2009

For about 4 years in a row, my New Year's resolution was to quit smoking. Three years ago, that one finally stuck. Now I have decided to work on a few other things that I would like to accomplish this year.
1. Send birthday cards to people. (This will be year #2 for this goal)
2. Find some way every day to serve someone around me.
3. Finish the Iron Girl triathalon.
4. Fund at least one home improvement project with my art (hopefully more
than changing a light bulb!)
5. Complete one grad school course.
I will keep you posted on my progress...
What are your goals?

Lets get together

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of get togethers with friends and family. With Scarlett's birthday. Thanksgiving, Christmas and now New Year's Eve, Scarlett has recently begun asking for a party and cake every day. We have been visiting with so many of our friends and family that I feel like every day has been a party. Scarlett has enjoyed playing with cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents. I love to see all of the people who adore my children almost as much as I do. Nate and I are both blessed with families who keep life interesting. I wouldn't trade this craziness for the world.

pnuemonia, insomnia and other hard to spell words...

It is almost 4 am and I can't sleep. In times of stress I get terrible boughts of insomnia. I've tried a lot of things while I was wishing I could be sleeping--like advancing the plot of the novel I'll never publish, hot baths, yoga, reading one of the 6 books I am in the middle of, doing the dishes, and now blogging. Usually the only real cure is getting back into my sleep rhythm. (Yes little Ens, I'm blaming you!) I'm sure I'll have no trouble falling asleep 45 minutes before the kids are up...sigh...
This past week has been crazy hectic and I guess the frenetic pace isn't good for me. Scarlett and I spent about 6 hours (while we both should have been sleeping) in the ER on Tuesday night. My intuition kept telling me something was wrong while my pediatrician was telling me everything was fine. Sure enough, she developed pnumonia and the poor child has been so, so sick. The week that I had planned to use for Christmas preparations was instead focused on nursing her back to health. It is a huge relief that I no longer have to pin her down and syringe juice into her mouth every hour. I think there were about 3 days where I had one or both kids crying for about 90% of my day. I admit I did teeter on the edge of a breakdown (I even pondered shaving my head Brittney-style or taking psychotropics and accosting strangers Anne Heche-style) but I pulled through and so did Scarlett.
I knew she was better when she ate a whole plate of scrambled eggs in 3 seconds and when she announced several times, "Scarlett happy, momma!" So worth it.
I hear a baby crying...that's my cue

So Lucky

At around 4 am I heard Ensley fidgeting in his crib. When I leaned over his crib to check on him--feeling tired and wishing I was still snuggled in bed--I was greeted with a huge grin and two of the cutest dimples ever made. Instantly I didn't care about how tired I was. All I could think of was how lucky I was to be a mom to my kids. With the holidays, travel, and chores I seem to be getting busier by the minute. But Ensley's little face reminds me to stop and enjoy this great gift that I have been given.