...there was a girl. She was an ambitious girl, who hated hearing she couldn't do something. Being told she can't do something is almost a dare to her (as her many friends can attest to), and some of the times, she ends up in quite the pickle.
This ambitious girl loved softball, and decided that after a 5 year hiatus, that the adult coed league was going to be a perfect and fun and safe activity for her 30 something ass. She tagged up on 2nd after an infield fly ball, and...well...never made it to third.
She tore her ACL. In half. She's a dumbass. So she had surgery. She's still attempting to recover by going to physical therapy 3 times a week and crying. She realizes that she is not 20 anymore. Her husband takes much delight in this, as it is what he has been trying to tell her the entire softball season.
The same month, her realtor asked her if she wanted to sell her house for a lot more money than she paid for it. The idea of being out of debt was really appealing to the girl, so she also agreed to that. Her house was on the market for 4 hours before it had multiple offers. The girl, she lives in a crazy part of the country with a crazy real estate market. The buyers waived all inspections and wanted to close fast. The girl found a new house to live in (a rental), and helped her husband pack and move a 5 bedroom house, 2 kids, and 2 dogs. 2 weeks after having her ACL replaced with a zombie's.
She also threw a birthday party for her 6 year old son and entertained out of town friends during this span of 4 weeks.
What a crazy fairytale!! Oh wait. It isn't. In our house, we just called it "August." :)
This girl is tired, and looking forward to a much more peaceful and quiet September. And maybe not walking with a limp.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Mom Guilt
As most of you know, our son has autism. Since his diagnosis almost 3 years ago, my husband and I have poured ourselves into getting Sam every intervention and therapy on the face of Earth. I took classes and learned to do some of his therapies, took classes on how to deal with behaviors of Autism, etc. If there was a class, or a scientific study, or a research available, I learned it and tried it. I'm proud to say that our intense intervention with Sam has paid off in leaps and bounds. He's happy, he's thriving, and life is pretty good right now.
I forget sometimes that we have a younger daughter too. We've spent so much time and effort getting Sam the early intervention to thrive in the future, that we haven't done a whole lot to make sure our daughter thrives, too. I can't remember the last time I got the flashcards out to teach Sloane. The letter puzzles got tossed in our move. Where are the BOB books? Who knows.
This became blatantly apparent this morning as Sloane and I were practicing our alphabet. She is still not recognizing all of the letters, and sometimes we have trouble with counting. I am feeling like a total slacker mom right now! Sam could do all of this stuff by her age! I feel like I've failed her.
But then I remember the things that she can do that her brother can't. She can diffuse a situation using big, adult words and not the words that most 4 year olds use. She shows a compassion for her brother. She understands him without having to ask what is wrong. She drags him along with her and insists that he participates in whatever group activity is going on. She pushes Sam to be social. She can get herself dressed and brush her own hair and brush her own teeth. She is pretty much amazing.
So, yes. My daughter is 4 and stares blankly at the letter T. But you can teach letters in school. Compassion, on the other hand, is something that isn't easily taught. Perhaps I've done a better job with her than I think I have.
(and yeah, I'm going to start doing a better job of having a preschool hour in the house. Just sayin', some things are way more important).
I forget sometimes that we have a younger daughter too. We've spent so much time and effort getting Sam the early intervention to thrive in the future, that we haven't done a whole lot to make sure our daughter thrives, too. I can't remember the last time I got the flashcards out to teach Sloane. The letter puzzles got tossed in our move. Where are the BOB books? Who knows.
This became blatantly apparent this morning as Sloane and I were practicing our alphabet. She is still not recognizing all of the letters, and sometimes we have trouble with counting. I am feeling like a total slacker mom right now! Sam could do all of this stuff by her age! I feel like I've failed her.
But then I remember the things that she can do that her brother can't. She can diffuse a situation using big, adult words and not the words that most 4 year olds use. She shows a compassion for her brother. She understands him without having to ask what is wrong. She drags him along with her and insists that he participates in whatever group activity is going on. She pushes Sam to be social. She can get herself dressed and brush her own hair and brush her own teeth. She is pretty much amazing.
So, yes. My daughter is 4 and stares blankly at the letter T. But you can teach letters in school. Compassion, on the other hand, is something that isn't easily taught. Perhaps I've done a better job with her than I think I have.
(and yeah, I'm going to start doing a better job of having a preschool hour in the house. Just sayin', some things are way more important).
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Long Time Gone...But I Choose Happiness.
In January, I promised a good deal of you that I would write again regularly. It was my New Year Resolution.
Yeah, well resolutions are made to be broken, and sometimes life gets in the way.
Our move to Nevada has been hard. A lot, lot, lot stinking harder than I ever thought it would be. We've dealt with the usual "new surroundings" stuff, but I've also had a harder than usual time making friends. The kids have had a harder-than-I-could-have-imagined time adjusting to the weather, and a new house, and "why can't we just go see Aunt Jessi and Sammah and Aidan and I MISS THEM." My husband moved around much of his school aged life, and even he said that this move was one of his hardest. I could write an entire book on how hard it was for me to leave Lawrence. Needless to say, I haven't felt particularly funny or had anything that I considered exciting and fun to write about. I sat at home a lot, we tried to discover the city on weekends when Hub was home, but mostly we just existed.
