Days 97-100: Oops!

Well, I guess procrastination has finally caught up with me. There was certainly a lot of happiness over the last four days, and while I tried to document as much as I could, I realize now I have no idea which days correspond with which pictures. Thus, here are some of the things that have brought a smile to my face this week...

After-school snuggles

My NEW crack candle...Thanks, Kate!

Pizza night with the girls

It's hard to believe it's been 100 days since starting this blog. I have to admit, I had no idea what an impact it would have on my day-to-day life. But, it really has opened my eyes to the little things that make life so sweet and full. I only hope the next hundred days are as bright as the last!

Day 96: Superbowl Superness

So sorry for the delay in posting...I guess life just took priority this week!

Last Sunday, we hosted our annual Superbowl Bash. It was full of fun, food and lots of friends. Best part of the night...for the first time in five years, I actually won Squares! Wahoo!

Day 95: It's the Small Things

If nothing else, this blog has convinced me that it really is the small things that make life so much fuller. Saturday was filled with little things. Little happy things:

Grocery shopping (my nemesis) with Rick makes it much happier 

 

Tulips are back!

We came home to a spotless house after leaving Maizey out of her crate for an hour and a half test! 

Family Naps

We skipped dinner and opted for movie popcorn and Buncha Crunch!

Here's to the small things in life...they really do add up to make some big moments.

Day 94: Honestly Imperfect

As I was reading through my regular blog list, I stumbled upon this post which also led me to this. I found it strange that the theme of both of these was about revealing your imperfect self and how bloggers who "write blog posts according to what others may think, churn out watered-down versions of themselves. They misrepresent themselves." The two posts struck a chord with me because I often read blogs and think to myself, "damn, she has it all together" or "how does she do it all???" And I must remind myself that in the land of blogging, no one chooses to talk about their horrible sex life or the ten pounds they gained last month.

As I look back at my own 93 days of blogging, it's embarrassingly obvious that the happiness in which I have enjoyed writing about so much isn't truly the whole story to my life. There have been many days in which finding "the happiness" has felt like the kidney stone I passed in 2004. Today, though, happiness for me came in the form of enlightenment. It became clear to me that I really need to be honest with myself and others in the blogging world. Today is about honesty and vulnerability. Today, I choose to celebrate my imperfections and not hide behind them.

Doing this, especially so "publicly" is not something I would have ever been able to do 93 days ago. I honestly feel that this blog has opened doors for me that I never imagined possible. The power of happiness is really remarkable. So without further ado, the truth:

There are days when I don't feel like getting out of bed. I am not productive, nor cheery.
It's really best if you stay away.

My dog isn't always cute and cuddly. Sad, I know.

I look like hell in the morning. And the laundry is not always put away!
(Notice laundry basket in background)

Well hello triple chin!

The junk drawer I can't seem to keep organized or decluttered no matter how hard I try.

Two weeks worth of papers I should have graded two weeks ago.

let's 

encourage, 

inspire and 

remind 

other women 

that none of us have it all together. 

(from capturingmotherhood.blogspot.com)

Day 93: Snow Day #2

That's right, we had another snow day today! The roads were beginning to clear, but good ol' Glenview thought it be best that the teachers take another day to relax and enjoy the beauty of the white city. And that is just what I did!

Adrienne sent out a mass text around 8:00 am soliciting interested parties in meeting for brunch. My immediate response, "YES please!" Ironically enough, I was the only one who could get my car out today so I played chauffeur. Anyone who knows me well can tell you I have serious anxiety when it comes to driving in the snow, rain, wind, bright sunshine, deep fog...

Let me just say, not only did I kill it (and almost a couple other passers-by) in the winter driving department today, I navigated my way through unplowed streets and snow-covered parking spaces. Does this mean I plan to EVER drive again when it's snowing? NO... I had my fill today. And, that's why I have my personal carpool buddy, of course!

So after brunch, Owen and Maizey had a very long playdate. They jumped and growled and fought over toys. They got jealous when one was getting more lovin' from the Mommas. Hours of playing was followed by a long nap and some loud snoring. The Mommas also enjoyed a cozy nap along with some wine, some smore's, and some cleaning of the bling :)

Tomorrow, we return to work. Thank goodness it's Friday! I really could use a couple days of relaxation :)

Day 92: Snow Day!

And what a snow day it has been! We woke up this morning to this:

And immediately geared up in our boots and snow gear to do this:

The snow is up to my hips and the streets are not even plowable. We let Maizers off the leash and she frolicked in the snow and let off some serious steam. She is such a sweet little snow bunny!


We came inside and enjoyed this:

Which led to a lot of lounging by the fire:

 A lot of reading and a lot of cleaning:

 Of course, there was some baking: 

Coupled with some wine:

Which led to this: 

And resulted in this: 

Mostly, we watched in awe as the the snow fell...and fell...

 

 All in all, it was pretty incredible to watch this monster storm sweep through our city. We are very lucky to have our fridge stocked, our heat working and the comfort of each other while we are snowed-in. 

Now I'm wondering, how am I supposed to get to work tomorrow?

 

Day 91: Holy Blizzard!!

I can admit that the Voticky gene has bestowed upon me the ability to exaggerate just a tad. But, seriously, I have NEVER seen a storm like this before. The snow is falling at rates that make snow plowing roads impossible. The wind is blowing so hard, when I opened the door to the house, my floors suddenly became covered in a very cold, wet blanket of white. The drive home was miserable, though I know it could have been worse had I left a minute later.

The best part of this Snowmageddon... the email I received at exactly 3:06 pm!

The wine is poured, the jammies are on! Happy Snow Day everyone!