Thursday, March 31, 2011

Gettin' My Old On

In just nine days I will celebrate my 40th birthday! Some women approach this societal milestone with trepidation. Me? I am so excited, I can hardly stand it! I have no idea why, but I am seriously giddy. I guess it could be because I've noticed subtle, positive changes in myself over the past few months, and I'm mentally relating those changes to the BIG 4-0. For example, I think I worry less about stuff I can't control. I find that eating healthier and exercising more are not as burdensome as I used to make them out to be. I'm pushing myself to try new things and to squeeze in a little time here and there to do something I enjoy. I can't shake the feeling that 40 is going to be an amazing year for me!

I do have one concern, though. It's this:
I have started hoarding money  in various and random containers. I hide these containers in my closet and tuck my sweaters around them. Nice and snug and safe. I think this means I'm getting old. Isn't this what old people do? Hoard money in their homes because they don't trust the banks? At least, that's what I think they do. I could be wrong. Or not.

I can totally justify my behavior. The Folgers container (a purchase made by my husband, not me, just to clarify) is my 40 X 4 cruise fund. (Bahamas in November or Bust, Baby!). I put my freelance and sub checks in here as well as any scavenged change. I didn't bother washing it because I love the coffee smell that greets my nose each time I put the lid. The Shatto milk bottle shelters mostly dimes and nickels. This is the peeps' allowance jar. They get a whopping 10 cents for completing certain chores around the house, and this is my stash from which I'll pony up. So, see? I have excellent reasons for hoarding money, and they have nothing to do with me not trusting banks.

Anyone else out there approaching 40? Already hit it? How do you/did you feel? Am I delusional for being ecstatic?

Friday, March 18, 2011

Share the Sucky Times, Too

I try to stay away from writing mom-related blog posts because there about 4,578,901 (I'm just estimating) mommy blogs floating around, and most of them are way better than anything I could write. But, sometimes, doing the mom-post  thing is necessary because it relates to my whole real-realty vs. ideal-reality theme I sort of have going on here. This is one of those times because, finally, some crazy lady admitted  - IN WRITING  FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO READ- that she isn't a perfect mom. GASP! And she signed her name. Ballsy. Big 'ol ballsy. You can read Jill Smokler's confession here. If you like that, check out her blog, Scary Mommy.

Most moms - and probably dads, too - want to be perfect parents. For whatever reason(s), we work overtime to create the illusion of perfect parenthood by cherry picking the unicorns, rainbows, and sunshiny days from our lives and sharing only those beautiful, pat-me-on-the-back moments with the outside world. Yes, there many times when our ideal reality morphs into our real reality.

But our collective real reality - the reality that connects parents regardless of time and place - is that, sometimes, being a parent just sucks.

Why can't we share those sucky times, too?

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

You Are Perfect For This Family

Here is a little slice of what makes my Real Reality so amazing:

The other evening after dinner, I was wiping Ruthie's sweet little hands and sweet little face clean. We had this conversation:

Ruthie: Mommy, you are perfect for this family.
Me: (cue tears): Wow! That was really nice of you to say. What made you think of that?
Ruthie: It was in my heart.

And my heart went pitter-patter.

Not to be outdone by her sister, Audrey followed on Ruthie's heels with this conversation:

Audrey: Mommy, you are smart and beautiful, and the Queen of Everything.
Me: Aw, thanks! That was really nice.

Hugs all around.

I must confess: Audrey (and to some extent, Ruthie) has been trained to tell me that I am smart, beautiful, and the Queen of Everything. But I'll take what I can get when I can get it.

Love those gals.

Ideal Realty Vs. Real Reality: Deep Thoughts

Deep thoughts ahead:

After my last post about the situation in Libya, and after listening to more news reports and firsthand accounts, it dawned on me. "It" being this (stay with me): Someone's Ideal Reality is alwas someone else's Real Reality, and someone's Real Reality is always someone else's Ideal Reality. For example, the majority of people in Libya apparently want freedeom and, possibly, a democracy that resembles that of the United States. Right now, that is their Ideal Reality, but it is my Real Reality. At this moment in time, I don't have an example of how someone's Real Reality is my Ideal Reality, but hopefully this made some sense. I have a bit of a cold - or allergies - so I'm a little muddled. One last thought on Libya: In the images I've seen, I see lots and lots of Libyan men in the streets protesting, but I don't see women and children along side them. I find this interesting, and it concerns me because that country cannot have true freedeom and a true democracy if they are not willing to let women (and children to some extent) have a voice. End of deep thoughts.