Tagged!

Okay, so my friend Jen M tagged me and this is my first tag! I hope it dazzles and entertains you as the ones I have read have done to me. Well, we'll see.


Three joys of my life:

1. My family is definitely the biggest joy of my life. I just love everything (well, almost everything) about them. But there are certain things about them that bring me joy: I love Carson's little cowlick in the back of his head and the faces he makes when he chews his food, I love the smell of the kids' feet--NOT my husband's (by the way), I love listening to Annie talk to her toys, I love snuggling with all three of them in bed on Sunday mornings, I absolutely love hearing how tender Annie is when she talks to Carson (she gave him the nickname "Carsie"), I love just chilling on the couch with Ryan after the kids are in bed, I love how he makes me laugh when I'm sad or stressed, I love the big grins I get when they wake up, I love love love watching them on their monitor, and I love that they are mine forever.

2. My neighborhood. I know that's a little strange, but I love where I live. I love driving home down my street, with big maple trees (reminds me of CT) hanging over the road. I love laying in bed at night in the summertime with the window open listening to the crickets, the occasional sprinkler, dogs barking in the distance, and yes, even that dang rooster. I love laying out on the trampoline with Ryan after the kids are to bed laughing about the day and hearing nighttime noises. I love being able to feel safe where I live. I love that my neighbors keep up their yards and gardens (even though they put mine to shame--well, except for onions this year, GO SARAH!). But the best part of living where we live is our neighbors. We have the BEST neighbors. We are so lucky to live so close to good friends and hang out so much. It makes me feel happy to know that I can ask them for help or gardening and canning advice (or impromptu dental advice-sorry!), or just chat and they are so generous and kind.

3. Diet Dr. Pepper. It really and truly is nothing short of pure joy to me to take that first wet, cold, stinging, burning swig. I don't know why, but it just makes me feel better about everything in life. Maybe this will sound downright crazy to some of you (maybe it will make sense to others), but there are days when only the fountain "diet doctor" at the Vine St. Market will do; there are days when it MUST come from a cold, cold can. And there are some foods which cannot be paired with anything else: anything mexican, pizza, munchies of any kind. In fact, to my great pleasure, I recently became aware that Arby's has diet Dr. Pepper at the drive-thru. Life just keeps on getting better and better.


Three fears I have:

1. That something bad will happen to someone I love: my parents, my sibs, my husband, his family, my kids. I just am always nervous when one of them is traveling on an airplane, or driving a long distance--my sister Gretchen probably got so sick of calling me when she got home after leaving my house. I always have nightmares before going to Lake Powell with the kids. It's a little ridiculous. I think I need to spend a little more time being grateful for what I have rather than worrying that I'm going to lose it.

2. That my house will never be perfectly clean again. Uggghhhh. I wish I was one of those people who could keep a clean house with two kids and a husband and myself always messing it up, but I'm not. I'd love to blame it all on THEM, but I'm not innocent! I tell Ryan we have too much stuff (our house is small, so that may be part of it), but, you know . . .
I love how it feels when the house is clean--I feel like I'm more productive, happier, and a better mom. I guess the messiness just part of life for now.
For Christmas, this past year, I gave myself a clean house as my present to myself. I worked really hard for three weeks, doing big jobs here and there and trying really hard to keep up what I'd done. You know, the kids undo it all, then they take a nap and I straighten things out and then they mess it all up again when they awake. Anyway, on Christmas Eve, I put them down for their naps (everything was finally clean all at the same time, all the wrapping and other preparations complete), took a shower, got ready to go to Ryan's Opa and Oma's, and sat down on the couch. Ryan was playing a video game and the Christmas music was on, the lights were dim, the tree was lit, I had hot chocolate and it was beginning to snow and get dark outside. I curled up with the newspaper and read the "tell us your most memorable Christmas ever" stories. It was perfect.

3. That I'll never get over my fear of horses. Really, it's silly. Ryan loves horses. I had no fear of them when we were dating and first married. Then I had a bad experience where I got kicked in and had a horseshoe-shaped bruise on the back of both thighs. And then I realized: these things could really hurt me. And then I thought, "horses can sense fear." Which made me more afraid, which provided me with more pressure to not act afraid even though I was. And from there, it spiraled out of control. And for crying out loud, I'M A THERAPIST! You'd think I could talk myself out of the fear. But alas, I cannot. For now, it's not too much of an imposition. But what is going to happen when the kids are old enough to go with dad for horserides on Saturdays? Will I always stay home because I'm too scared? HELP!


Three goals I have:

1. To make a list of things I want to do or experience before I die. I went to a conference a couple of years ago with my friend Shannon. It was some play therapy thing and one of the therapeutic interventions the presenter was discussing involved making this Life List. She talked about hobbies and places to see, things to do, etc. And I began to get sooo distraught. I couldn't think of one dang stinkin' thing to put on my list. I thought and thought and thought about it. I remember thinking, "what do I like to do? what have I always wanted to do?" and I couldn't think of anything. I was so frustrated. I have since put a few on there (go on a Meditteranean cruise, read the Harry Potter series, go to Scotland with my husband, attend the Mo-Tab Christmas Concert --which I have since done--etc.), but one of my goals is to make this list and commit to doing as much of it as possible.

2. I want to try to make it back to Connecticut every summer that I can. We had such a fun time this summer. My parents live in the most amazing place. I do have a blog forthcoming about my recent trip there, I just need to get the rest of my pictures organized because there are so many great memories to share. We ate fresh lobster, captured jellyfish--Annie's latest obsession, went to Boston, my kids got to spend so much time with their grandparents, we took what I called "purple walks" which means walks as the sun was setting behind us, turning the sky above the ocean purple. It was truly breathtaking.

