Snow and writing

This week has been full of snow and writing. I haven't posted anything to the blog this week because I've been busy writing for Postpartum Progress since I'm a member of the Warrior Mom Editorial Team. If you haven't already seen my posts via my social media promos, I'd love for you to check them out. {Postpartum Psychosis Doesn't Equal Failing as a Mom & Psychosis During Pregnancy and What It Taught Me are the titles of my two posts.} When I hear the song from Frozen it makes me think of that time in my life when I was having babies and not taking medication in order to protect them.

Seems so long ago, but it hasn't even been four years since my last episode. Back then I worked to hide what I had been going through. I've matured since then and I now know - from the tweets, comments and emails I receive from people who have read my words - that I made the right decision. Speaking out helps so many people. I'll never know how many, but my heart is content with my decision to become an advocate.

It's been a long week here with Monday being MLK Day and the little man off from school, then the snowstorm on Tuesday which led to school being cancelled for the rest of the week. I've been trying not to tear all my hair out from the "I'm-at-the-end-of-my-rope" feeling due to having to entertain a 3 and 5-yr old for four days straight. We're all getting on each other's nerves from being cooped up in the house all week. I say cooped up because for the most part I despise winter and only go out in negative wind chill weather when absolutely necessary.

Like for my therapist appointment yesterday. Couldn't ask for better timing.

I've been working on a ton of stuff for the show in May. Hard to believe it's only four months until we take the stage. Audition slots are starting to fill up and my Association Producer Anne Marie and I are thrilled to see everything coming together. If you know anyone you you think would be fabulous for the show - I'm talking creative, funny, inspirational, energetic - please have them sign up for a spot before they're gone.

I recently accepted a new writing assignment for an organization doing a tremendous amount of inspirational, educational, critical work surrounding mental health awareness. I'm honored to have been approached by them and cannot wait to share my first post with you. It's a once-a-month gig, which is definitely manageable and plus, it's an opportunity I couldn't turn down. {Sorry I broke my promise, Maria - but this is worth it!}

So yeah, a lot going on. But if I've learned anything over these last few months it's that the work eventually gets done. When the kids are calling for me to get down on the carpet and play "picnic" or board games with them, I listen. I close the laptop and grab hold of the quality time. Or when exhaustion sets in, we snuggle up on the couch and watch a movie together. Life is good. Better than good, actually. It's pretty damn amazing. (Including the occasional teachable parenting moment, which I wrote about for WhatToExpect.com recently.)

   "If you are always trying to be amazing, you will never know how amazing you can be."                                                             - Maya Angelou

Spring Break Snow

“Mommmmmeeeeeeeee!” I heard her wail from her nursery, the room next to ours.

I pulled my weary self out of bed and found my way through the dark to her door, guided by the soft light of morning creeping in through the miniblinds in our bedroom.

5:45am. Fun.

“What, sweetie?” I whispered gently.

“I wost my paci, Mommy,” she whimpered.

I felt around her crib with my palms, not able to locate the missing pacifier until I ran my fingers into the crack in her crib bumper where it had wedged itself so neatly.

“Here, honey.” I said as I put the rubber nipple back into her mouth.

“I want to sleep in your womb,” she mumbled, paci gripped ever so gingerly between her lips.

Ugh. There goes my last hour of sleep this morning.

I carried my baby girl into our bedroom and placed her in the middle of our king bed. I tried to fall back into my sleep, but it wasn’t happening. The snow that had fallen during the night was reflecting what little bit of sunlight that was emerging from the sky and our room was starting to welcome the morning. I spent the next fifteen minutes caressing her soft cheeks and hands, a sweet luxury I don’t always having during the day when she’s rushing about playing so busily.

I savored those minutes.

“I wan to go downstairs, Mommy,” she declared, after tiring of my affection.

And so I pulled on my fluffy yellow fleece bathrobe and picked her up so we could go downstairs and admire the last snow before spring while we ate breakfast.

 

Getting back into the swing of things

Been busy in our house lately. So busy that I've decided we're going back to basics around here these days.

After the craziness of the holidays and our post-holiday holiday celebration mid-month with my family who lives in Florida, we settled back into our normal routine. Well, sortof.

This week Mister Man had off from school on Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr Day and the Inauguration, we had a mini snow event on Wednesday night causing a 2-hour delay on Thursday, and then yesterday the schools is our county closed an hour early due to more snow and therefore afternoon preschool was cancelled. It's been a tough week to get anything done for this work-from-home mama! But I'm not complaining. Even though I cannot stand the frigid winter temperatures, I do love how beautiful everything looks the morning after a snowfall. I made the kids pancakes and oatmeal with strawberries this week to shake off the chilly feeling we woke up with. We stayed in our jammies longer than we usually do and just had fun doing inside stuff like coloring in our new coloring books with markers and crayons and watching Disney movies cuddled under fuzzy blankets on the couch.

We are trying to eat dinner as a family together at the table as often as we can. In the past we've had the kids eating together at the small table in the kitchen while my husband and I eat sitting at the island bar stools or standing which we both know isn't ideal. So whoever is cooking now takes care of preparing the meal while the other sets the table and keeps the kids happy until the meal is served. We're cooking using recipes from our new vegan cookbook, Veganomicon, and have loved almost every one we've tried so far. The kids are being very open to trying new things and have found that they really like eating vegan and vegetarian meals. I'm thinking we may transition them from cow's milk to almond milk in the new few months, but I'm not going to force anything on them if they decide they would rather not make that switch.

When I found myself feeling terribly unmotivated this morning, I made the decision not to dwell on it and just got up and started moving. An hour later I was amazed at how much I got done. Once I dug in and got started it wasn't so hard to forget about those negative thoughts. I was able to unload the dishwasher of clean dishes, reload it with the dirty breakfast dishes, clean up the rest of the kitchen, put away all the kid's clean clothes, tidy up their rooms, and rally the troops to get ready to head to swimming while my husband relaxed with a cup of coffee on the couch. I appreciated the fact that I could get that housework done while he kept the kids occupied, and we all made it out the door on time for swim lessons.

My husband and I booked a 10-year anniversary trip to the Riveria Maya in June with friends of ours who are also celebrating their 10-year anniversary. The guys were each others' best men and we always have such a fun time with them reminiscing on old times and making new memories whenever we have the chance to get together. (They live in Texas now so we only get to visit once every other year or so.) I didn't want diamonds or a new kitchen to celebrate this milestone, just time alone with my better half. It's going to be heavenly and I am counting the days. (139 to be exact.)

I loved every minute of the holidays and spending time with family and friends. Now that January is almost over I'm getting excited for February because it is the month of birthday parties (my best friend's, her son, mine - 34 - eeek!, my Grandma's, my good friend from highschool, my hubby) and then Valentine's Day when I get to spoil my loves.

So yeah, we're getting back to our old routines but with lots of exciting stuff coming up. Therefore, here's to a new year of appreciating all the craziness that life throws our way!