And then, my mama came to visit. And I told her how hard it was and that I hated it and why cant I just come home with you? And, instead of saying "Yeah! You should! Let's do it!", she said something different. She told me that even life in Larrytown would have changed had I stayed. The close friends I have there have children of their own, and they all go to different schools and like to do different things. They are all growing up, which means we all would spend less time together and more time chasing our children's dreams. Our families are also doing the same stuff--my brothers and sisters have kids and are more busy now, which means less time on weekends to get together. Same for John's family. Same for my friends' jobs' and things they are passionate about. "Lindsey, life is constantly changing. How you choose to deal with the change is what makes life exciting, and fun, and worth living."
I really enjoyed my time with my mom, and I bawled like crazy when she left. But her words hang in the air around here, and have left marks on my heart. And so, I started trying to look at Las Vegas as an exciting time in our life, and not a sad lonely place where we don't know anyone. I started inviting people I have met to do things, and they said yes! I began embracing the crazy and weird and madly interesting city I live in. Before, I'd just assume there was no sense of community here, and now I seek it out. It's made all the difference in the world.
I still love Kansas and my family and I always, always will. If there comes an opportunity for us to get closer to home, we will probably take it. But for now, I've chosen happiness here in this strange city. It doesn't quite feel like "home" yet, but who knows. Maybe someday it will.
And now, he's some photos of some of the fun things we've done since I changed my perspective. :)
Yeah, well resolutions are made to be broken, and sometimes life gets in the way.
Our move to Nevada has been hard. A lot, lot, lot stinking harder than I ever thought it would be. We've dealt with the usual "new surroundings" stuff, but I've also had a harder than usual time making friends. The kids have had a harder-than-I-could-have-imagined time adjusting to the weather, and a new house, and "why can't we just go see Aunt Jessi and Sammah and Aidan and I MISS THEM." My husband moved around much of his school aged life, and even he said that this move was one of his hardest. I could write an entire book on how hard it was for me to leave Lawrence. Needless to say, I haven't felt particularly funny or had anything that I considered exciting and fun to write about. I sat at home a lot, we tried to discover the city on weekends when Hub was home, but mostly we just existed.
And then, my mama came to visit. And I told her how hard it was and that I hated it and why cant I just come home with you? And, instead of saying "Yeah! You should! Let's do it!", she said something different. She told me that even life in Larrytown would have changed had I stayed. The close friends I have there have children of their own, and they all go to different schools and like to do different things. They are all growing up, which means we all would spend less time together and more time chasing our children's dreams. Our families are also doing the same stuff--my brothers and sisters have kids and are more busy now, which means less time on weekends to get together. Same for John's family. Same for my friends' jobs' and things they are passionate about. "Lindsey, life is constantly changing. How you choose to deal with the change is what makes life exciting, and fun, and worth living."
I really enjoyed my time with my mom, and I bawled like crazy when she left. But her words hang in the air around here, and have left marks on my heart. And so, I started trying to look at Las Vegas as an exciting time in our life, and not a sad lonely place where we don't know anyone. I started inviting people I have met to do things, and they said yes! I began embracing the crazy and weird and madly interesting city I live in. Before, I'd just assume there was no sense of community here, and now I seek it out. It's made all the difference in the world.
I still love Kansas and my family and I always, always will. If there comes an opportunity for us to get closer to home, we will probably take it. But for now, I've chosen happiness here in this strange city. It doesn't quite feel like "home" yet, but who knows. Maybe someday it will.
And now, he's some photos of some of the fun things we've done since I changed my perspective. :)
The kids and I at the Bellagio Conservatory celebrating Chinese New Year. That picture is made of only flowers.
Sam and Sloane meeting Gregory Popvich, who does Pet Comedy Theater at Planet Hollywood.
Delicious beers at Hofbrauhaus.
After hours cocktail party with the men of Chippendales. Holy hot mans.
My time to shine at the Terry Cavaretta Trapeze Experience. It. Was. Awesome.
Trapeze with new friends. It was a fantastic time!
Our family, June 2013, Bellagio Conservatory.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Stand Up Date
There is nothing I love better than laughing. Paired with a date night with your spouse, it has the makings of a hilariously fun evening.
Hubs and I are giant nerds, and we used to spend every night watching "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" with Drew Carey and company. When Drew came out with his new Improvaganza show in Vegas, John and I tuned in from our couch in Lawrence, and laughed and joked that it would be SO COOL to be on that show.
Well, life is funny. :) Now that we live in Vegas, we have access to all sorts of cool shows and stuff. In, January, I saw a billboard advertising that Drew Carey's Improvaganza show was coming back for a few special nights at the MGM Grand. Since 2013 is the year that John and Lindsey Do Crazy Stuff, I came home and talked to John about how we could make our Drew Carey wishes come true. Not only did we get seats, we got FRONT ROW seats. Yep, we're nerds.
