Anything, but Not Everything...

I said to myself - over and over again - that when I went back to work, I was not going to fall into the same crazy and over-stressed routine that I had been in before. For the most part, I've been successful. I'm busy, but I've generally felt okay about the balance. Lately I've been taking on more at work, because there's that part of me that wants to achieve and be recognized, and also because the tasks I've been taking on are interesting and important to me. Most importantly, I felt like I had the capacity to do these things. 

I was recently asked to take on something else, and I hesitated. It is so difficult to say no, but I felt like I had reached my limit. If I took this on, something else would be sacrificed. It was uncomfortable, but I ultimately said no. I immediately felt guilty about it, and I've felt guilty ever since; but I continue to remind myself that I can't do it all. At least not at the same time. Perhaps the next time this opportunity comes up, I'll be able to step up, but not now. 

It can be hard to accept this type of self-imposed limitation, especially in my business. A business full of young, ambitious people. But I think I am (mostly) at peace with it. I have other priorities in my life. I will work hard, but I will also ensure that there is room for everything else. There is so much more to life than work.

Weekend Recap

We finally got a couple great days of skiing in! So far, winter has been pretty mean to the ski resort owners in New England. January was so warm that there hasn't been an opportunity for us to get back out on the slopes. We were invited to spend a weekend with friends who are renting a place in New Hampshire, and we took them up on the offer last weekend. 

There was still very little snow in the forecast, but we decided to take the chance anyway. We were pleasantly surprised at the conditions. Most of the trails were open, and the nice weather made it really fun. As an added bonus, nobody was there! There were no lines for the lifts or for food in the lodges. It was great!

Our friends have two boys, similar ages to ours, and we all skied together. This was our first trip where the adults were having a hard time keeping up with the kids! 

I hope we're able to get some more skiing in this winter - it makes the whole season so much more enjoyable. I also love the fact that my legs feel tight and strong as a result of the shoop-shoop.  Happy February!

Recently Read

Don't Suck, Don't Die, by Kristin Hersh.
Kristin Hersh is one of my all-time favorites. I loved Rat Girl, and I will be willing and excited to read anything she writes. I knew Vic Chesnutt's music a little, but I confess that I didn't know that much about him. I knew he was a songwriter, and I knew he was paralyzed. I did not know that he only had limited use of his hands. After reading this book, I almost feel like I knew him personally. Kristin writes with such raw accessibility and honesty - she doesn't hold anything back. The good and the bad are all here. We get to know this beautiful and broken man through his music and through his relationship with one of his best friends. Highly recommend, especially if you have any interest in his music.

Thirteen Ways of Looking, by Colum McCann. This book is a collection of short stories. The writing is very good, and I liked some of the stories better than others. Overall, though, it's quite sad. I love Colum McCann's writing, and I enjoyed other books of his, but I'm not sure I'd recommend this one.

The Nightingale, by Kristen Hannah. I loved this book. It drew me in instantly, and the writing is beautiful - I had a clear picture in my mind of every character, every scene, every conversation... I didn't want to put it down, and I found myself going to bed early in order to read. It's set in World War 2, which means it's tragic and difficult to read at times; but overall, it's a beautiful story, and it's one that will continue to stick with me.

 

Kristin Hersh and Vic Chesnutt

A Few Things...

Love Bill Nye.

A few interesting reads for this week...

This fake movie trailer is hilariously perfect.

I very much enjoyed this interview with Lucy Kalanithi in the NY Times. "When Breath Becomes Air" is next up on my to-read stack.

UN Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-Free Diet. Interesting to think of the global view. I already eat very little meat, but it would be extremely difficult for me to do without cheese.

Speaking of vegetables, I want to make this stew.

America Dumbs Down. This article makes me sad.

White Privilege is Not Something to Feel Guilty About. Here's What It Does Mean. Important information to know and understand.

How Rich Parents Can Exacerbate School Inequality. Our town falls somewhere in the middle of the extremes discussed here, but it's something that has been on my mind for a long time. I wish there was an easier way for us to support schools in lower-income areas.

An interesting perspective. Makes you think about the things you really want and what you're willing to do to get them.

Newport has started their lineup announcements!  Every week or so between now and July, I get to receive a little jolt of excitement from the good people of the Newport Folk Festival. Lucky me!

