Livin' (159)
Sometimes you just need to be reminded that you don’t have it all together. It keeps me humble. Embarrassed and humble.
So with the ever-revolving whirlwind that is life with three 1.5-year-olds and a husband and a job, you can imagine things can be a little crazy. Well, we added to the crazy by altering the kids’ nap schedule. And when I say we, what I really mean is, they altered it and I’m still adjusting.
For the past several months, they’ve had two naps. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. They range from 1 to 2 hours each. It was awesome. Kids nap, I wash bottles, dishes, laundry or get phone interviews or writing done.
UNITY - Unity College is not only teaching its students about agriculture and environmental sustainability, it's also providing real life examples of area farmers and businesses that are successfully making a living at it, like MOOmilk. The organic, Maine-based dairy beverage is now a staple in the school's dining commons.
"Having the opportunity to change what is such a basic food item in our dining hall really does touch every student," explained Sara Trunzo, food & farm projects coordinator at Unity College. "The day we launched MOOmilk, students couldn't help but be aware that this was a different product."
"It tastes better," said Shayne Van Leer, Unity College senior. "I think regular milk is pasteurized at higher temperatures for a short period. MOOmilk is pasteurized at lower temperatures for longer. It's the only milk I buy."
Let me begin by telling you all straight out, I realize I'm whining. I know this is pathetic and petty and I'm supposed to have a shred of journalistic integrity or something. I figure, if I can't whine in my own column, than what's the point? So if you're not in the mood for a rant, just “peace out” sister brother mother friend. Go with my blessing because I've had a doozy of a day, and I'm about to unload.
Earlier this week I had an appointment to see my lady doctor. Thinking of myself like a family sedan, I decided that regularly scheduled tune-ups could go a long way to increase my longevity. It was a lovely thought. Unfortunately, when I arrived for my check-up, the secretary informed me she had been trying to reach me all day: “Your physician called in sick.”
No one wants to get up at three in the morning. Especially not if it’s because someone is hollering that you need to hurry up and change their pants, or pick up their beloved toy they dropped, or had a bad dream. It can make you cranky.
But oddly enough, I do find myself enjoying some of the late-night comfort sessions - you know, after I stuff my crankypants in a drawer. It occurred to me that these are the easy ones. Not that raising newborns or toddlers is ever easy, but hear me out. This is the time when you can pick up your children and fix many of their ailments with hugs, kisses and soothing sounds.
The other day I was having my hair relaxed. It's a long story with an even longer history, but the long and short of it is, I needed a relaxer. Limp and lifeless in August, I decided to give my hair a body perm at the end of the summer. Half way through this winter, I started to resemble a poodle who had stuck her paw in a light socket. As you can imagine, this particular style didn't especially become me.
Anyway, after I had the bonds in my hair broken and reforged by a lovely hair elf, I came back out to the front of the salon for my blow out. Though hard to pry my eyes away from my recently-relaxed reflection, I glanced at the chair beside me and froze in mid blow. There he was, my third grade Sunday school teacher, getting his hair did.
On the way home from school yesterday my son asked, “Daddy, do you know what a foul is?” Jack's school is 40 minutes from home, so many of our conversations with him occur while in transit. Topics range from the color of the sky to what he and is best friend, Drew, worked on that day. Literally, he's all over the map. Yesterday, Jack was quiet, but thoughtful quiet, the kind that says, “I'm working out the Pythagorean theorem here,” not the “I'm just waiting for you to look away so I can pick my nose” kind.
I think everyone knows what it’s like to juggle things. I’m certainly not the first person to walk the raggedy line between work and family. You think when you have a family there are only two things to balance, but in reality it’s like playing a game of Twister, the colors all representing different social or economic obligation.
Right foot, blue: work. Left foot, red: general care of children. Right hand, yellow: try to have friends. Left hand, green: maintain social life for kids, yourself, and stay in touch with family.
Chris Olsen began his volunteer-based program just a year ago, and it has already turned into a successful volunteer community effort.
Welcome to Housing helps formerly homeless individuals get back on their feet and gives them household items that they would not otherwise have the means of acquiring.
Welcome to Housing had many great accomplishments in 2012.
Who doesn't love a Taylor Swift break up song? I want to break up with someone just so I can say, “We are never ever getting back together” 5,000 times in a row – legitimately. Unfortunately, I'm happily married and in my 30s, but man, if we weren't so stable, this one would be on my iPod 24/7 (if I had an iPod).
In fact, every one of Swift's songs makes me either want to skip through a meadow with my love beside me, or throw said love down a dark stairwell. I'm seriously considering taking up guitar just so I can spill a few teardrops on my glittering six-stringed instrument and call it a day. Actually, that sounds like a lot of work. Perhaps I'd feel better if I met someone named John, fell prey to Mr. Doe's devilish ways, and then wrote him a nasty note via song lyrics. How epic would that be? “You played a twisted game with me. Now I'm dissin' you in my quadruple platinum album. Deal with it, Johnny.”
Things get surreal when you’re pregnant. I can hardly even remember it, and I have an even harder time wrapping my head around the craziness of it all. And though my pregnancy was a doozy as far as high-risk goes, it all ended well.
Things change in weird ways. I learned about gestational diabetes (managed to skirt by it) and how there is a vein that runs down the right side of your body, so you should sleep on your left to help blood flow. Weird and yet cool stuff.
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