Veterans Day program where he was going to sing. I knew a program was coming up but a reminder note was never sent home and sometimes Mikey struggles with communication. He was able to tell me about this morning (you know, the day of) and I had to let him know that I couldn't make it. The look on his face crushed me. If I had known maybe a day or two in advance, I could have tried to get an hour of two off so I can attend but the day of just isn't enough time. Mike was able to swoop in and tell him that he was going to try to be there so Mikey did come back to life before school. It still didn't help my disappointment.
Mike was able to make it to the program which brightened Mikey's day. I'm glad one of us were able to make it but I'm still racked with guilt. I would love nothing more then to be available all the time to attend every program, event and even volunteer in the classroom. Unfortunately we live in a time where having a two income household is necessary to thrive in this world. Sure I can quit my job and live off Mike's income, but then that means we'll never have enough money to buy a house, never buy a new car, won't go to fun events or take vacations, and we'll have to eat ramen and hot dogs every day. Not exactly the life I want for my children.
So I'm going to work and have days like this. Days where I wish I didn't work. Days I wish I can run and be at the school in less then 5 minutes for anything. Days I'm going to have to shake off the mommy guilt.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
CA Invasion
It's officially time for me to start getting excited about Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving is going to be extra special since my best friend and her family are not only going to be in TX for this day of feasting, but she's going to be around for the entire week! Even thought we were together in August, I still feel like it's been ages since I've seen her. I haven't seen her children since I left CA so this will be fun to see how they've grown.
One of the fun things we'll be doing while she's here is dress shopping! My girl is getting married August 2013 and since she was TERRIBLY (being sarcastic) selfish and waited till I left CA to get married, her and I are going to do some wedding stuff while she's here. I've already made two appointments for us to try some dresses on and get a feel for what she wants.
Another exciting aspect of this trip is that I'm finally going to have a chance at knowing her fiance. I've met him once before, but it was very brief and I wasn't able to really get to know him. He seems to make her happy, so therefor I am happy as well.
I sure do have a lot to be thankful for this year.
One of the fun things we'll be doing while she's here is dress shopping! My girl is getting married August 2013 and since she was TERRIBLY (being sarcastic) selfish and waited till I left CA to get married, her and I are going to do some wedding stuff while she's here. I've already made two appointments for us to try some dresses on and get a feel for what she wants.
Another exciting aspect of this trip is that I'm finally going to have a chance at knowing her fiance. I've met him once before, but it was very brief and I wasn't able to really get to know him. He seems to make her happy, so therefor I am happy as well.
I sure do have a lot to be thankful for this year.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Free time? What's that?
Lately it's been on the front of my mind that I don't have any free time. None. Zero. Now, I'm not looking for spa day or a cocktail lunch or bar crawl, but maybe an hour to just sit in silence and read a book. That's not too much right? Well, in my life I'm not sure where it would fit in.
During the week my day begins at 6am and it includes preparing not only myself for the work day, but also two little boys who act like dressing themselves and brushing their teeth is worse then death. After we're dressed, there is breakfast to be cooked and served and lunches to be made. In order to arrive to our different destinations on time, we must leave the house no later then 7:10am. I've given my hubby the task of taking the little one to daycare so I can make it to work on time (since the school and daycare on opposite ends of town, cause having them right next door would be WAY too easy), so after I drop Mikey off I get to sit in traffic for 30 minutes then put in a 9 hour work day.
On to the ever thrilling afternoons. I have to leave work no later then 5:30 so I can arrive to daycare before 6, then it's off to other side of town to grab Mikey from the YMCA before 6:30, then we get to go home and prepare dinner! I pre-cook my meals on Sunday, but it still take roughly 15-20 minutes to re-heat. After dinner, we have homework, baths, and then bedtime at 8:30. Once the kids are down I can either A, clean house, or B take my "hour" free time. Guess which one wins? Yup, A. The house won't clean itself. By the time this has all concluded I'm ready for bed. The weekends are never a good time either since we always have something going on or some errands to run. Sundays are dedicated to football/cleaning and cooking. If I don't pre-cook on Sundays my work week evenings are dragged out even longer.
In closing I'm pretty much saying what every mother on this planet already knows. When you have children, your life takes a back seat. They are the center of your world and every waking minute you have is devoted to them. I do hold on to the hope that once they get bigger I'll be able to sneak in that hour and read a good book......one day.
During the week my day begins at 6am and it includes preparing not only myself for the work day, but also two little boys who act like dressing themselves and brushing their teeth is worse then death. After we're dressed, there is breakfast to be cooked and served and lunches to be made. In order to arrive to our different destinations on time, we must leave the house no later then 7:10am. I've given my hubby the task of taking the little one to daycare so I can make it to work on time (since the school and daycare on opposite ends of town, cause having them right next door would be WAY too easy), so after I drop Mikey off I get to sit in traffic for 30 minutes then put in a 9 hour work day.
On to the ever thrilling afternoons. I have to leave work no later then 5:30 so I can arrive to daycare before 6, then it's off to other side of town to grab Mikey from the YMCA before 6:30, then we get to go home and prepare dinner! I pre-cook my meals on Sunday, but it still take roughly 15-20 minutes to re-heat. After dinner, we have homework, baths, and then bedtime at 8:30. Once the kids are down I can either A, clean house, or B take my "hour" free time. Guess which one wins? Yup, A. The house won't clean itself. By the time this has all concluded I'm ready for bed. The weekends are never a good time either since we always have something going on or some errands to run. Sundays are dedicated to football/cleaning and cooking. If I don't pre-cook on Sundays my work week evenings are dragged out even longer.
In closing I'm pretty much saying what every mother on this planet already knows. When you have children, your life takes a back seat. They are the center of your world and every waking minute you have is devoted to them. I do hold on to the hope that once they get bigger I'll be able to sneak in that hour and read a good book......one day.
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