December 2009 - A Mommy Story

Dec 31, 2009

Buh-Bye 2009 & A Look Ahead

December 31, 2009 By Christina 4 Comments

Another year, another decade, gone. Seems a lot of people are really glad to see 2009 on its last few hours. Me? Eh, I could take it or leave it. No matter how I look at it, it didn’t suck as much as 2008 did.

Sure, Aaron was still mostly unemployed for all of 2009. And the first half of the year was quite a struggle for us financially. Cordy had a roller-coaster of a summer with camp, and then broke a tooth and had to endure general anesthesia to fix it.

But there were several good things that happened this year, too.

I graduated from nursing school. I got a job. And health insurance for the family again. Our cars continued to function. (Knocking on wood furiously at this point.) Cordy started full-day pre-K and is making a lot of progress. I ran/walked my first 5K and lost 20 lb. with the Shredheads. I got to travel to Blissdom and BlogHer and roomed with some fabulous women. And right before Christmas, Aaron was offered a job that we hope will be an amazing opportunity for him.

Yeah, 2009 wasn’t too bad. But I’d like to think it was a transition year between the suck of 2008 and my wish for a lot of good in 2010.

Resolutions generally aren’t my thing, but if I had to pick one for next year, it would be to find more happiness and balance in my life. While I’m glad that I found a job after graduation and have been able to keep our finances afloat as a result, I’m finding that going back to work hasn’t given me all of the satisfaction I was hoping for. I mean, I like what I do, but my work/life balance is utterly screwed up right now.

I miss my girls fiercely, wanting to be more directly involved in their care like I used to be, yet too tired to be a fully-functioning parent. I’m a zombie on my days off, going through the motions despite my best attempts to wake up. Cordy could use more assistance reinforcing her therapy from school, and Mira needs more help from me with her speech. I used to do those things. I hate not being the mom that my two daughters deserve.

I also want to be better to myself, too. I’m doing far less of the stuff I like, and more of the stuff I have to do. Now, I know that no one can escape the boring responsibilities of adult life, but it shouldn’t completely take over my life, either. I haven’t been blogging as much, I haven’t kept in touch with friends as well as I should, I haven’t given Aaron as much attention as he deserves, and I rarely get to enjoy hobbies I used to love. I’m a shell of my former self.

So 2010 is my journey back to balance. I want to reach the end of 2010 and find myself satisfied with where I am at that point in my life. I have no idea how I’ll get there – whether it be a mental adjustment or more drastic actions – but I will find balance again and find my way back to happy. I’ll have more quality time with my family, I’ll do more I enjoy, my family will be happy as well, and strangely enough, it all turns out well.

How?

I don’t know. It’s a mystery.

Here’s to a fabulous 2010 that will put all previous years to shame for prosperity, joy and greatness.

Filed Under: holidays, me me me

Dec 26, 2009

Happiest Holidays

December 26, 2009 By Christina 9 Comments

To all of my friends and readers, happy holidays!

I hope you got everything you wanted this year. I can say with certainty that we did.

Cordy got to meet Santa, loving every minute with him and even interrupting others to go back and give Santa a hug after she opened her gift.

Mira received Thomas the Tank Engine trains, books and even underwear. I think she’s satisfied, don’t you?

Score!

Santa heard my plea and wasn’t about to let me be cut off from my ‘net:

Score!

And Aaron found out two days before Christmas that in the new year he will once again be employed. The new job looks promising, tapping into many of Aaron’s talents, and I hope it will be both interesting and fulfilling for him.

All in all, I’d call it a successful Christmas.

Add to it a lot of good time spent with family, an enormous (and delicious) meal this afternoon, and a lot of excitement, and you can see how Cordy ended the day like this:

What about you? Any good presents/stories to share?

Filed Under: Cordy, family time, holidays, memories, Mira

Dec 19, 2009

Lady Gaga for Kids?

December 19, 2009 By Christina 14 Comments

I think I’m ready to submit my application to the Bad Moms Club.

I can only take so much kid music while driving before I have to switch my iPod to something that isn’t aimed at the preschool set. Which means Cordy is occasionally forced to listen to songs I like in the car. However, she’s never really shown any signs that she’s paying attention to my music. Or at least I thought she wasn’t listening – there’s one song in particular that she’s obsessed with now. A song that she probably shouldn’t like so much.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, she’s indoctrinated her sister, and Mira begs to hear the “Rah-ah-ah” song anytime we get into the car:

Yep, they both love Lady Gaga. And not just that song. Paparazzi, Poker Face, Just Dance – all songs they love to hear. It seems we skipped the Miley Cyrus, slightly-inappropriate-for-preschoolers craze and went straight for the totally inappropriate. They only get to hear it in the car, and neither of them have watched the video, although Cordy has seen photos of Lady Gaga.

The good news is that Mira totally doesn’t understand the lyrics, and Cordy tends to make up her own words to the tune rather than sing what she’s hearing. (Other than constantly singing the “Rah-rah, rah-ah-ah” part, which she does all the time.) I actually think she isn’t listening to the words, but instead likes the beat of the music and the repetition of the rah-ah-ah part.

(There is one pop song she’s learning the words to, but it’s far more G-rated and a song that I’d consider safe for all ages. Also, a great song.)

I guess I can’t be too hard on myself. I remember being a little kid and singing along to Madonna’s Like a Virgin. I didn’t even know what it meant at the time, but hey, it was a catchy song and she was pretty and dressed so cool with 100 jelly bracelets on her arms. And I turned out OK, right? Right?

Note to Lady Gaga – please make a children’s album that’s just as good as your current one. My five year old thinks you’re awesome. And pretty. And she loves how you dress.