The show was this past Saturday, and though it didn't start till midnight (because of David Copperfield being a fun hater), we had the best time. They took a few of my suggestions for things (one being the word "balls"), and the most hilarious and awesome thing was that John was chosen to go on stage to be involved in one of the skits. If you are nerds like us, and know anything about Whose Line, John was chosen to do sound effects. He did great, and I have never laughed so hard in my entire life.
We never thought in a million years that it would be possible for us to go watch Drew Carey live in Vegas, let alone that it's now the place we LIVE. A small nerdy dream of ours is now fulfilled!
Nerds unite. Do crazy stuff.
My next big 2013 crazy? Trapeze lessons. Yep. Only in Vegas.
Hubs and I are giant nerds, and we used to spend every night watching "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" with Drew Carey and company. When Drew came out with his new Improvaganza show in Vegas, John and I tuned in from our couch in Lawrence, and laughed and joked that it would be SO COOL to be on that show.
Well, life is funny. :) Now that we live in Vegas, we have access to all sorts of cool shows and stuff. In, January, I saw a billboard advertising that Drew Carey's Improvaganza show was coming back for a few special nights at the MGM Grand. Since 2013 is the year that John and Lindsey Do Crazy Stuff, I came home and talked to John about how we could make our Drew Carey wishes come true. Not only did we get seats, we got FRONT ROW seats. Yep, we're nerds.
The show was this past Saturday, and though it didn't start till midnight (because of David Copperfield being a fun hater), we had the best time. They took a few of my suggestions for things (one being the word "balls"), and the most hilarious and awesome thing was that John was chosen to go on stage to be involved in one of the skits. If you are nerds like us, and know anything about Whose Line, John was chosen to do sound effects. He did great, and I have never laughed so hard in my entire life.
We never thought in a million years that it would be possible for us to go watch Drew Carey live in Vegas, let alone that it's now the place we LIVE. A small nerdy dream of ours is now fulfilled!
Nerds unite. Do crazy stuff.
My next big 2013 crazy? Trapeze lessons. Yep. Only in Vegas.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Adventures in Home Buying; Or, Why I Drank So Much In 2012
I was relatively silent on here about all of the adventures that our move to Nevada brought us. One of the biggest pains in the ass was the purchase of our Too Tan House. My husband has been a journalist for the better part of 25 years, and it really does take a lot for him to pull the "I'm with the press and will be documenting this catastrophic series of events" card, but our home buying process was so riddled with frustration and ridiculous things, that John felt compelled to pull his card. He figured that out here in the Land of Foreclosure, we were not the only people experiencing these kinds of problems.
Here's his first person account of our not-so-short sale:
I like that the caricatures give me a hot red dress and heels, and John more hair than he's had in 15 years. :)
Here's his first person account of our not-so-short sale:
I like that the caricatures give me a hot red dress and heels, and John more hair than he's had in 15 years. :)
Thursday, January 3, 2013
The Too Tan House
Our new house here in the desert is lovely and beautiful, and is bigger and nicer than anything I ever thought I would ever afford here. If we were going to move to Nevada, we picked a great time;when housing was at the total bottomed out price. Hooray for that, at least.
The house is only 5 years old, and all but the kid's rooms and one bathroom are your standard issue tan. I really despise tan. To me it screams "Safe. Lazy. Meh." And I have about 2200 square feet of it. What should I do with it? I have pretty bold colored furnishings in the living and dining room, but other than that I feel like the rest of our shit is pretty tan, too. It fit well in our artsy deco house in Lawrence, but in this giant space of tan, it all blends in with everything. I hate it!
I've never fancied myself much of a decorator. I try and do things to rooms and they don't look bad, but I'm not exactly David Bromsted either. And so, I am going to put some pictures up and I want you guys to tell me what to do. I need ideas, and nothing will seem to crazy. :) Paint? Furnishings? Art? All of the above? Give me some feedback.
I am determined to make Las Vegas our home, and so I want to start with the place we spend most of our time. I'm excited to see what you all have to recommend.
Lots of tan and brown. Oh look, a read couch. Among the tan. Zzzzz.
The house is only 5 years old, and all but the kid's rooms and one bathroom are your standard issue tan. I really despise tan. To me it screams "Safe. Lazy. Meh." And I have about 2200 square feet of it. What should I do with it? I have pretty bold colored furnishings in the living and dining room, but other than that I feel like the rest of our shit is pretty tan, too. It fit well in our artsy deco house in Lawrence, but in this giant space of tan, it all blends in with everything. I hate it!
I've never fancied myself much of a decorator. I try and do things to rooms and they don't look bad, but I'm not exactly David Bromsted either. And so, I am going to put some pictures up and I want you guys to tell me what to do. I need ideas, and nothing will seem to crazy. :) Paint? Furnishings? Art? All of the above? Give me some feedback.
I am determined to make Las Vegas our home, and so I want to start with the place we spend most of our time. I'm excited to see what you all have to recommend.
Lots of tan and brown. Oh look, a read couch. Among the tan. Zzzzz.
Tan walls. Tan carpet. Tannish everything. Boring. (and an ancient weiner dog, for cuteness)
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