3. Be a kinder and better mom. Man, I just don't know how other moms do it. I love that I am a mom, and I wouldn't trade the time I have with my kids for anything. I just get so overwhelmed some days. I have always thought that people should be given three cosmic pause buttons a month where you just push pause and space/time hold still while you take a breather. Sounds like a GREAT idea to me! Sometimes it seems like I get the hot bath full and Annie wakes up early from her nap--can't ignore her, she's not in a crib! Some mornings I just want 15 more minutes to lay there in my cozy bed. How many ba-bas can one mommy fix for one small toddler? AND, Annie is into this new "stealing mom's stuff and re-arranging the home decor" thing. She will take things off my shelves and place them strategically amongst her play things. Can't find the remote? Go look in the playroom. Have you seen my grandparent's wedding photo? Oh, there it is, on her play kitchen counter arranged nicely beside my dried holiday garland! Where's that stack of holiday cards I've been working on? Well, they have all been stamped either with pink sunglasses or blue stars courtesy of the Happy Meal Crayola stamper, and a smiley-face job chart sticker is now holding them to various surfaces all around the playroom. SHEEEEEESH! I have to admit, though. I do get angry sometimes, but most of the time I have to cover my mouth or leave the room so she won't see me smiling or laughing. She is a funny little girl. I just wish I could take it all in stride more and realize that they won't be little forever and I'll spend the rest of my life wishing I have another day with them at this age.


Three of my current obsessions/collections:

1. FANTASY FOOTBALL! Okay, okay, I get the football addiction! I was raised by a father who loved the Cowboys and I grew up watching them, so when someone asks who is my favorite, I say the Cowboys. I also grew up liking the Giants --from Ct and all. But I never really cared to watch it and watch it and watch it and watch it and, well, you get the picture. But I decided to have a fantasy football team this year (Team Sushi Sarah) and although we're not the strongest force in the league (currently 8 of 12, thank you very much), I am having so much fun! I totally recommend it for you readers who get tired of your spouse watching football, because I watch it with Ryan now and I totally am into it. I don't think to myself, WHY ARE WE WATCHING MORE FOOTBALL!?!?!?!? I sit down with him and look for my guys! (Romo, Forte, Johnson, Lewis, Royal, Fasano, Aikers, etc.) Like I said, not the strongest force in the league, but HEY it's fun! I have to confess too, I check the league smack talk almost as much as I check my own emails!

2. Canning. I've become a canner. We have had a great garden every year since we got married (10 years now!) But we've just eaten it out of the garden and frozen some things. When we moved into the house we live in now, we immediately planted a peach tree, raspberries, blackberries, and were thrilled about the apple trees, plum trees, rhubarb, grapes, etc. that were already there. Anyway. This year I decided I'd give canning a go. So far, I have canned grape juice, salsa, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, pickles, jalapeno jelly, chili sauce, peaches, raspberry jam, blackberry freezer jam, peach freezer jam, and peaches. I am very proud of my large but effective learning curve. I was terrified the first time I used the pressure cooker, but now I am more comfortable with it. I can't say that things TASTE the way they are supposed to. . . I guess we'll see!

3. Okay, this one is a little bit silly. I have these empty shelves in my very white kitchen and they have become a storage area for random things like loose change, pictures, star wars trading cards, greeting cards that I fill out and address but never send, random nuts and screws that Ryan empties out of his pocket, things I take away from the kids and don't know where to put. You get the picture. So I decided to clear them off and (no "old grandma" comments, please) start a salt and pepper shaker collection. I know. I know. My rule is that they have to be really cute and unique for me to choose them. I really don't know what else to say about this collection. ;)


Three facts about myself:

1. I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I guess that makes me a nerd. I really didn't think it was that nerdy until we were watching The Office one time when Dwight talks about how he will travel one day to New Zealand and tour the Lord of the Rings trail and climb Mt. Doom and everyone laughs at him because he's SUCH A NERD!!! Well, although Mt. Doom was never in the cards, my sister and I actually have conversed several times about how much fun it would be to visit where Lord of the Rings was filmed. hmmmmm. . . maybe it's time to face facts. I am a nerd. This one thing in and of itself would be harmless, but this same sister and I have been known to frequent Star Trek films. Okay, I think I've exposed myself too much here. Back to LOTR. I just think it is GREAT! As my friend Tricia once said, "it has everything: good vs. evil, the sacrificial son, the unlikely hero, never giving up, believing in those who won't believe in themselves. . ." I love the whole good vs. evil, just hang in there theme. In fact, when I was still seeing therapy clients I ordered a wall sign for my office which says, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" by Gandalf the Grey. I ordered it because I love that saying and because that is the essense of the therapy that I do.

2. I can't go to sleep at night unless the closet door is shut and I'm facing the open bedroom door. I know there are no monsters in my closet, but I just can't concentrate on falling asleep unless that door is closed closed closed. My husband used to tease me and open it just slightly before I came to bed. I think that's mean! But he sure got a chuckle out of it. And the facing the open door thing: I guess I just want to be able to see whatever comes my way, ya know? I don't like having my back toward the unknown. Almost crazy, I know.

3. I am pregnant!


And I hereby tag: jessie, miriam, kelli, paula, and sarah k (or glenn--whoever will do it). When you post your answers on your blog, tag 5 new people and let them know they're tagged by leaving a comment on their blog. Get blogging!