Category Archives: Quirky Me

Something’s got to give, but I don’t know how to give up

Written on September 4, 2012 by in Quirky Me, working mom

Today was Pajama Day at school and I just plain overlooked the reminders that came home with BOTH kids on Friday. I finally realized it was Pajama Day as we sat in the drop off line before school and saw all the kids going in the building wearing their pajamas and fuzzy slippers. Of course, I deflected all blame and swore up and down to my kids that it wasn’t that I messed up, but it was that the teachers didn’t include it on their Friday notes. And of course, when I got home the first thing I did was re-read the notes home from both teachers on Friday and saw that, yep, they’d both said that today was Pajama Day at school.

Crap. (I actually said something a little worse.) (And I took pjs up to school for the kids to change into because I knew it would make their days.)

Last week, I published a post on my local family website that had completely inaccurate information. Not only was I MORTIFIED at my error, I was also completely ticked off at myself for not double checking my work and allowing a huge error to be published.

I’ve been just a little overwhelmed lately. By lately, I mean, for the past year. Somehow I’ve not quite mastered balancing this whole working thing with getting stuff done at home thing. Every Sunday night I absolutely dread the week, knowing how much there is to accomplish between writing assignments, homework, gymnastics, soccer, cooking dinner, laundry…well, you get the picture.

I waited seven years to send both kids off to school. I dreamed about the freedom I’d feel with all those hours to myself. It’s not really like what I was expecting. Homework, school volunteering, and after school activities are so time consuming. During those hours that the kids are in school, I try to work, but now that we got a puppy, there isn’t any uninterrupted time for me to work.  I’m constantly taking the puppy out to go potty, playing with the puppy, rushing to get errands run to get home to the puppy, rushing to write posts that have errors in them before I have to take the puppy outside again…

Tate reminded me the other day that I don’t have to do all of the things that I take on. It’s my choice to work, which yeah, I realize that I’m BEYOND lucky that it’s my choice, but I still do feel like I have to work. I feel like I should help earn money, I feel like “just” doing mom stuff isn’t enough (this is not a jab at stay at home moms, just how I feel about myself, okay!?), I feel like I’ve started some things that I don’t know how to stop.  I even made a list of what I do everyday in order of importance.

1. Kids (and remembering things like freaking Pajama Day. GAH.), Husband, Mae
2. Running
3. Friends
4. Laundry/Cooking/Grocery Shopping
…

There were 19 things on my list. Several of the things, like “Friends” are high on my priority list, but actually rank a lot lower in the time I actually devote to them. Then, the last four things on the list are things I’d like to just quit, but I don’t know how to just quit, because just quitting isn’t that simple (of course, it’s not).

Sooooo, I’m not actually going anywhere with this, but I just needed to say it. In writing. Something’s got to give, but I don’t know how to give up.

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The Story Behind the First Day of School Outfit

Written on August 20, 2012 by in Hallmark, Little Monkeys, Pictures, Quirky Me

Ella looked so cute on her first day of Kindergarten, didn’t she? Let me tell you, it was a long, uphill battle getting to the cute. For a few weeks leading up to Kindergarten the prospect of her looking cute, or even presentable, for her first day of school was dismal. She had her own ideas about what she wanted to wear–and I had a completely different idea.

It all started sometime in July as I was started to get her fired up for Kindergarten.

“…And we’ll have a girls day and get our toes painted before school starts!” I told her enthusiastically. “Then we’ll go shopping and find a cute new shirt for school.”

“Okay, but Mom? I already know what I want to wear for school. I want to wear my elephant shirt!”

Oh, the elephant shirt. It sounds harmless, right? It sounds like it has cute-potential. It seems like one of those battles that I probably shouldn’t pick? Well, you would be wrong. The elephant shirt is this old, ratty, stained shirt from a certain big box discount store. It’s size 3T and even on tiny Ella, is way too small, nearly showing her belly. It’s a shirt that’s perfect for a day playing in the dirt or painting, but not for the first day of Kindergarten.

