The American Dream

So it's Sunday night and I'm sitting in the drive-thru at Wendy's. In front of me there's a minivan ordering dinner and a large SUV waiting to order. I'm sitting in my medium-sized SUV and it dawns on me, this is not what I want for my life. By "this" I am referring to Sunday dinner of the Wendy's that is situated in the parking lot of several of my favorite stores. In the past (and the future I am sure) I have loved living here for the convenience of it all, but in this moment I am cursing the lifestyle and the way it's making me feel.

I am guessing that much of these feelings have to do with my tired state and the monotony of the day. (I spent the day trying to get a newborn to sleep.) That doesn't mean, however, that I should overlook this moment. In this moment, I want to move away to Europe (maybe Italy) and live in a smaller town with a simpler life. I've been watching a lot of House Hunters International lately while up in the middle of the night, so I'm not surprised by the place that my mind is taking me.

Thoughts are one thing, but reality is another. No doubt I can take this moment and learn a lesson from it. I don't necessarily need to move our family to Italy to be happy. The feelings that I'm having and the changes that I need could probably come from tweaking my daily life. Now I just need to figure out what that means to me...

Rebirth of a blog

I had my second son, Donovan, about eight weeks ago. Since then, I have thought about this blog everyday. Having a newborn throws your life, however balanced you thought it was, into complete disarray. The movement between serenity (sleeping baby on your chest and 1st son napping) and complete chaos (screaming, hungry 2nd son and the sound of glass shattering and an "uh oh" from the 1st) keeps your mind in a state of reflective exhaustion. Or, maybe it's just the lack of sleep...

I've had several moments in the last eight weeks that remind me that I am in a balancing act. Actually, I spend most of my time trying to walk the tightrope that is mom of two, wife of one, and carer of self. There are, however, certain moments and events that stand out for their humor and definitive character.



1st son is swimming in the backyard pool while 2nd son is napping (notice the monitor at my feet). I am watching son #1 (so he doesn't drown of course), but must do so inside because I am pumping breast milk for son #2. With that said, here is to the rebirth of my blog about trying to balance it all...