Postcards from Never-land

Today I did something I have never done before... I let myself be the subject & did an interview for a local magazine.  They were looking for a mother to profile for their May issue & a friend of mine recommended they check out this here little blog and speak with me about my experience in the mother-hood.  When I got the call from the writer to schedule an interview, my first instinct was to say "No, thank you", but I made myself say "Yes. Yes, I'd love to."  I have always been more comfortable in the background, behind a camera, behind the scenes.  Working unseen magic to make other people shine.  It is how I have always preferred to operate.  What made me step outside my comfort zone this time is a little quote I came across a few months back.  I have it hanging above my computer & read it almost every day...

"If you want something you've never had before, you've got to do something you've never done before."  - Drina Reed

Such simple words.  Words that have left me inspired to stretch, to grow, to change... to step out of what is familiar & comfortable and try something new.  I want to be a strong role model for my boys.   For them to see a Mommy who takes good care of herself as well as the family.  To teach them by example a positive way of approaching the inevitable challenges in life.  Some days being a parent feels like such an overwhelming responsibility.  Today, it feels like such an amazing opportunity.  Today, life is really really good.

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It seems that our computer has decided to eat several of the photos from our recent trip to Florida.  Pictures that were on the camera but did not make the transfer & are now just gone... images that only I get to remember now.  Like the proud look on Quinn's face as he marched in the Lion King parade, driving in racecars on the Speedway, or two little boys smiling & laughing as they spun around in a pink teacup.  Cursing the digital age & my own lack of foresight when checking the "delete after import" button on iphoto.  Live & learn!

Thank you Grandpa for making the trip possible!

Remy is way into pink & chose to have Minnie ears with his name on them.

Waiting for the electric light parade... even Daddy found his inner mouseketeer.

On our last day we had several hours until our flight after everyone else had already left.  One of the things I love about the boys at this age is their ability to find just as much entertainment from a storm drain & some wood chips as they did during the whole magic kingdom adventure.

Tonight the air is heavy & warm... with an ever-so-slight sweetness from blooming buds waking up after the day's sunshine.  The first night we haven't needed the heater on after dinner.  The first night of walking the dog in flip-flops & short sleeves.  These things mark the real beginning of spring.  Mother nature doing her thing... stretching, changing & growing.

Boomerang

Turns out it really is true to be careful what you put out in the world, because it will come back to you tenfold.  Last post I wrote about extreme opposites... and what came back was a super amazing vacation week with family, followed by being the sickest I have been in more than ten years.  Mama down.  Really down... the kind of sick that wakes you at 2am with fever & chills & a throat that burns so much you can not even swallow.  Morning came & I literally could not get out of bed.  Sleep pulled me under, held me down and would not let go, no matter how hard I fought to wake up.  Throbbing neck, burning throat, alternating between extreme cold chills & cover-kicking sweats.... Monday is a blur.  Tuesday wasn't much better but I managed to get up & out in the world for a little bit.  Turns out I shouldn't have.  Strep throat.  It got me good.  Now on day three of antibiotics (thankful for health insurance!!) I feel a bit better, but am nauseous from the penicillin and my lymph nodes in my neck are still so swollen & sore.

Okay, I just read what I wrote earlier & sound like such a whiner!  What I really want to say is that this bout with sick has made me so grateful for my health in general.  The briefest glimpse at a fraction of how it must have been for my brother-in-law when he underwent treatment for throat cancer.  Of how amazingly hard it would be if you don't have family around to pick up the slack when you really do need to check out for a few days.  William took over the boys & house & a million other things so I could rest.  I feel grateful.  And yes, nauseous too.

On to the good stuff...

Our Disney World adventure was truly amazing.  Thinking that the boys might not be old enough to really enjoy the house of mouse, we had plenty of doubts before we arrived.  But the chance at being with family was enough of a draw to get us on a plane with two small, squirmy boys and fly all the way across the country.  Turns out we don't know anything.  They loved it.  Every-single-thing.  I had thought that maybe some of the rides... especially the dark & loud ones... would be too much for Quinn.  Nope.  Bring it on Mickey... Quinn was totally into it.  We had a few meltdowns along the way, but they were the same ones every other kid was having all around us.  Remy's was about vanilla ice-cream.  Quinn liked to just keep walking around & did not appreciate his flight plan being messed with.  At the end of each day we had two sleeping boys in strollers... a sure sign of success at the happiest place on earth.

I have a ton of photos to go through, and my computer seems to have eaten some of them (arrrgh!!), but here is a little preview of our adventure...

So very happy to be on the mend.  More pix coming soon!