Happy Birthday

Today my son is 14 years old.  It’s been over 100 days since I’ve seen him and some days I think I’ll never see him again but there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him.  I walk past his pictures in the house and I smile at his beautiful face and contagious smile.  Sometimes I even give them a kiss because I long to hold him in my arms and tell him how much I love him. 

I fell in love with him the first moment I met him and my love deepened along with our bond.   The first time I met JC, my ex picked him up from daycare and we had separate cars so I followed them to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner.  JC said hi and ran straight to the bouncy ball display in the center of the store.  I followed him and we ended up running and chasing each other through the store.  When we left, he asked if he could ride with me so we could race dad home.  We playfully raced but we didn’t win because I had no idea where I was going!  Once at their place, my ex started dinner while JC and I went to the park to play basketball.  He beat me but barely and I had never had so much fun.  I spent that first summer cheering him on at all his baseball games, joining them on their family vacation (JC asked his grandparents if I could come), and soon we were a family. 

The most special moments of my day, were those of bedtime.  The hours we spent laying in bed, talking about our days, telling him stories from my life, and sitting in comfortable silence were some of the best hours I’ve ever had.  He would pick the topics, ask questions, we’d laugh, tickle, and most nights I’d end up asleep next to him. 

I have thousands of wonderful memories with JC and I hope some day that we can add a thousand more.  For now, I will continue to send my thoughts, encouragement, and love telepathically and hope that he feels it.  In my heart and my mind, he will always be my first child and I will love him always. 

Happy birthday to my sweet boy! 

A Move in the Right Direction

Packing pulls at my heartstrings but it’s also a time to reminisce and dream.  While I wrapped my colorful vases, books, and knickknacks in newspaper and taped the boxes shut, I thought back to where I’ve been.   I’ve already lived in 18 homes…some near, some far, and some repeats but they were all filled with love and provided for an interesting backdrop to my life story.  I have a love hate relationship with moving.  In many ways, I’m grateful for the change in scenery and the experiences I’ve had because of those moves.  Growing up I had friends everywhere, and I was lucky enough that my mom let me visit them on weekends and breaks.  I had a worldly view of life at a young age and that’s stuck with me as I’ve gotten older even though I haven’t had much opportunity to see the world.  The opposite side of the coin is that I’d been happy where I was when it was time to go and filled with sadness at leaving what I thought I’d finally found. 

My upcoming change of scenery is going to be the hardest yet most fulfilling one thus far.  I’m leaving an area I love and that was filled with so much hope.  I’ve spent years making friends, learning the back roads, and taking advantage of all the wonderful experiences to be had.  Caramia and I have spent countless days walking the trails of the arboretum and perusing the little shops in the beautiful downtown area.  We’ve fed the ducks along the Riverwalk and had picnics at Cantigny too many times to count.  I spent most of my pregnancy and maternity leave walking the trails surrounding my house while talking to my sweet baby girl about life.  So much of who I am today has been influenced by my surroundings and in a few weeks, it might be too hard to ever return.  I’ll be busy making a new life for us in a new town where we’ll be encircled by the people who love us the most.  Our daily routine will still be the same…wake, breakfast, daycare, work, daycare, home, walk, play, dinner, bath, bedtime but nothing will be as it once was. 

This next phase will bring me peace, love, and happiness.  Sounds like a Christmas card greeting but its true.  It’s time to close the door on what wasn’t good in my life and focus on the best pieces of my life…my beautiful daughter, my wonderful family, myself, and an exciting future that I can’t wait to discover.  There is always room to grow and when we stop growing, we stop living.  I look forward to growing out of the weeds and blossoming in the spring sunshine.  Okay that was totally corny but a little corny in life is good! 

CC is having mixed emotions about moving too! 

Feeling Good

I think the fat lady sang and hell froze over because today, I’m feeling good!  This morning as I rushed to get in the shower before CC woke up, I felt as light as air and fully awake.  Two things I rarely feel as I pull myself out of bed or any other time of the day for that matter.  I’m standing a little taller, wearing a cute new outfit, and…wait for it….put on lipstick (GASP)!  CC and I were out of the house on time for once and I made it to work only 10 mins late, which is a record these days.  I’m hoping these positive vibes running through me are here to stay or at the very least, close enough that I can get a jolt when I need it. 

Here's a couple cute pictures of CC helping her mama...what a girl!! 

Keep Breathing

I try so hard not to be angry at life.  I remind myself of the positives daily and tell myself over and over again how lucky I am.  Some days though, it all hits me and I fall apart.  This weekend was very emotional for me.  I’m not sure if it was the lack of sleep (thanks CC), the fact that I signed a contract to sell my beautiful home, or that I just needed to breakdown.  I cried off and on all weekend for no apparent reason.  Well, there is a reason…there are lots of reasons.  This divorce is really testing me and my limits.  My ex is manipulating my mind and my heart.  I’m questioning all I’ve ever felt…the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I feel so strong and then I crumble to the floor.  All it takes is one email or text and I’m paralyzed with anger and fear.  Anger at what’s become of the family I worked so hard for.  Anger at who I’ve learned he really is.  Anger at my shattered dream.  Fear of the unknown.  Fear of what do CC and I do now…where do we go…how to we put the pieces of our lives back together again.  Being in this house give us some comfort.  How’s it going to be when we’re in an apartment smaller than our basement?  When CC can’t run/ride her bike/push her shopping cart through each room of the house in a complete circle?  Her favorite game is for me to chase her while our dog, Di, chases me around and around the house.  Will we still be able to do that? 

