Back in the habit

My mom was a SAHM and whenever we got back from vacation 

she would complain that it took so long to get back into a routine. 

I always thought this was a silly complaint. 

However, as I have now embarked on my SAHM journey, I get it. 

Working FORCES you to get back into your routine. 

Yeah the first day back in the office is always rough. 

Especially with like 802 unread emails. 

 But by day two or three you are usually caught up and back into the groove. 

Back when Adam and I worked at Deloitte and had 25 PTO days 

(25!!!! And I had no appreciation for how glorious that was!!!), 

we - along with like everyone else in the company - 

would take off the last 2-3 weeks of December. 

I called it "winter break" because it felt like that glorious time in college 

where you go home, catch up on laundry, and sleep for dayyyyyyyssss. 

(Because you know, college is so hard.  

All that drinking takes its toll on you.) 

Blast from the past: clearly not winter break because I was in tank top, 

but this was basically what we did on breaks. 

Drink and take drunk selfies. 

Also I just realized I still own that shirt.

At Deloitte, I always had a laundry list of things to tackle. 

Great projects that I had to accomplish. 

Since clearly I didn't have time to accomplish this during my childless Saturdays hanging out on the couch (snort). 

But as winter break trudged on I became less and less productive. 

I would sleep away the day, eat like crap, and never workout. 

 To the point where I looked forward to the return to work because it forced me wake up at a civilized time, go to the gym, and eat my pre-packed meals. 

Back to the present. 

Although we had a glorious time at the lake and the beach doing things like this: 

 

 

I've let vacation mode run on farrrr too long. 

I type this as I'm eating cold pizza. 

Like, seriously. 

 

 

Things I need to start doing: 

 

 

1. Buying fresh vegetables for daily salads so I stop munching on crap. 

2. Get my @ss up and out of bed at a good time 

to go for a run or finally get back to yoga again 

(haven't done since pre-move). 

I have no excuse because Oliver is finally sleeping 7+ hour stretches at night 

(cue hallelujah chorus) 

so the only obstacle to a good night's sleep is me going to bed at a good time. 

Which brings me to... 

 

 

3. Go to bed by 10. 

Like IN THE BED by 10. 

Not start to walk upstairs from the couch at 10. 

IN THE BED. 

 

 

4. Start reading again. 

I am in a BAD book rut. 

As in, have only read one good book in the last 3 months.

I've been thinking about restarting the Harry Potter series. 

I read it back as a tweenager but stopped halfway through the series. 

I think it would be a great way for me to get back into reading.

5. Make time to blog. 

I like blogging about our uninteresting little life 

and I always have 1,000,001 ideas running around my head that I want to write down. 

So how do I kickstart these things? 

I really just need to start one. 

I learned from The Power of Habit that self-discipline is a muscle like all others, it needs to be strengthened, so once you start self-discipline in one area, the others tend to follow. 

Like how people who start exercising often start eating better. 

It's that self-discipline kicking in. 

So my goal this week is to get up early TWICE and go for a run. 

Got it, Self? 

Got it. 

Good. 

Now excuse me while I go get another slice of cold pizza from the fridge. 

Get Dirty

Here I am again talking about another article I read on the internet. 

Yes, yes, I see your eye roll.

But that won't stop me!

Wall Street Journal published this article on

"Get Your Children Good and Dirty."

Aaron at 17 months old playing in the ditch at the lake

Quick talking points:

1. The bacteria we've spent billions trying to eliminate are actually needed to keep us healthy, and in fact, eliminating them may be part of the spike in diabetes, asthma, allergies, etc.

2. We are too quick to say "Ew, don't touch that bug!  It's dirty!"

(GUILTY GUILTY)

but that "dirty bug" is actually helping their immune system.

3. Antibiotics are widely overused in our society.

On one hand, I think we're failing
and on the other hand, doing pretty well.

Aaron had 7 ear infections in a year before we got ear tubes.

In one of those cases, he was overprescribed antibiotics by a weekend clinic,

and had to go on separate antibiotics afterwards.

Just from ear infections alone, Aaron had a huge overexposure to antibiotics.

I kept procrastinating on the ear tubes because I was so nervous about the surgery,

but looking back I should have done something wayyyy earlier.

On the other hand, I am not one of those Germophobe-Moms. 

I do not carry hand-sanitizer, not because I'm a crunchy hippie (I am),

but because I don't like the texture of hand-sanitizer. 

In fact, I HATE the feel of hand sanitizer.

I'll wash my hands with soap and water 100 times a day,

but I will avoid that little squeeze bottle like its liquid ebola.

And as it turns out, my hatred of hand sanitizer is a good thing!
(Whew)

Additionally, in my quest for crunchyhood,

I switched from standard-issue soap to Method. 

Why Method?

1) Target carries it
(yes, this is a requirement. I'm not buying special soaps on Amazon)

2) They have foaming soap (I love foam!)

3) It's not antibacterial and as we learned recently,
the FDA is now banning several ingredients in antibacterial soap.


  Now I just need to learn to be ok with dirtiness.
Like bugs.
And Aaron stepped in deer poop the other day.
Gross gross gross.
The woman in the article implies that her kid was in pig poop without issue,
but trust me I still gave Aaron a bath that night.

ABC Game

Allena posted this ABC Game, 

and I just love it. 

It reminds me of those survey emails that we sent around as bored pre-teen kids when email was just coming out. 

I had a juno email address back then. 

I actually wrote emails offline and then had to login to send! 

Crazy right? 