Aoife O'Donovan - In The Magic Hour

Aoife O'Donovan has a new album, In the Magic Hour. I'm only just getting to know it; but I do think the title song is lovely, particularly this acoustic version.

Little Things...

photo via waiting on martha

A good book that makes me stay up too late. Coffee with cream. Clean sheets. Discovering new music. Dinner with friends. Watching six and seven-year-olds play basketball. An empty dishwasher and clean countertops. The X-Files! New haircuts on little boys. Daylight at 5PM. Avocados. A comfortable scarf. Sitting by the fireplace. Eucalyptus. Sleepy hugs. Emails from friends. Making plans. A few moments of silence.

Taking Stock - January 2016

photo via classy girls wear pearls

What I am...

Watching - We finished Making a Murderer over the holidays. It didn't make me believe Steven Avery was necessarily innocent, but it sure did get me all enraged about the justice system. Since then, quite a lot of football. Go Patriots! (But only because the Bills didn't make the postseason.)
Wearing - Jeans, sweaters, and boots. Slacks to work. Easy, comfy, warm. But still cute. At least that's the goal.
Loving - My boys, even when they fight all day long and generally drive me crazy.
Eating - Tons of chocolate-chip walnut cookies. And kale, to balance things out.
Listening - Lots of Adele and Glen Hansard at the moment. Nathan is decidedly NOT a fan of Adele, and he's declared "Hello" to be his least favorite song ever. Well then. Maroon 5 seems to be more his speed. To each his own.
Wanting - New earrings. I only have a few pairs, and although I've never been big on jewelry, I do enjoy wearing a little something on my ears.
Reading - Well, I've already posted what I've finished.  I'm currently reading a book of short stories by Colum McCann called "Thirteen Ways of Looking".  Next up:  The Nightingale. (I've heard great things.)
Enjoying - The Martian movie. It was good, but I'm sure I would've enjoyed it more if I had not read the book. They left out a bunch! But it was fun and well done and who doesn't love Matt Damon?
Drinking - A lot of sparkling water. Kevin and I are taking a break from alcohol for the month of January. It feels good, but it's harder than I expected.
Thinking - That our election cycle is waaaaay too long in this country. Can we all vote now and get it over with?
Appreciating - The fact that my boys are old enough to clean toilets now. They do some cleaning every weekend, and it makes me happy. They shoveled the driveway yesterday too! Nice.
Planning - Vacations! We have three major vacations planned for this year, and they are all booked! Disneyworld, Cape Cod, and Dublin/Barcelona. A lot to look forward to.
Working - To incorporate more yoga into my week. I'm in a good phase. I did 30 minutes before work this morning, and my shoulders feel good.
Feeling - Pretty good about everything in my own life, which makes me feel like I should be doing more for others.
Noticing - It's been a mild start to Winter again this year, but there's talk of a storm this weekend.
Wondering - Is it going to be another Winter like last year?

Glen Hansard - Winning Streak

Love Glen Hansard's latest album, which made my favorites list of last year. I especially love this beautiful song.

Happy Monday all!

Friends and Good Conversation...

Is there anything better?

I went out to dinner with a group of mom friends last night, and at the end of the evening, my cheeks hurt from laughing. (I only classify them as "mom" friends, because we all met through our kids.) In addition to silliness and laughs, here are a few of the things we discussed:

- Two of the women in the group are from other countries (Peru and Portugal), and another one had never traveled outside the US at all. We talked about the meaning of the word "home" and about how the diversity in the United States can make it easier for people from other countries to not feel like an outsider.

- We talked about summer plans and child care and how expensive camps are. We work to go on vacations and to send our kids to camp so we can work. (That's not true, but it can feel like it when those big bills hit.)
- Six out of the seven work outside the home - some part-time, some full-time, but all of us understanding the challenge of the juggle. We talked about dinner challenges and bedtimes and commutes.
- One of the women is a widow. She has two boys, the same ages as mine, and her husband died of brain cancer four years ago. She also happens to be one of the most positive and fun people to be around - she's remarkable. She's going with a friend to a speed-dating event in a few weeks, which led to some interesting conversation about what kinds of questions she should ask.
- There is a tremendous amount of pride in our town. We love our schools and the community. We talked about local politics, the latest on school developments, what life will be like once our kids start middle school. (Only one of the group has a child already there.) We talked about bus schedules and homework and sports.
- Five of us have two boys. (One has a boy and a girl, and another has two boys and a girl.) That's a lot of boys! We talked about the saying "a son is a son 'til he takes a wife, a daughter is a daughter all her life". As the mothers of sons, we got pretty worked up about it. Let's just say I really, really, really hope my boys choose their wives wisely, and I hope they don't settle down too far away.

