Life Lately

I feel like I haven't been in this space forever.  I only blogged once in September, only ONCE. My heart and mind have felt it, they are in need of this space. This is where I get my thoughts out and declutter my brain. This is where I reflect on life. And let me tell you, life lately has been all sorts of things. It's been hard, messy and chaotic yet so joyful and beautiful at the same time. Life lately has been full speed ahead. I blinked and September was gone.

On the family front, things are busier than normal. Both E and Cora are in ECFE class one day a week for a few hours. This year E is doing a separating class. Mom and E together for the first hour and then Mom goes to parent discussion while E stays with the teachers and kids for more play. He's cried all three times. He's the only kid that cries when the parents leave. I'm the only mom that walks out with a pit in my stomach hoping he's ok. I know he's ok but I also know he's sad and no Momma wants their kid to be sad. The teachers are great. They hold him the entire time and read him stories while he sniffles back his tears. They tell me he tries to be brave. He watches the other kids play, too shy to join in. He eats his snack with the group but then prefers to go back and cuddle with the teacher. He'll answer their questions and engage in quiet conversation but will often ask when Mommy is coming back. When we're reunited after the hour, he cries hard again. This time tears of relief that Mom is back. I question whether I'm pushing him too much. Maybe he's not ready for this, he is the youngest one in the class by two months and two months is a big difference when you're two years old. But then when we drive home he tells me he played puzzle with Teacher Marjean at school and his snack was good. And he has to learn that he's ok without Mom or Dad. He has to learn to be with other kids and adult not in our family. And each week the teachers say he handles it better and better. Thank goodness for good teachers.

Cora seems to be enjoying her school just fine. I'm convinced she will be the social butterfly of the family. She babbles all during class and plays with all the toys within reach. She watches with curiosity as the more mobile babies move about. Last week, a nine month old crawled over and tried to grab a ball she was playing with and my little peanut hung on tight with both hands and pulled right back not letting go. The little boy gave up and Cora went back to playing with the ball. All the moms got a kick out of this interaction and I admit I was a pretty proud Momma.

Life lately has had our family apart for a bit. Mike has been helping his parents sell his grandma's farm in northern Minnesota. He was gone for a week helping clean out the house having a garage sale. I think that has been the longest we've been apart as a family but I know his parents appreciated his help. The closing on the farm is next week and it will be bitter sweet. It will be sad for his family to no longer have this home that has been in the family for years but also a relief to no longer have that responsibility. His parents were essentially maintaining two homes and it got to be too much.

My job has also caused us to be apart more than normal. I'm working on a high profile project at work which is taking up a lot of my time. I'm also looking for a new role at my company, hopefully a promotion, so I've been taking lots of meetings and networking at the corporate offices. Working the hours I do means this usually happens on my days off. Networking is not something I enjoy and I've felt this extra level of stress. I'm hoping this will all pay off shortly after the first of the year and I'll have a new job with better hours and making more money. I'm keeping my eye on the prize!

Life lately has also brought us some fun. Surlyfest! The annual Oktoberfest at Surly Brewery. Mike has gone the past few years with the guys but this year the wives and girlfriends joined in on the fun. We had beautiful weather, great music, fantastic company, and of course delicious beer. Mike and I partied pre-kid style finishing the evening off where our relationship first began, Park Tavern. It wasn't quite pre-kid style partying because we were home by 9pm but it sure felt like it the next day. Bless Grandma Sharon for being here to help take care of E and Cora.

This is our life lately. Throw in piles of clean laundry scattered throughout the house, pieces of dried play-doh on the floor, a broken water heater that leaked all over, and lots of laughter and that pretty much sums it up.