Nevermind that the elephant shirt is her favorite shirt. I hate to squash the emerging fashionista, and I swear that I’m not a fashion tyrant, but I responded with a hearty, “Uh, no. No. And no. You can’t wear the elephant shirt on your first day of Kindergarten.” This was one fashion battle that I was going to win.  I’ve learned to not argue with Ella about what she wears. She is a girl with very specific tastes about her clothes and I’ve accepted that even though it sometimes kills me a little when she refuses to wear a dress, but on this occasion, I just had to put my foot down.

If you have a child, particularly a daughter, who has specific ideas about their clothes, then I’m sure you can imagine how well Ella responded. I’ll give you a hint: Not Well. She cried. She pouted. She whined. She almost annoyed me enough that I strongly considered giving in.

“But Mommy! It’s my favorite!”

“Ella!” I insisted, “I’m offering to buy you a brand new shirt! Who doesn’t like new shirts?!”

This went on for probably longer than it should have (weeks), but I held firm. No way could I allow her to attend her first day of school in that elephant shirt. She finally relented when I took (okay, dragged) her shopping and we found a pink shirt with birdies and flowers that she agreed to wear it for her first day of school. Victory was mine!

I’m sure you can guess what she wore for her second day of Kindergarten. Whatever.

Just for fun, here’s a picture of me from my first day of first grade. I’m the one on the right and I’m wearing my most favorite Hawaiian shirt with blue slacks. Slacks!  So much more presentable than the elephant shirt, that’s for sure. Too bad there’s no picture of me holding my Dukes of Hazzard lunch box.

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Thanks so much to Hallmark for inviting me to be a part of their Life is a Special Occasion campaign this year. While I am compensated for my work, I love getting to share these special occasions. Because life truly is a special occasion, each and every moment.

Sign up here for Hallmark’s e-newsletter to get special offers and discounts!

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I am gonna write you a love song. Today.

Written on July 25, 2012 by in Hallmark, Pictures, Quirky Me

We were heading home from a long day of running errands the other day when Carson asked, out of the blue, “Wouldn’t it be great if we lived closed to Nana and Paw Paw? And Nanny and Papa? And Aunt Kate? And Uncle James and Aunt Melissa and Baby Riley? And we could see them all the time?”

He has no idea that at least a few times per week, I think the exact same thing.

I’ve made it no secret to everyone except my children that moving around so much has been very difficult for me. Moving over and over has often made me feel like a wanderer with no place to call home. The whole routine of getting new driver’s licenses, learning my way around each new city, and finding a good hairdresser every few years has been an adventure, but not always an adventure I wanted to take.

The hardest part about moving isn’t the lack of good stylist, though, it’s living so far from our family. Having given birth and taken care of two newborns with only a few weeks worth of help was daunting. I desperately needed a support network when Carson and Ella were babies, family that I could depend on to give me a moment’s peace or to give Tate and I a much needed night away. But it’s not just the babysitting that I wish we’d had, now that the kids are getting older, I feel sad for the things that they regularly miss.

They only just this summer went to their first baseball game at Busch Stadium. They don’t get to go spend the night at Nana’s house on a random Wednesday in the middle of summer. They don’t get to grow up with their cousins. They may never say, “I’m from Missouri.”

Despite the distance and the things that our family misses, I actually really like where we live. I’ve stopped holding my breath, waiting for the call for the next move, and have started to let myself think of Knoxville as home. We’ve even found our village, our friends.

One of the only reasons that I’ve been able settle in here is because of the friends we’ve made. They have helped me not to dwell on the family that we don’t have close-by, because like us, so many of them are far from home, too. We’ve all come to depend on one another–because that’s what a family does.

Adrienne is who I called when I need someone to watch Ella when I was on my way to Nashville for my half-marathon. Robyn is the friend who listened while I cried about my terrible morning and needing a break from the kids. Heather is the person who helped me look at Carson in a whole new light when I feared darkness. Sarah and her husband have shared meals with us on Thanksgiving and Easter. Jen, Jo, Amanda, Kate, and Amy held me up when I couldn’t hold myself up.