It was a fun night, and I know we'll do it again. I'll also get to see this same group on the sidelines of the soccer field this Spring. 

Recently Read...

The Martian, by Andy Weir.
I loved this book. It's funny, smart, and fast-paced. It is extremely science-y, so if you don't have at least a small interest in science, you may get bored by all the technical talk. I love science, and that only made it more appealing to me. Even if you skim through the science-speak, though, it's a thrilling ride. Kevin is reading it now, and I told him he has two more days to finish it, because I want to watch the movie this weekend. Matt Damon trapped on Mars? Yes please.

The Secret Chord, by Elizabeth Brooks.
I love historical fiction, and Elizabeth Brooks is one of my favorite authors in that genre. March, The Year of Wonders, Caleb's Crossing, and People of the Book - I thoroughly enjoyed all of those books. I enjoyed The Secret Chord as well. It is the full life story of the Old Testament's King David, narrated by his personal prophet, Nathan. It was a bit difficult to get into at first, especially since she uses the old version of the names (Natan=Nathan, Shlomo=Solomon, etc.). This makes it somewhat difficult to navigate. That said, it's a fascinating story, and although I knew the major highlights of his story, her storytelling brings David to life and gives us a completely different perspective on the stories we've been told. It's far from my favorite of her books, but I liked it overall.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Won't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain.
This is a fascinating book. It is extremely well-researched, and the author does a fantastic job of using both psychological studies and experiments as well as personal stories to explain the differences between extroverts and introverts. It is said that 1/3-1/2 of all people are introverts, and it would be beneficial to everyone if these people were more represented and accommodated in our businesses and schools. I imagine a lot of the people that read this book are introverts, like myself, and the book is definitely targeted to us. I can imagine that an extrovert may be put off a bit as the author continuously talks about the many wonderful things about introverts, but I hope that doesn't dissuade them from continuing to read. It would benefit all of us - introverts and extroverts alike - to understand each other better.

A New Year...

I enjoy this time of year. Similar to September and the start of a new school year, there's a feeling of renewed optimism. A clean slate. An opportunity to both reflect on the year before and make goals for the new year.  

When I think back to 2015, I think of family and work and our routines and rituals. There weren't many big momentous occasions or adventurous trips or home renovations or life changes. We did have a few fun trips, including The Dominican Republic to celebrate Kevin's 40th, and San Francisco in the Fall. I do love going on adventures with my boys. Mostly, though, Kevin and I continued in our work, the boys continued in their school, we enjoyed our many traditions... It has been relatively stable and consistent, which suits me just fine. I'm not big on change.  

I turned 41, and I must say that 41 felt like a more difficult transition than 40 did. Turning 40 felt anti-climactic - I felt the same! However, I felt like I aged tremendously this year. Forty-one brought more obvious (to me) physical changes, and I feel now that I am solidly in my forties. I'm (mostly) okay with this, but I can't say I was totally prepared for it. 

Now that January is upon us, we are in planning mode for the coming year. We are doing some of the same things that have become annual rituals, such as Newport, and we're adding some adventures as well.  Disneyworld! I'm excited. Work continues, school continues - Aaron will be entering his last year at his current school. Work on the house is complete, but of course there is a never-ending list of home improvements to be made. I am feeling the usual start-of-year motivation to eat clean and exercise, although I refuse to cleanse or cut anything out completely. Brownies are too yummy and life is too short.  I appreciated this post on New Year's resolutions:  Be Good, Most of the Time. 

So life chugs along, steadily, too quickly at times. I enjoy both the looking back and the planning for the days ahead. I'm optimistic and feeling good about where we are. Happy days.

Nine

My baby is nine. I am blown away by that fact. I want to capture a few things about my awesome boy at age nine that I want to remember.

