I've not written on my blog for quite some time... I wish I could say it was because I was jetting around the world and just so busy I didn't have time to write, but that would be a lie. Between the passing of my Uncle, my grandmother having some severe health problems and a few other things in my life, I have started practicing 'selective neglect'. It's not the best method but it helped me to get through a few trying times.

I have realized that I have life backwards... life is not busy, I have made my life busy. I've missed out on several things in the last few months that I'm regretting and I've decided to make a few changes. My kids, my health and my marriage come first above all else. Those three things I will have (if I take care of them) for the rest of my life. Hell... someone's going to have to change my diapers and spoon feed me applesauce when I get older!

My life is very simple... I wake up, I drink hot apple cider from my Keurig machine (which I am in total LOVE with) and then start my day. Sometimes my day consists of running powerade to the middle school because my kids forgot to grab one for the evening track meet, other day's I grab my hot cup of cider and work on the computer processing images from the day before. I can not say I've ever had a 'boring' day where I did nothing... I've had day's where I've accomplished nothing, but I've always done something.

I'm working harder on becoming healthy... I'm not sure what that means to most people, but to me it means eating a bit better (I'm limiting myself to cooking with two sticks of butter a day), attempting to take walks (this does not always work out as my stupid reality shows are on when I'm able to take a walk... and reality always wins) and I am trying to listen to Steve better. It's difficult as I do not speak fluent 'man'... but I am trying. For example "you really want me to plant that shrub there" means "what the hell... that f-ing thing is going to get to big for that spot and your going to make me move it next year... which had better involve sex during the time your asking me to move it". Still working on the translations... but I think I'm getting closer to understanding what he's really saying.

The last year of my life has changed me drastically... my kids have grown so much and more dependant in some ways but not others. I'm always fascinated by how strong they are at school, standing up for them self and others but when they scrape their knee a cookie, band-aid and hug from mom still makes it all better. I'm so proud of how they are growing up but I'm still a total helicopter mom and hover. I allow them to make their own decisions but I add a few words of guidance or we talk about the consequences. We raise our kids knowing each action has a consequence... both good and bad. I feel like way to many parents bail their kids out of situations only to have the kids repeat bad actions over and over again... cracks me up when the parents are like "I just don't know why they keep making those decisions"... um, really... wtf planet are you living on?

Not much else is going on... Steve has recovered nicly from his back surgery, all three kids are running track right now and I've found a part... very part time job that I love. Marriage is hard but after almost 15 years I think we've found out how to live with one another without murder being the first thought that comes to  mind. Might be the third or fourth though... but it's not longer the first.

Well, I guess my idea of being healthier, being a better mother and having a healthy marriage may not be the same as everyone's... but it works for me. Good luck in your life and may your kids someday change your diapers out of love or guilt (either way they are being changed), your husband not have a knife stashed on his side of the bed and a million dollar secret life insurance policy on you... and you have a DVR to record your shows so you can take a walk once in a while.