This past weekend it was so cold outside that CC decided to take Di on a walk with his leash through the house.  It was probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.  He looked at me like, “Mom, do I really have to do this?”  And I told him, “Yes, it makes your sister happy.  You’re her best friend and she needs this.”  20 minutes later they were still going strong but I’m not sure who was walking who!  J 

 

And there it is…the little things that make life worthwhile and remind us to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Resolutions for 2013

I’ve been thinking about resolutions in general for some time.  Too often in the past I’ve put little thought into choosing my resolutions for the New Year and even less effort into keeping them.  I want 2013 to be different and it will be because I’m going into it with a different mindset.  For hundreds of days I’ve been researching happiness and I’ve been doing some soul searching.  So I’m facing 2013 with eyes wide open and I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Take care of myself first

I’m a better mother, woman, daughter, friend, relative, employee, ect when I take care of myself first.  It’s so much easier said than done but it needs to be a priority.  How will I do this?  I will be more active daily, eat real food, relax more, breathe, and forgive myself readily. 

Set a good example

My godson wrote me the most beautiful Christmas card with his observations of me.  It warmed my heart so much that I’ve been reading it daily and have realized that this is how I want the world, specifically those I love most, to see me and remember me.  So this year I will continue to smile and have a positive outlook even when I’m feeling anything but.  Positive thinking breeds positive results and it’s so much easier to just smile. 

Enjoy my life today

I will stop thinking about the past and the future so much and just enjoy the moment.  My beautiful daughter is teaching me to live in the present each day.  When I’m with her, I’m fully with her and I’m in tune to her wants and needs.  I want to become more that way with all the people in my life.  She’s my best teacher and I hope to be hers in return. 

Now for my more specific goals:

Keep on running! 

I will run in the 8k Shamrock Shuffle in April, Solider Field 10mile in May, and the Chicago Women’s Half Marathon in June.    

Keep on blogging! 

I will commit to writing at least one entry a week, preferably more. 

Keep on photo’ing! 

I will continue to hone my photography skills through self learning and stepping outside the box.

Keep on friend’ing! 

I will repair old friendships, improve those I have, and encourage new ones.

Cheers to a fabulous 2013! 

Out with the old and in with the new….thank goodness!

O December

 It’s that non-stop time of year again otherwise known as the holiday season.  We’ve been busy cleaning, decorating, wrapping, baking, and cleaning some more.  Our decorations are toddler friendly with a tree covered in felt ornaments, plastic holiday balls, cardboard gift card boxes, bells, stockings, and Santa’s hat to top it off!  We’ve also lined the hearth with wacky Christmas stuffed animals, many of who play music!  CC’s new favorite pastime is to press all of their on buttons at once so we have a chorus playing in our family room while she dances around! 

Unfortunately this year we won’t be doing as much socializing as years before but we’re definitely keeping busy and having fun!  We took our first trip to Winter Wonderland and loved it!  CC wasn’t ready to test her footing on the rides but she did persuade me to go down the gigantic inflatable slide with her.  Thankfully, my hearing has been fully restored but I may need an extra trip to the chiropractor! 

This past weekend was our first Breakfast w/ Santa of the season.  CC was having fun exploring and laughing with the other kids while we patiently waited our turn to sit on Santa’s lap.  She hugged Mrs. Claus and bounded right up to the Christmas tree only to stop like a reindeer in headlights when she saw the big man in red.  She clung to me, like only a toddler can do, so you can imagine the not so flattering pictures of me trying to console her.  At last I was able to pry her fingers from my sweater and slip away just in time to see her calmly look Santa in the eye.  I breathed a sigh of relief at the stillness of the moment and snapped my fingers to get her attention for the camera….

Next up a week of gingerbread houses, baking, holiday show, zoo lights, and of course another attempt at a picture with Santa!   

My Little CC

I haven’t written in a while.  My recent days have been spent trying to put one foot in front of the other without falling into a black hole.  Every now and then I get a glimpse of the happy, carefree woman I used to be but then she fades away and I feel exhausted once again.  I’m doing better today than I was yesterday and I hope to be even better tomorrow.  My main source of happiness is my CC.  She is my mini-me and keeps me on my toes.  She’s talking a mile a minute and every day is filled with so many new words.  I’m still amazed that she can understand what I’m telling her and lately her several-words-strung-together show me that she’s already talking back! 

When I pick her up at daycare, she runs to me while calling, “mama, mama!”  She honestly can’t get to me fast enough and some days she’s in tears because it took me an extra second to open the door.  She hugs me so tight and clings to me with all her might.  What she doesn’t know is that I need that from her as much as she needs it from me.  Our evenings are a whirlwind of dinner, play, bath, and bedtime but there’s always time for talking and cuddling.  I honestly can’t remember what my life was like before her.  Yes, I remember the uninterrupted sleep.  I remember sleeping past 4am.  I remember having time to get to the gym.  I remember my clothes not having food all over them.  I remember my hair looking nice.  Okay, I guess I do remember but I wouldn’t change a thing! 

Thank you baby girl for adding so much sweetness to my life!!