1.  His best friends are the same girl friends he has had since kindergarten. For his "party" this year, he invited the two of them over to hang out, eat pizza and ice cream sundaes, play, and watch a movie. Perfect.
2.  His favorite color is still green.  Just like me.
3.  He likes a pretty wide variety of foods at this point. He is definitely a meat-eater; he loves cheeseburgers and steak and chicken...but he also does really well with fruits and veggies.  For his birthday dinner, he requested "breakfast dinner":  eggs, bacon, fruit salad, and english muffins.
4.  He still hates carrots with a vengeance. 
5.  His favorite TV shows are:  MasterChef Junior, The Voice, and NOVA. He still loves Wild Kratts too.
6.  He sticks with comfortable clothes, mostly athletic pants/shorts and t-shirts. He wears a hooded sweatshirt every day.
7.  He still thankfully loves school and is loving third grade.  Science is his favorite, and he's in an extra "Harry Potter Science" class after school.
8.  His piano playing is amazing. He's in his third year now, and he has definitely surpassed my skills. He gets frustrated with each new song, but once he has it learned, he plays nonstop. I love listening to him play.
9.  He still stays up way too late, and he's crabby in the mornings. I don't think this will ever change. 
10.  He fights with his brother all day long. There's friendship there, too, and it's so great when they play nicely together. But it rarely lasts long.  
11.  He reads a ton. His biggest obsession this year has been the Percy Jackson series. He powered through all of them as well as the next series by the same author. He is now extremely fascinated by greek mythology. 
12.  He is getting more into sports, led by his little brother. He tried soccer this year and loved it. And he loves watching basketball and football. Baseball is still his favorite to play. He's also starting to enjoy running. He ran three races this year, and he participates in a before-school program where he gets to play games and run.
13.  He still hugs me every day - good morning hugs, school drop-off hugs, hello hugs in the evening, good-night hugs... He's not stingy with the hugs, and I love it.
14.  He's not sure what he wants to be when he grows up. Maybe a baseball player. Maybe a teacher. Maybe a scientist. 

My Favorite Music of 2015

Okay, before I start with 2015 music, I have to say that it is appalling that Sturgill Simpson hasn't made an appearance on the blog yet. I think it took an opportunity to see him live to make me love him, but oh how I do now. There used to be a time when I'd say I didn't like country music. That is so not true. I hate country radio music, but I love true country music.

Now, on to this year's batch of favorites. As always, this is a list of the albums that I played the most this year. Jason Isbell continues to be a favorite - 'Speed Trap Town' is sad and beautiful.  'Wilder Mind' is my favorite Mumford and Sons album, and that's saying something. Sleater-Kinney and Veruca Salt make me feel like a teenager again. Brandi Carlile is awesome to belt out. Glen Hansard is such a beautiful songwriter. Good Old War is a toe-tapper. Brown Bird makes me cry.  Kurt Vile is what I listen to when I want to feel cool.

And who did we see live this year?  At Newport we saw The Suffers, The Barr Brothers, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Joe Pug, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Brandi Carlile, The Decemberists, and James Taylor.  We also saw Frank Turner, who puts on such a fun live show.  A weeknight show with Chris Cornell, whose voice is one of my favorites of all-time. Oh, and Foo Fighters in Fenway!  Who could forget that?

Without further adieu...the list:

Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free
Mumford and Sons - Wilder Mind
My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall
Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love
Josh Ritter - Sermon on the Rocks

Brandi Carlile - The Firewatcher's Daughter
Kurt Vile - B'lieve I'm Goin Down
Glen Hansard - Didn't He Ramble
Langhorne Slim & The Law - The Spirit Moves
Haunt the House - Jack Rabbit Jones

Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands
Noah Gundersen - Carry the Ghost
Wilco - Star Wars
Veruca Salt - Ghost Notes
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell

Good Old War - Broken into Better Shape
Brown Bird - Axis Mundi
The Staves - If I Was
Lord Huron - Strange Trails
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear

Honorable Mentions:
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color
Laura Marling - Short Movie
Chris Cornell - Higher Truth

Little Things...

Crossword puzzles with my mom. Homemade art masterpieces. Spicy bloody marys. Conversations in front of a warm fireplace. The smell of frost in the morning. Extra whipped cream on pumpkin pie. Library books. Passing strangers with smiles. Feeding pumpkins to pigs. Rewarding kindness. Hugs. Movie nights. Pinot noir. Sore abs. Chance encounters. Laughs that devolve into snorts. A full house. Brisk walks. Cousins. A working washing-machine. Piano recitals. Sleeping in. Scrabble.

