So we’ve moved again, this time to a house just across town. We found a fantastic deal where we could buy a house for us and the little house next door for G’s mother. So now she is stair-free and not living in our basement anymore. This has been a real blessing.

Here are some recent photos of the boys. Geo is six and in Kindergarten, J is 2.5 and busy busy busy.

Try Smarterer if you are looking for a new game to play that tests your skills. As a BzzAgent, I had the opportunity to sign up for this cool program and try it out before recommending it to you. You can take tests on goofy trivia things, or you can test your skills on actual computer programs and become more proficient in them in doing so (kind of like free training for fun).

And yes, I know I haven’t been here for a while, but this is really me.

roddy

I really should get back into this, huh.

Here is my other little guy. Not so little any more.

I took Geo to Kindergarten Registration yesterday morning. He insisted on “dressing like Daddy”, so I put him in a dress shirt and slacks. He treated the whole morning very seriously, as if he was going off to work. Anyway, here is Mr. GQ.

So Tuesday I started a new medication – nothing major there. By Thursday I was throwing up…all night long. I also had a bad pain in my side. Friday morning I called my DR, asking whether he thought the illness was a reaction to the medication. He wasn’t sure. Most likely it was the flu, so stop taking the medication for a week and see what happens. Saturday morning I had a nosebleed. Again, nothing major there, other than, perhaps, insult to injury. I was dehydrated and it’s been dry in the house. By Sunday evening I was really over the flu symptoms other than that nagging pain in my side. I finally called a friend of mine who’s husband is a DR, and spoke to him for a little while. He said if it got any worse then I needed to go to the ER. If I could wait until the next day, he’d make room in his schedule to see me. The pain got much worse, to the point of being unbearable. I took his advice and went to the ER. Guess what? Kidney stone. After some looptastic drugs i felt much better. I passed the obnoxious little buggar Monday morning.

My husband and I finally got to laughing while we were at the ER together – out of exasperation, I suppose. We couldn’t think of anything else going wrong with me all at one time. Turns out everything was most likely totally unrelated, but we just didn’t know that at first, of course. What a weird week! I feel all better now. 

So G headed out to the Black Hills with some visitors from Romania, than was home for two days and took off again for Washington, D.C. for a meeting with his publisher.

A few days after he came back from D.C., we headed for Savannah, Georgia for an education-related conference, and some sightseeing/vacation time with the boys. We had a good time, and the boys had a blast. Their trip was stress-free,
but any of you who have traveled with small children before know that us folks had a bit more stress, but we were fine, really. United Airlines did try to lose us, and certainly tried their hardest to lose us as future customers, but that is the stuff of other posts.

We toured a wildlife area, went to Tybee Island and hung out at the beach there, walked all over the downtown historic area, walked the riverfront area, went to a train museum, and swam at the hotel. The weather was beautiful -perfect the entire time. We had a nice time.

Then it was home again, this time with a few days before G headed to Lawrence, Kansas for a meeting, and I headed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for my own conference. Mima and Pop Pop to the childcare rescue.

And now…. I wish to hibernate. Travel season is over!

I’m about as frustrated as I’ve ever been. Might as well be banging my proverbial head into a proverbial wall.

Where have I been, you ask…or rather gave up asking months ago if you are one of my long-time readers.

Still here, and “here” is South Dakota for those of you who missed that step in my life almost one year ago. And I’m still a stay-at-home Mama of two – yes, TWO, for those of you who missed that step in my life 11 months ago. Still hanging in there.

Over the past year I have thrown myself into my home life -family, moving, carrying and having a baby, setting up and settling in to my new home and environ, being an extremely supportive wife as my husband started his new job, and so on and so forth. All of this was not only unavoidable and neccessary, but also where my husband and I wanted to be, so all the stress and effort has been worth it, and the payoff has been good – healthy baby, well adjusted four year old, content husband, yada yada.

It has come to my attention recently, however, that I have almost completely neglected myself throughout this entire endevor. Not healthwise, or anything like that – heck, I challenge you to find another mama who ate as many right things when I was carrying Jackson, breastfed until he went on milk, went to all the appropriate drs appointments and actually followed the advice given, etc. From that angle, things look good – I’m a picture of good health, even if I’m lacking the requisite amount of sleep required by the Law of Those With Infants.

It’s been more a realization that I haven’t kept my mental faculties in tip-top shape. When was the last time I read a book [that wasn't pregnancy or childcare related]? When was the last time I practiced Yoga [not just counting house work as my daily exercise]? When was the last time I enjoyed being outdoors [without worrying about my four year old wondering away from the yard]? When have I written anything [of substance]?

My creative juices are in serious need of FLOW.

Part of me is resigned to the fact that I am at home with my children instead of being out there competing in the Marketplace, toiling away at some desk job. It is a Blessing to raise these boys. I know this. They are wonderful little beings, and it is an honor to be given the opportunity to play such an important role in their lives.

But the other part of me gets a bit depressed when I think of how old I will be when I actually get to have my career and shift my focus away from my home a little.

And part of me keeps reminding myself that Today is the most important thing. Just live Here. Now. And be content with what I have because *really* I am blessed to be here today.

I have a feeling that many women struggle with the question of ‘Where did I go?’ as they fold laundry, fix lunches, and put bandaides on scrapes.

I’m not unhappy, I’m just wondering what happened to Me in all of this.

I am having a difficult time writing here. Blech.

I think I am too exhausted to think critically.