Seven Years

Seven years ago, we stood before our family and closest friends and made the love that we have for each other legal. The day was perfect in every way. All the details that I had painstakingly obsessed over for a lifetime year finally came together in an old brick church in Williston and country club in Burlington. You were so proud of the antique car you borrowed to get us from the church to our reception. We ate and drank and danced the night away!

Time has gone by so quickly, and I’m delighted that our new home is less than a mile from that incredible little church. We’ve been through so much together since that perfect day: we’ve bought and sold our first home, changed jobs (a few times), raised a rambunctious puppy into a spirited dog, we’ve lost loved ones (and about a hundred pounds), and gained amazing friends (and a few extra pounds). We’ve travelled on planes and cruise ships, making memories along the way. We’ve grown our little family and filled our home with the warmth, comfort and love (and lots of toys) that we want our boys to remember.

I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Love you babe!

The Birth of a Hobby

Earlier this week, we recieved a "Welcome Packet" from my son's new preschool. There was a checklist of items to bring the first day, a calendar of scheduled days off, information about snacks and a copy of the daily schedule. I love checklists and was excited to tackle that bad boy. I put together an extra set of clothes, carefully and lovingly writing our last name inside each small piece (even the damn socks) with a permanent marker. I went with our last name rather than his first, because these clothes will be recycled to our second son (poor little dude gets nothing new).

We went shopping at COSTCO for easy to pack lunch items: organic chocolate milk boxes, squeezable applesauce and goldfish crackers. We searched for the best deals on a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle lunch box... and backpack. I even picked up a book called The Night Before Preschool to really prepare him (me?).

All of this planning and leg work has been easy compared to this ridiculous survey also enclosed in the packet. The survey, which I'm pretty sure was designed to make moms like me feel shitty, is for parents to share our skills, interests and hobbies. Of all the preparation needed for preschool: the checklists, the parent orientation, the pancake breakfast, shopping for new clothes and the effing "Enviromental Day" (i.e. let's make the families who are paying us to watch/teach their kids, clean up the playground!)... this survey is what stumped me!

So, I thought to myself, "Self, what the fuck are your interests and hobbies?"

I realized, that since I've had kids I don't really have time for hobbies and MY interests have slipped to the bottom of my priority list (somewhere below Teenange Mutant Ninja Turtle underwear and Disney Junior programming.) So, in an effort to take better care of myself as a mama, a woman, and a person (and maybe to give me something to put on that fucking survey), this blog, my hobby, is born! Consider this your birth announcement.