A Few Things...

picture from here

Thanksgiving was wonderful, as always. It remains my favorite holiday of the year, with its focus on food, family, and gratitude. What's not to love? The day after, the mood shifted and the Christmas holiday season began. Our tree is decorated, the stockings are up, and the carols are playing nonstop on the radio. I haven't begun any shopping yet, and yet somehow I'm not stressed about it. More motivation to keep it simple.

While I attempt to work off the tremendous amount of awesome food I ate last week, I thought I'd share a few things I've come across recently...

One highlight from this year's Thanksgiving feast was this recipe:  Roasted Butternut Squash and Pears. Yum.

Bill Simmons Interview with President Obama. I appreciated this interview, because Bill asks a lot of the questions I imagine a lot of us would ask if we got a chance to sit down with the President.

I think I'd like this clutch. Sometimes I hate having to bring my whole big purse somewhere. It'd be nice to have a little clutch to carry the essentials.

The Secret to Enjoying a Long Winter.  During this darkest time of the year, it's hard to imagine a place that's even darker. What's cool is that the people there have embraced it.

Think Better.  I fully admit that I struggle with this. I work in an office setting, where it has become commonplace to be sitting in a meeting, writing an email, and getting an instant message simultaneously. It's crazy. I don't like it, and I'm trying to figure out how to influence the environment to the extent that I can. One person can't change culture, though, so I'm mostly interested in how to change my own approach to working (and living) wherever I can.

Where Syrian Children Sleep.  These pictures, and the stories that accompany them, will make you cry. They will make you feel frustrated and powerless. But it's still important to look and acknowledge them.

Carrie Brownstein Doesn't Want to be Famous.  Carrie Brownstein has led an interesting and creative life, and I find her fascinating. Her book is on my wish-list too.

Sweden Introduces Six Hour Work Days.  Love it!

Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett and Six More Top Actresses on Pay Gap, Sex Scenes and the Price of Speaking Frankly: "There Is Always a Backlash". I loved this conversation with eight fabulous actresses.

And to wrap up this round-up:  Parenting Comics That Are Almost Too Real.  The comic below is just one of many excellent examples. So spot on they are awesome.

Hopeful...

Paris

This weekend, after hearing us talk about the events in Paris, Aaron interrupted to ask what a terrorist is. It's a difficult concept to explain, especially to a not-quite-nine-year-old. There are bad people in the world, doing terrible things for unfathomable reasons. I did my best to explain, but he seemed unsatisfied with my response. I am unsatisfied as well; I can't understand the reasons behind such acts, and so they are impossible to explain.

On the other hand, the responses to tragedies such as these are always uplifting and inspiring. The globe has draped itself in the French flag, and we are all citizens of the world, at least for a moment. We attended a Boston Bruins hockey game on Saturday night, and amidst the increased security, there was a tremendous comfort in being in a large and happy crowd of people. They lit the ice up in blue, red, and white, played the French national anthem, and observed a moment of silence. In those moments, we are reminded of what connects us.

And then we are all challenged to ask ourselves:  What about Beirut? What about those Syrian refugees? What about the numerous places around the world where people are forced to live in states of such horrendous violence every day? Is it that we've become used to the idea of violent places existing in the world, and only when that violence spills over into the "peaceful" areas that we become scared and outraged? And is that right? Difficult questions, to be sure. 

My heart remains heavy for the people of the world who have been impacted by such vicious acts of violence, in Paris and elsewhere, and yet I am still hopeful. On Saturday, we spent the morning cheering on our boys as they played their last soccer game of the season. It felt good to be out in the cool air, surrounded by friendly and supportive parents watching their children. We spent a few hours afterwards with friends, discussing the big things and the little things. I am so grateful to be a part of a community with such genuinely good and thoughtful people. It reminds me, as I was reminded after this terrible day as well...there are more of us than there are of them.

Recently Read

Sick in the Head:  Conversations about Life and Comedy, by Judd Apatow.
I enjoyed most of this book a lot. It's a collection of interviews, some of which come from Judd's high school years, working as a host of a school radio show. And some of them are more recent. Some of them are a little boring, especially when I wasn't familiar with the subject; and some of them were a little repetitive, since they sometimes talk about similar topics (how Judd started out in comedy, who his favorites are, etc). But the good ones are great. It was a lot of fun to hear comedians talk about their work - it's too easy to think that comedy isn't as much work as it is, but I can appreciate the effort that must go into crafting a good joke, or putting together enough material for an hour-long special, or having to come up with new material constantly (especially in this age of social media). The interview subjects are fabulous: Jerry Seinfeld, James Brooks, Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller and Jim Carrey...  It's not written to be funny, although it sometimes is. It's written to give you an idea of what it's like to be a comedian. Or at least, what it's like to have a conversation with one.

Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff.
"Marriage is made of lies: kind ones, mostly. Omissions. If you give voice to the things you think every day about your spouse, you'd crush them to paste. She never lied, just never said."
This is a fascinating book, and it's one you'll continue to think about long after it ends. It's the story of a marriage, written from different perspectives. The characters are fully-developed, and although it took a little while for me to get into it, I was enthralled by the end.

Dad is Fat, by Jim Gaffigan.
Sometimes you just want a laugh. I got this book for Kevin, because I thought he'd get a kick out of it. After hearing him giggle every night while he was reading it, I picked it up. Jim Gaffigan has five young kids, and he lives in a two-bedroom apartment in New York City. (That last sentence stresses me out just to write.) The book has a lot of silly parenting stories, and it is also a love letter to his wife, who he praises throughout. It's a fun, fast, easy read.

Josh Ritter - Where The Night Goes

One of my recent favorites. Josh Ritter's new album, Sermon on the Rocks.  Get it and put it on repeat. 

Round and Round...

Someone mentioned to me today that Thanksgiving is in two weeks. What?!? I feel like it was summer and then I looked down for a minute and now it's the holiday season. What happened to Fall? I did notice the spectacular trees - it was a gorgeous year for foliage - but I didn't walk in them enough. I need to look up more. 

That's where the blog comes in. Its primary purpose has been to keep me focused on the stuff of life, and not just the big trips and events, but all the ordinary everyday things as well. I need to get back to that. It's funny how difficult it can be to get back to the blog when you step away for a bit. It becomes intimidating somehow, as though I need to wait for something to be worthy enough to write about. 

The house painting is finally done. Since most of the colors were the same, it doesn't look dramatically different, just clean. Now if I could get the rest of the house clean enough to match. My boys are old enough to clean toilets and mop the floors, so that helps. Last weekend, we actually had a full day at home with no plans. Lots of errands to be run, of course, but then we actually got some cleaning done. It felt good. 

I've been feeling old lately. Along with a few new wrinkles, a nice big sunspot has appeared out of nowhere under my left eye. Grr.  Also - not enough sleep and not enough yoga. I got up early yesterday morning and spent 40 minutes doing yoga, and I was amazed at the difference in made in my day. I don't know why it should amaze me, and I don't know why it has to be so hard to make it happen more consistently. But you know what helps? Writing about it and telling someone else. I am going to do more yoga...so there.

I'm trying to wrap my head around the impending holidays. I adore the holiday season, but only when I'm prepared for it. I am adding events to the calendar, but I've done nothing yet to get ready. I need to determine the Thanksgiving menu - and not just the day, the entire week. I want to start giving thought to presents, cookie recipes, and time to sit on the couch and watch movies.

I decided on a dress. Actually, since I have two holiday parties to attend this year, I got two dresses. This one and this one. And I didn't even step in the mall! And they both fit great and are so cute! Hooray!

The days are getting shorter and shorter, and with the time change, it's now dark on my ride home from work. Although I know this isn't the case, it can make it feel like there's less time to get things done. I haven't talked to my sisters in weeks. That's not balance. It's calming down a bit at work now, though, so I hope to swing the pendulum back towards home/family/friends. Oh, and me.

Halloween 2015

The boys are in their prime Halloween ages right now. Add to that the fact that my company has a family Halloween party, and the fact that the boys decided they should both be Star Wars characters (Luke and Anakin Skywalker)....those facts led to our decision to go big this year. 

Kevin and I rarely dress up. (This was a huge exception.)  There aren't too many female characters in Star Wars, so Leia was an easy choice. Kevin didn't hesitate in deciding to be a stormtrooper, spending hours researching costume options (and more $$ than I care to know about). We were all impressed with his commitment, especially seeing how uncomfortable that suit must be! I think it was worth it, though. I know I'll never forget it.  (Especially since he'll probably wear it every year from now on!)