I'm slowly emerging from some strange funk. I just haven't felt like myself lately. Not sick or anything just slightly off center. But I can tell I'm doing better because I began looking around my house and felt the urge to straighten up, finish projects, and leap headfirst into more strange endevores. I actually found myself thinking about making my own Tarot card deck as I rocked Kulia down for her nap. Totally random thought, I know but it means my creative juices are flowing again. I find that my urge to create is directly linked with my mental health. When I'm happy, I get busy. When I am sick, I just sit around and watch a lot of bad T.V.
We are slowly marching toward fall. I find myself dressing the girls in every summer outfit they own even though it's overcast and chilly in the morning. I know that all too soon I'll be packing away all these cute sundresses and sweet tank tops and they will never be used again. So sad. At least with my favorite skirts and t-shirts, I know that in 9 months I can pull them out again. But with the girls, it's now or never. So we've been hitting alot of parks and playing outside as much as possible.
My head is spinning with everything I've left on the back burner this last week. Thank you cards, laundry, grocery shopping, weeding, and a hundred other tasks that have to be completed to keep this house and family running. Kevin seems overjoyed to see me back in the saddle. He's been trying to juggle the kids and the house for me while I've been in my funk and it wore him thin as well. In fact, he called home yesterday when he left work and when I asked how his day was going he actually said, "I'm having fun." Yes, Kevin actually used the word "fun" and "work" in the same sentence. He quickly realized the error of his ways and tried to backpeddle and tell me how bad things were going but I could hear the happiness in his voice. After a long weekend chasing after these kids and cleaning this house, I think Kevin found the joy in being able to go to work. For me, after a weekend of taking a break for the kids and the house, I re-energized and am ready and fit for another week as a working mom.
Wish me luck!
Kevin and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary on Monday.
Well, I don't think that's quite right. I suppose I should say we "celebrated" as in took 10 minutes to mumble "happy anniversary" before stumbling off to complete the mountain of chores that has us buried right now. No romantic dinner. No fancy little jewelry boxes. No skimpy lacy things. Just a hastily wrapped old Amazon box with a couple of DVD and t-shirts from Target which were purchased 20 minutes earlier.
There was no hot air balloon ride, spendy dinner, or magical evening but I found, as I snuggled next to Kevin's slumbering back, that even though I didn't have a wonderful anniversary celebration, I had something more. A truly fulfilling and loving marriage that has survived seven years and two children. So I found myself gently scratching Kevin's back and whispering "I love you honey" as I drifted off to sleep and on to another year of happily ever after.
She's three.
My little McNugget. My mini-me. My munchkin.
How did this happen? What happened? Where did this little bundle of walking, talking, hugging, pretending, did I mention talking?, reading, and curious little girl come from?
This last year has been a blur with the addition of Kulia to our family. Leina has grown up quite a bit from my "baby" to my "big girl" and she's done it with such grace and joy. She's a heavenly big sister, helper, and buddy.
Looking back, the "two's" weren't that terrible! Sure, she's developed a will and opinion all her own but I believe that's a good thing. At the same time, she's figured out how to wait, how to ask with her manners, and how to bargain. Our house has turned into one giant Lets Make a Deal game show.
If I say no, Leina takes it in stride and then counters with a new idea. No ice cream for breakfast? Ok, how about a popscicle. Next time we decided to buy a car, I'm letting Leina do the negotiating for us because this girl is good!
We said good-bye to 2 and celebrated the beginnning of 3 with a great big backyard BBQ with wading pools and a slip and slide. My parents flew in from LA and Auntie Suzy and Sammy arrived from SD. Leina loved having her extended family here and our house reverberated with cries of "come on Sammy, let's play!" Now, if I could only convince Suzy and Dan to move up here to Oregon, my life would be perfect!
I can't wait to see what 3 has in store for us. I have big dreams of a potty trained child who will eat a healthy variety of food and share her toys with her sister without a fuss... Wish me luck!