Our friends ARE our family and just like family, I don’t tell them enough what they each mean to me. It’s busyness that makes me forget to actually say the words, even though I continually thank my lucky stars that these people are my chosen family. They need to hear it, or even better read it, that they mean so much to me, so I’ve spent the last week writing little notes to them on Hallmark greeting cards.

Funny messages and inside jokes, and even a few serious sentiments, all to say “I couldn’t do this life without you. Thank you for being my family, my village.”

(top photo credit: Flickr)

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Thanks so much to Hallmark for inviting me to be a part of their Life is a Special Occasion campaign this year. They provided me with greeting cards to send friends and gave me some of the words to say thank you.

Sign up here for Hallmark’s e-newsletter to get special offers and discounts!

 

 

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Any Excuse to Celebrate

Written on May 29, 2012 by in Hallmark, Little Monkeys, Pictures, Quirky Me

As I left to attend a celebration hosted by our running coaches in honor of our first half marathon last week, Tate pointed that we’d already celebrated-more than once.

“Isn’t this, like, the hundredth time you guys have celebrated?” he asked. It was a fair question.

My girls and I first celebrated by going out for Mexican after the race, then going out for dinner and drinks at a swanky restaurant later that night. A few days after the race, we got together again for another celebratory dinner and drinks. And now I was heading out to celebrate. Again.

What can I say? Thirteen point one miles seems like a great excuse to have more than one celebration.

Life is just more fun when you can recognize even the smallest victories. That’s why we celebrate the tiny things in our house.

It’s Friday and everyone’s alive! Let’s celebrate with s’mores and margaritas!
There’s sunshine and it’s 75 degrees! Let’s invite friends over for an impromptu bar-b-que!

And we celebrate the true milestones.

First day of summer vacation! That sounds like an excuse to get ice cream!
Carson brought home straight E’s on his report card! Let’s order pizza!

Ella had her very first dance recital last week and if that’s not a milestone, I don’t know what one is. She spent months learning her tap and ballet dance moves, set to the popular musical stylings of The Little Mermaid. On the day of the performance, I fixed her hair in a little bun and even let her wear a little blue eye shadow.

Her performance, well, it was wonderful of course. Eight little girls, ranging in age from three to five, each trying so hard to remember their steps, I’m sure you can imagine the talent. Ella concentrated so hard while dancing, her tongue sticking out with each step.

The ballerina after her stunning debut!

Obviously we had to celebrate the tiny dancer’s debut. Tate and Carson presented our ballerina with flowers after her stunning performance. She wanted a special treat on the way home and thought ice cream would be the perfect way to celebrate.

Carson vehemently agreed. “Mom,” he said, “it’s Ella’s first dance recital, we HAVE to get ice cream to celebrate!”

I certainly wasn’t going to argue with that logic.

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Thanks so much to Hallmark for inviting me to be a part of their Life is a Special Occasion campaign this year. Life truly is a special occasion, each and every moment.

Sign up here for Hallmark’s e-newsletter to get special offers and discounts!

 

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I won! And by “won,” I mean I finished and didn’t come in last!

Written on May 2, 2012 by in Pictures, Quirky Me

I finished my first half marathon according to my Garmin in 2:22. The official time was 2:24, but that time includes all the zigzagging I had to do around 30,000 other runners. By the time I crossed the finish line, I’d run almost 13.6 miles. So 2:22 it is!

The race was…hard. It was way harder than I expected it to be. Having trained and run so many miles (236.4 miles, but who’s counting?), I ASSumed that the race would be a breeze, it would be that “victory lap” that so many people call their races. WELL. I hadn’t planned for it to be so HOT, HILLY, and SUNNY. I mean, I love sunshine, but I don’t love sunshine when it’s beating down on you while running 13.1 miles, making me feel like a turkey roasting in the oven on Thanksgiving morning. And the hills, geez louise, the hills. Knoxville is super hilly, but there are downhill rewards. Nashville was one uphill after another with very few downhills. My quads are still recovering.

