seriously busy.

Life these days is TEDIOUS. Sorry I have not written in a while, but I have been experiencing extreme blog block due to the lack of time to actually think about anything with any sort of clarity, much less write about it. Most of this lack of time is undoubtedly self-inflicted, but I like to play a martyr anyway. I’ll have an idea to blog about, and after the 30th interruption, I just give up. And typically, I try to write when my kids are occupied/napping, but there have to be a few moments in the day where I can just kick back and watch meaningless crap on television.

Why so busy? Well, my little man is now crawling, pulling up, and all in all, getting into absolutely everything. He changes every day, and this phase of life is just so stinking cute. I am ridiculously in love with this kid. But, now that he is mobile, my sweet little boy has a glimmer in his eye, and I think this child is going to keep me on each and every toe, probably for the rest of my life. He already scoffs at any limitations. His appetite is insatiable. And he spends a good part of the day screeching like a falcon. But, he has a smile that absolutely liquefies my heart. His hugs are the best. And he’s a great shopping partner.

Then, there is my baby girl, who is more and more like a 15-year-old each and every day. After we took her out of the crib, she has stopped napping (I felt this tremendous amount of pressure to liberate her from her crib tent as her friends started moving into big kid beds, but now, I would give anything to take it back. Unimposing peer pressure is a bi-atch).

She still needs a nap, she just won’t actually sleep. Combine that with school two days a week (another blog topic) and lots of busy fall activities, and our afternoons are full of sleep-deprived tantrums. She wants to be a good girl so badly, but the little devil on her shoulder wins out fairly often. Last night she went to bed early because she drew all over her pink chair, her body and the window with a green marker. Yes, it’s probably my fault she had the marker. And it was washable and caused no significant harm. However, while I appreciate her artistic initiative, she is constantly testing limits as I attempt to set boundaries. It’s rough.

And finally, Pinterest. Lovely, unassuming Pinterest is monopolizing my creative juices. For those not pinteresting, it is like a virtual  bulletin board for all things creative and cool. Many of the projects included are DIY, and they inspire me. Last week, I made a fall bucket list, an art nook for my little girl’s school art projects, a necklace from a t-shirt, leaves from crayon shavings and wax paper….And I have ideas for 100 other projects.

Will include a tutorial soon on my fall bucket list (supplies shown above). It only cost $2.00!!

Finally, photography is always there. I am trying to establish a plan to actually establish myself as a photographer, and it is hard with all of these distractions. But, I am getting there, and I am excited!!! I am hoping that by Spring 2012, I will be up and running, ready to start taking clients! I just have to establish my brand, and I am not sure if I want a creative name or just simply my own name. Decisions, decisions. Any suggestions?

I love this picture. It sort of implies, at least to me, that the road is a museum and is open for exploring. I am loving the road that I am on, but I am so ready to know more! Will life ever calm down? Is photography right for me? Am I on the right path?

I am off to take the kiddos to enjoy this gorgeous fall weather. I leave you with one final thought: Seriously, why are they remaking the movie Footloose?

Yay, I blogged! Have a great week.

P.S. I am not entirely certain which direction this blog is going to take. I started it as a way to get more acquainted with the process so I can post pictures. I really appreciate the support, and am at nearly 1200 views! Exciting! I have not chosen any specific approach to content yet, and I thank you for your support and feedback while I am getting started. Pretty lucky to know so many amazing women (and men, if any of you happen to be reading), and I learn so much from all of you!

10 things I have in common with my baby girl

Currently, there is A LOT of personality in my house, mostly as exhibited by my free-spirited, self-dressing, strong-willed little girl. We are starting to be so much a like, it is scary. Not only for me, but also for my husband. Neither of us is sure he can handle us both under the same roof. In my quest to find a way to adequately set boundaries for her smarty-pants, independent nature, I often think about what I would want, and try to go that route. Ultimately, that fails, too, but I figure it’s worth a shot, right?

Let the record show:

1. We both have ridiculously crazy hair in the morning. I am not quite sure what happens while I am sleeping, but my hair resembles some sort of dirty grunge rock, Flock of Seagulls hybrid in the morning. But, when I see my baby girl’s hair, it makes me feel better. Is that wrong? I so wished she would’ve got her daddy’s thick, curly mop.

2. We both LOVE to eat out. I’ll ask her what she wants for lunch, and she typically responds with one of two answers–jelly sandwich (which I also love) or “go out to eat.” Panera is a favorite, for sure. They have Organic Mac-n-Cheese for the kid, and the calories are listed on the menu, which typically guilts me into eating something somewhat healthy.

3. Sort of in-line with #2, we both are obsessed with feta cheese. We can both just sit and eat it plain, which simply makes me love her more.

4. We are both sort of scared to try new things, but we feign courage and do it anyway. She is terrified by the balance beam, but giggles her way through it just to prove that she can.

5. Everytime we venture into Target, we both get our hearts set on something that deep-down we know we don’t need. Then, when we get it home, we play with it for a minute, then, it sits in a corner. Most recently, I got a pair of cute shoes that are ridiculously uncomfortable, and she got a pair of goggles that she absolutely hates to have on her head. Both will probably never be used, but we like to keep them around, just in case.

5. We are both very social and constantly feel the need to be around people, but at the same time, we are kind of shy and awkward until we feel comfortable.

6. We both have very, very active imaginations. She is always telling me about the giant in her clubhouse or serving me a “pretend” strawberry-banana smoothie. I asked her to tell me a story the other night, and she started, “Once upon a time, there were three mangoes…” When I was a child, I used to scare the neighborhood kids with stories about children getting lost forever in a giant storm drain behind my house. I am definitely anticipating phone calls from angry parents to discuss the things that she has disclosed to classmates at school. Sorry mom.

7. We both have a trademark gap between our two front teeth. Hers is exacerbated by thumb-sucking, a habit I luckily gave up years ago. 🙂

8. Both of us maintain a ridiculously accurate memory (another reason my husband is in trouble), and I am amazed at how clear she remembers seemingly insignificant details about things and people. Recently, she has been obsessed with learning peoples’ FULL names, and can cite them with ridiculous accuracy.

9. We have both perfected the art of whining about things until we get our way. This, coupled with the fact that we are incredibly stubborn and get bored very easily, makes a lot of days a struggle to get through, especially since she struggles to accept the fact that her baby brother is here to stay and we can’t just leave him home to fend for himself.

10. Finally, I am learning to accept that we are both very emotional. She has a huge heart, as do I, and we both get our feelings hurt fairly easily. This will be tough for her down the road, and I cringe at the thought of boyfriends, break-ups and broken dreams. We bounce back, but we don’t forget.

I could go on, but I’ll stop here. I’ve gotta tell you, this entry today is more like therapy, as it gets harder and harder to parent such a strong little lady. Somedays, I just don’t see how we are both going to survive, while others I can’t imagine loving her anymore than I do. Sometimes I think I do everything wrong, and recently, I am stuck in a rut.

So, for now, let me just say that I love, love, LOVE my daughter, but sometimes, I just don’t like her, mostly because she is too much like me. Often, while she is running away in a fit to tell her daddy how mean I am, I think maybe I should’ve been nicer to my mom…..One of the most painful life lessons to learn: payback is most definitely a B!$#&!

Wow! Little bit of a Debbie-downer there towards the end, but I feel better. Gotta shake it off. Thanks for reading and staying with me.

Cheers,

Mommydiarist