A - Age: 31


B - Biggest Fear: Someone will break into our house while we are sleeping and hurt my children
 (otherwise see: my postpartum anxiety). 


C - Current Time: 11:45pm (waiting for Adam to get home from work, sigh!)


D - Drink you last had: There is always water in my life, 
but last non-water drink: Kombucha. I just love this stuff!


E - Every day starts with: Technically it starts with the 1am nursing sessions, 
but I'd say the wake-up portion starts at 6:30am with Aaron climbing into our bed after his clock turns green. 

F - Favorite song: Black Balloon by Goo Goo Dolls.  This is the prettiest song I've ever heard. Ever. 


G - Ghosts, are they real?: Nope. 
Neither are witches, aliens, or big foot.  
The loch ness monster is though! 


H - Hometown: Cortland, NY. I lived there from age 8-17 so I always think of that as "hometown" 


I - In love with: Those chunky legs and those chunky cheeks!!!!

J - Jealous of: People who can eat anything and not gain weight. I've talked about my struggles with weight and relationship with food, so this is always a top of my list. I try to remind myself there really is "fat skinny" (aka: being skinny doesn't mean you're healthy) but that doesn't change the fact that those people can wear a tiny bikini and I can't! 


K - Killed someone?: No...?  Who answers yes to this?


L - Last time you cried: I tear up at the stupidest things ever, like heartfelt commercials on TV.  
This one gets me every damn time. 


M - Middle name: Mae


N - Number of siblings: 2


O - One wish: For my children to always be happy and safe


P - Person you last called: My mom


Q - Question you're always asked: "Is he your first?"  I go a lot of places with just Oliver and I must look like a terrified new mom, because I get this question all the time!


R - Reason to smile: I don't have to go to work tomorrow. 
Or the next day.  
Or the day after that.  
Or the one after that... 


S - Song last sang:  Old McDonald's Farm


T - Time you woke up: 6:30


U - Underwear color: Pink polka dot


V - Vacation destination: Italy.  I went just after college with my pre-Adam boyfriend and I REALLY want to go back again (with Adam, of course!) 


W - Worst habit: I really liked Allena's comment on always dominating the conversation.  
I really never thought about it until she said it, but it's definitely a really bad habit of mine. 


X - X-rays you've had: When I was 4, I fell off a Fisher Price little kid chair (no more than a foot off the floor) and broke my collar bone. 


Y - Your favorite food: Wings with chunky blue cheese


Z - Zodiac sign: Capricorn

The Good, The Bad, and a Blast from the Past

Hey there. 

It's me again. 

Doing yet another sweeping update on life. 

I know how much you've missed this (snort). 

The Good: 

Love being SAHM

Amanda wrote this great post on Working Mom Fantasies, 

and I really can agree with the vast majority of it!

I have not once thought: "I wish I was working." 

Ever. 

The honeymoon still has plenty of time to wear off. 

But in the meantime I'm riding the happy train. 

Moving

The last of the boxes is unpacked. 

Deliveries keep flying it (our new grill came today). 

I feel very "settled" and I love it. 

Of course there's more painting 

and more renovation projects on the horizon. 

(Any suggestions on entry hall floor tiles are welcome. 

We currently have mid-century aged slate that is not salvageable). 

Old House for Sale 

Our townhome posted for sale on Tuesday. 

We've had a LOT of interest in the property, 

which of course means we already have our hopes up wayyy higher than they should be. 
I'm sure there will be some disappointment and depression to follow. 
I know, my optimism just blows you away. 

10 day vacation at lake. 

As well as moving in is going, 

it was great to get away. 

10 days at the lake house, 

hiking, 

catching fish, 

swimming, 

whatever. 

And most importantly, having a set of grandparents help co-parent. 

#winning!

Beach soon. 

And shortly we'll leave for the beach 

for our annual Friends Vacation. 

5 adults. 

4 kids 4 and under. 

And a puppy. 

In a townhome off the beach. 

Cannot wait!

The Bad: 

Anxiety

I had a very mild form of postpartum anxiety with Aaron, 

but it's much worse this time. 

I wake up in the middle of the night in a panic that someone is going to break in and steal/hurt my children. 

And some nights I can't go back to sleep at all. 

Good news is that at least I don't have to work (read: use my brain) 

when I wake up at 1:30am and never go back to sleep. 

It's not every night, only like once a week or so. 

Adam wants me to see a doctor, 

but if we're being really honest, 

I feel like I can tackle on my own. 

I'm eating healthy and exercising. 

I've cut back on my alcohol. 

I'm starting up yoga again after the beach. 

We are also getting a home security system installed. 

Will this fix it? 

Maybe. Maybe not. 

I probably do need to put in a call to my doctor. 

And nights like Wednesday when I'm up at 3am, I tell myself I will. 

Then daytime comes and I feel very very very silly. 

Blast from the past: 

Kate Baer linked to this article about the "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" book that was all the rage in evangelical communities in the 90s. 

I remember this sooooo well. 

It was the focal point of youth group for weeks! 

Everyone was getting purity rings 

and signing purity cards. 

Ironically, many of those people now have multiple kids with multiple fathers. 

(Not judging, just observing.) 

It was THE THING in the cliche white suburban evangelical scene. 

And I hated every little bit of it. 

I liked my dating life very much. 

I had been boy crazy for so long and 

now that I finally had the chance to date, 

there was no way in hell I was letting that go for some fancy pants book. 

(And in retrospect, I also don't regret my decisions at all. 

I learned a lot from dating!)

Anyway, to see it pop up again is really interesting. 

I wish more popular authors would come back around later on, 

to talk about the lessons learned!