But despite HOT, HILLY, and SUNNY it was the best thing I’ve ever done. (Except for having Carson and Ella, obviously.) I did have to walk a lot between miles 11 and 13, but I’m still really, really proud of myself. The second it was over, I was already thinking about the next time, even though I could barely walk and my left toes were covered in blisters thanks to my wet socks.

I did cry when I crossed the finish line, but when I crossed, none of my girls were with me. I cried for having finished and I cried for crossing the finish line without them, but instead with a bunch of stinky, sweaty random people that I didn’t know.

Seriously, are we not cute? You’d cried, too, if you didn’t get to cross the finish line with them.

We followed the race with champagne, chips, salsa, margaritas, guacamole, tacos, shopping, ice, beer, wine, and pizza. And we made plans for our next race together.

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Melodrama on the way to the race

Written on April 27, 2012 by in Quirky Me

Every time I think about what it will feel like to cross the finish line on Saturday, I cry. These past three months, training for my first half marathon with the best friends and inspiring, no nonsense coaches a girl could asked for, have been some of the very best days of my entire life. I’m not even kidding or exaggerating.

I’ve tried to write before how much this whole running thing means to me, but I don’t have the words. Saying I’m proud of myself doesn’t really convey what I mean. Saying that I’ve worked hard doesn’t come close to describing what “work” and “hard” mean. Aside from the two moments that I gave birth, there is nothing that comes close to the feeling of accomplishment that I feel for having come this far.

In less than 24 hours it will all be over and I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself. I’m going to miss getting up at 6 am on a Saturday morning to run with my girls. I’m going to miss our long talks and the laughing and the breakfast afterwards.

I guess I better start planning for my next race.

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I wrote some running tips for people who want to get started running over at my Babble blog, Southern By Proxy. Totally unrelated, I also wrote about how much I hate the school car line. Feel free to commiserate. It’s therapeutic.

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My husband went to Europe, but luckily I’m not the jealous type

Written on April 3, 2012 by in Pictures, Quirky Me, Randomness

Tate was out of town-in SLOVAKIA-for two WHOLE weeks. While he was gone, I felt like actually giving it a go as a mommyblogger, but the only thing I could think of to talk about was: Tate is out of town! He’s in Slovakia! Slovakia! Can you even believe it?!

Since I don’t like to announce to potential stalkers that I’m a prime target and I couldn’t seem to pull thoughts together that didn’t have to do with Tate’s absence, I didn’t say anything at all.

Anyway, he’s home safe and sound and very cultured and filled with weinerschnitzel and apple streudel. I’m in no way jealous that he got to spend two weeks in Europe traveling to Vienna and through London.  Nope. Not jealous at all. Being home alone with the kids, filled with frozen pizza and oreos, was just dandy.

I feel like a lot has happened lately.

Ella started dance class. It is just about the cutest thing I ever saw. I’m over the moon that she chose dance over t-ball this year. I’m all for girls playing t-ball, but I just wanted to see her twirl and dance and do something girly.

My birthday just so happened to fall during Tate’s trip (alone, to Europe), but it really was a great day. Really. The kids surprised me with a new running tank. Ella took me out for sushi. Tate planned ahead (I KNOW!!) and had flowers sent to me. My girlfriends took me out for Mexican food and margaritas after running class. It was one of the best birthdays ever.

My brother and his wife had a baby! Well, actually his wife had the baby. Just want to be clear about that. I’m an aunt! She’s precious and perfect and I can’t wait to meet her.

During the month of March, I ran 93.5 miles.  I can’t even believe it.  It probably explains how I was able to survive two weeks as a suddenly single parent. Running is amazing therapy.

This past weekend, I ran in the Knoxville Marathon as part of a relay team.  I ran the 7.9 mile leg of the race and other than being hilly, hot, and semi-ugly scenery, it was a blast. Tate and the kids came out and cheered me on around mile 3.5, which meant a lot to me. In less than one month, I’ll be running the Country Music Half-Marathon in Nashville.  Woo!

What’s new with you?

 

 

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