The little things

So, I have a solid 8 months under my belt and I feel confident in sharing one of my proudest accomplishments of this year. My "mom journal".

I'm sure you've noticed, but blogging has been a struggle for me this year. For some reason, I stare at the screen and all the space to fill and I am just blank. But I feel like I'm missing an awesome opportunity to document the amazing experiences of my kid's early years.

I found that Facebook and twitter statuses were easier for me to write, but I wasn't confident in the ability to archive all of those. And I was positive most people didn't want to hear a lot of the small, seemingly mundane moments I wanted to remember.

So at the beginning of the year, I bought a planner. It's a simple planner that is broken out into short rectangles each day...one week takes up two pages. It's just the right size to capture my thoughts without feeling overwhelming. It takes less than a couple of minutes most nights.

And I have written in it every single day since January 1st. I take time every night, even the nights I'm traveling, to write small, wonderful (and the occasional tough) moments. It is a treasure to me, something I look forward to. It causes me to better remember a sloppy kiss or funny saying or a milestone. I've even recorded voice notes on my phone when something great happens in the morning so I don't forget later in the day.

So, it's a small thing, but I'm so proud that I've done it. Knowing I have boys, they probably won't have the interest that girls would in reading these kind of things. Maybe they will. But it is mostly for me.

I wrote this in the beginning of journal:
"I wanted to write this mostly for me...to remember the small moments of these precious days that go by so quickly. I also hope that one day Colt and Owen will look at these and see how much I truly love being their mom. That they'll know I treasured moments big and small. That even the tough days were blessings. And that every night before bed, I take time to reflect on what I love about them. Every day they're learning and loving and surprising me. They're the pleasures of my life. My world begins and ends with my three men...my family. I love you!"

Hangin' Tough...

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know! It's been over a month which I think is a record for me, even with the sparse updating I've been doing!

Things here are good. They're great, actually. And now that I've said that I'm sure I'll get a blow. But as of this moment things are great.

Owen had his ear surgery. We just did a follow-up yesterday and things look great. We could tell a difference in his balance within hours of coming home. He's already much more vocal as well, and every now and then a word will escape. He still whispers words, but he can absolutely understand direction and what we're telling him. So while we wait until his vocabulary bursts onto the scene, we are confident he's made a big change.

The kids together are just so much fun right now. They are interacting with each other exactly as I'd hoped they would. Playing together and looking for each other. When we do things with them one-on-one they both keep asking about their "bubba". They just expect to be together and miss each other when they're not.

Other things are good, too. I've been working really hard and taking on some different responsibilities over the last 7 months (and more) and I was really excited to get a promotion at work. I've wanted it and I'm just so pleased to see it come to fruition. I don't talk much about work here, but just know that I love what I do. I'd have to, to travel like I do and work the hours that I do. They are an awesome agency with management that is so accessible and invested. People are what they're all about...I've been fortunate to spend my career there and look forward to growing even more there. I'm just excited. (is it a faux pas to talk about a promotion??)

Over this last weekend I was able to have one of the most fun experiences I've had in a long time, and help my sister realize a dream. My sister and I have found a common love of concerts. Concerts are not logical, they certainly don't make financial sense. But we absolutely love them and have been to some awesome concerts together. When i heard last year that New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys were going on tour TOGETHER I about died. And when I heard they were coming to TULSA I was immediately sold. The day the tickets went on sale, I bought them and 7 months later my sister, 6 of my favorite girlfriends, and I were on a roadtrip.

I was, obviously, a New Kids fan as a pre-teen. My sister was Backstreet Boys generation and she was OB-SESSED. But she'd never seen Backstreet. I, however, had been to a 1990 New Kids concert (which she also attended but cried and fell asleep because she was 4). Anyway, we lived our childhood Sunday night. I can't even describe the awesomeness, but where else are you dancing your suburban booty off with 10,000 other 30-ish women, and screaming with every shirt that came off an NKOTBSB member? It was so awesome.

Other than that, we're here. We're existing through absolutely unbearable heat. We're stocking away pocket change to pay our electric bill to keep the house cool. Boys are growing. I found my camera battery charger so expect to see some photos very soon!