August 9, 2016

It has been lovely to have time to enjoy this summer instead of figuring out life.  Last summer was insane, and I didn't even realize it.  It was stress from start to finish.  Driving back and forth nearly every day to the Layman House.  Taking carloads to my storage unit.  Cleaning and repairing things that had been left undone for so long.  Touching up paint.  Looking through every single item in the garage, attic and basement.  Finding a new place to live.  Obtaining new daycare for the babies.  Applying for new jobs.  Figuring out my relationships with every single family member and dealing with how they had changed.  Painstakingly going through Steve's possessions and making decisions.  Working on Social Security, retirement accounts, death certificates, health insurance, car insurance.  Selling cars. 

And although it was tiring and terrible...maybe it was a saving grace.

I am having a nice summer though.  And having children has made me slow down and enjoy rare times of quiet or content.  I treasure having a few moments to do a crossword puzzle, chat with a friend or sit by the pool.  In my first life, I may have felt guilty because "I should have been doing something productive." 

I don't know why I thought that.  Certainly, it is important to get things done, but I have a new appreciation for relaxation and time spent with family and friends, as well.  Maybe I'm getting old!

Speaking of which...I've decided I need to be more like the Kardashians (yes...you read that correctly) and smile less.  They believe that smiling causes wrinkles.  I am getting have a few, so I'm going to cut back on my mirth and glee.  :)  Don't even try to make me laugh.  I'm dedicated to being stoic from now on!

In other Laswell news, Poppy is annoying me a lot.  Are Moms allowed to say that?  Some kid in her class must have taught her a new phrase, because she was not saying this before last week.  It completely, totally, utterly irks me.

Now I'm thinking back to how my poor parents must have felt when the word, "Whatever" was so popular. Things like that make you want to pull your hair out. 

So, anything I ask her now, she replies, "NO WAY."  It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's driving me nuts.  This morning, she woke up at 5:10 crying, so I let her get in bed with me.  When I finally got up, she wanted to stay in bed and keep sleeping, she just kept saying, "NO.  NO.  NO WAY, Mommy!"

Tonight, I was driving and Poppy was crying pretty hard about something.  Oz kept looking over at her and giggling. It totally cracked me up to hear him laughing, and her saying, "NO, OZ.  NO, OZ.  NO WAY."  I had to put my hand over my mouth to stifle it.

Modeling our stoic looks with our favorite glasses from Jeni & Holly.