A Lounging Kind of Day

Me plus wine, electric blanket, rain and chocolate pudding equals bliss. The rain is a-raining, the kids are a-sleeping and I am feeling good. It was a nice relaxing day. It's a rare occasion when the kids and I sync up our low energy days. Usually I'm the one dragging, trying to keep up with my little hooligans as they do their best to destroy the world as we know it.

Today, however, they were content to join me in a day of lounging. Well, almost a full day. Logan did go to preschool this morning, but Izzy and I hardly got off the couch while he was gone. Hours of couch lying with my favorite little girl. We didn't do much today, my family, and sometimes that's how I like it best. Lots of lounging around and yawning and talking about naps. Then taking them.

I'm assuming of course they are saving their energy for tomorrow, building up towards the craziest day ever. I better rest up.

Running Progress

I am running a 5k the day before Valentine's Day, otherwise known as February 13. Today I did 3.1 miles in 33:48. Can I get it down to a 30 minute 5k in a week? Time will tell....

Next I'll Be Taking Names.

Today was a baking day. And a cleaning day. And an organizing day. Oh, and a running day. You get the point. That point being, mostly, that I have energy. And also, coffee. I still have preschool meeting!, 30 Day Shred!, and dinner! to get through before this day is through, so the coffee is much needed. I have high hopes for making it through all two hours of Lost today, but I may be fooling myself.

This energy is brought to you by the lack of Lexapro in my system. Towards the end of last year my sleeping was getting out of control, like 9 or 10 hours at night plus a nap every single day out of control. It never once occurred to me that this excessive sleepiness could have something to do with the medication I was on, instead all I did was berate my body for it's laziness. Then I took a nap from exhaustion. All in all, not a helpful way to deal with the situation.

Then I talked with Dr. Google. Did you know most antidepressants can cause you to be tired all the time? And may make you fat? I promptly made an appointment with my doctor, my actual, real person doctor, and we agreed I had been on the medication long enough. With weaning plan in hand I headed towards this new life, this life of no depression and extra energy. Honestly, I have never felt better. The energy kicked in about two weeks after I weaned, and so far I have no signs of a relapse. No more post-partum!! If this is the very best thing that happens in 2010, I will have had a good year.

I am so glad I gave my body exactly what it needed to recover from post-partum depression, but I am so so sososososo glad to not need it any longer. Modern medicine is a wonderful thing, but not needing it in the first place is even better.

You hear that world? I kicked PPD's ass.

Bad NaBloPoMo-er Wishes You a Happy Thanksgiving

Okay, I failed spectacularly at NaBloPoMo. I did not factor for getting sick this month, and I'm sure no one wanted to read what I would have deemed important enough to write about when I don't feel good. It would have been a lot of whining and declarations of love for chicken soup and tea. But hey! I got better just in time for my big three-oh birthday, which pretty much turned out to be a non-issue. I woke up, went, oh so that's what thirty feels like. Self, what were you so worked up about again? Thirty is almost the same as twenty-nine and so far pretty much rocks. That may have something to do with the fact that I felt terrible my last few days of twenty-nine, but I'm rolling with it. Thirty rocks!

To commemorate the kick-assery of my thirties, I am running the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 10K tomorrow morning. I might have mentioned it once or twice. Going by my current times I will be one of the hundred slowest people in the race, but who cares? (She says to convince herself.)

It WILL be full of awesome. Knowing this, I am so, so completely nervous. I don't care about being slow, I just don't want to be the last person across that finish line. I REALLY don't want to not finish. And finally, I really hope to recover in time to partake of the yumminess that is Thanksgiving dinner.

So, um. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lazy

Why oh why do I leave the NaBloPoMo post until the very end of the day?

Today, I have nothing much to report, other than food and wine with a very good friend makes for a happy Connie. And, really, is there much else that needs to be said?

On Friends

I want to meet the people that manage to have an active, meaningful social life while still having an active, meaningful life with children. I have questions. There must be parents out there that spend quality one on one time with both their progeny and their friends. I understand life gets in the way, children get sick, deadlines loom, there's always something to demand your attention, but still, still, is it not just as important to keep the ties to our friends, those of our chosen family, stay strong and connected? I know staying intimate and involved requires time and effort and sheer will, but I firmly believe the reward worth the effort. And I also firmly believe it is damaging to the soul, the spirit, to not maintain a strong connection with this family of the heart.

Having close personal connections with the world around you makes you a better parent, a better person in general. It provides you with different outlooks, reminds you that your small corner of the world is not the only one out there. I am as guilty of putting last the time needed to maintain my loved ones last in my priorities as anyone else, but the time it actually takes to stay connected truly is insignificant. I counted. Thirty seconds to leave a voicemail. Ten minutes to have a restorative, laughter filled conversation. Three minutes to dash off an email. These people I have surrounded myself with over the years are worth the effort. And too often I find myself not making that effort, and that is my loss.

I think the answer is to do the same thing as a date night with friends. Once a month, every other month, once a week, whatever works for that particular friend, make a commitment to stay connected. Reach out. And reach out with the knowledge that there is no payback required, that the actions of friendship are not score keeping actions; because if you keep score, it diminishes these acts. I too often find myself thinking I want to get together with so and so, but I've initiated getting together the last x times. And that is ridiculous. Ridiculous. I would hope that any friend I'm choosing to stay in contact with is not just friends with me because I go out of my way to keep in touch. And I refuse to think this way any longer.

So my goal as I enter my fourth decade is to nourish my friends. To let them know I appreciate them, love them, find them an integral part of my life. A vital, important of my life.

With that knowledge I booked my plane ticket to Cancun to celebrate one of these cherished friends thirtieth in complete excitement and with very little reservations. I. Can. Not. Wait.

Wordless Wednesday (for real ya'll)

Okay, I was never very good at following directions.



Oneyear ago today, we saw the Christmas season start together for the first time as a family of four.



It was still magical.



Izzy was such a little trooper, but still was the first to give in to the late hour. Some things never change.

And to all a good night.

Tonight we saw Christmas start.




The tree lit up and their faces lit up and all of a sudden? All of a sudden that two hour ridiculous, oh my god we're leaving NOW dinner was worth it. The stress of getting there ceased to matter.

We waited oh so patiently.



And all of a sudden there was magic.



There was dancing.



There was joy.



And when the youngest of us faltered against the late hour, we headed home.