I See Christmas

Today, B made us laugh and stop to pause as well. Chris had arrived home and we were all monkeying around, as the kids usually jump all over Chris if he's on the floor with them. Out of nowhere B jumped up and bolted to the front room, pointed out the window and said "Mommy, Mommy, look!" When we asked her what it was she said, "I see Christmas!"

Christmas to B was a tall and fully lit Christmas tree pressed against the window of a second floor apartment building across the street from our home. It was the candy cane lights on the windows and the giant inflatable snowman on the front lawn of another home a few houses down. I am reminded today of how wonderful it is to experience the holiday season through the eyes of a child.

Oh, Girlfriend!

On Sunday, I met up with an old college friend for a late dinner. I hadn't seen her in 11 years. Wow! I can't believe it even as I write it here. We had become fast friends and we were roommates for one semester after I had studied abroad. After college, we lost touch. Eleven years, three kids and a husband later (for her and I) we finally caught up with each other thanks to good ol' Facebook. I was so happy to see and hear from her again. Everyday I am reminded of how lucky I am to have had and still have such a solid group of girlfriends in my life. Although I can't keep a plant alive for the life of me (in fact, I don't even own one) I think I have done fairly well in maintaining friendships. I'd like to believe that I'm a loyal friend. Sure, it's become more difficult over these last few years, but I'm talking about quality, not necessarily quantity here. I still keep in touch with a great friend I met in third grade. I see and talk to friends from high school and college days as much as I can. One-time co-workers have become best friends and like part of my family, even becoming Godparents to my daughter A. Just as recent as two years ago I stumbled upon a group of five incredible city moms after I had B and was preparing to go back to work. Little did I know that I would appreciate their friendship as much as I do today.

Friendships are truly serendipitous. I can't count on how many occasions my friends have been there for me. Sometimes in ways that they probably didn't even realize just how much it meant to me. Just recently, those familiar faces were mixed in a crowd of family and friends at the twins' first birthday party. In one overwhelming moment I paused and acknowledged that all of them were here to share yet another special moment with us, as many have done over the years. Old friends hold a special place in our hearts because they know who you were and what you have become; and through it all they have remained. Yes, our lives change and so do these relationships. And yes, time may pass without seeing or speaking to friends, but if any of them needed me today I'd be there in a heartbeat, just as I was on Sunday. But girlfriend, just don't ask me to take care of any of your plants.

Why Do Women Do That?

On Monday, as I was turning on the TV for B's episode of Dora the Explorer (she is addicted to the show) I was temporarily sucked in to a morning talk show that was discussing what women shouldn't do. Supernanny Jo Frost was seated as a guest at the table. She knows a thing or two about handling difficult situations; so when she speaks, I listen. I guess there is a Twitter page that allows people to post anonymously about the things that women shouldn't do. I am not on Twitter, but it's an interesting topic. Supernanny said that women should stop hating on other women. My ears perked up and to B's disappointment my remote was not functioning properly to change the channel for the next few minutes. Why is it that women are so intimidated by other women? Maybe it's because we're always measuring ourselves up to those that seem like they're prettier, happier, smarter, funnier, taller, thinner, bustier, more organized, better daters, better moms, and on and on. However, it's all perception and we are our own worst critic. I mean, we don't know that the grass is greener on the other side. By hating on other women aren't we just projecting our own insecurities?

I previously worked in a place where a majority of the staff was female. I now work in an industry that is male-dominated. If given a choice I would choose a male-dominated work environment again. I wouldn't say it's because I'm (sometimes) intimidated, but rather, it's because I don't like the drama. Emotions can get the best of most women. On separate occasions, two successful (female) executives I know gave me the advice that I should never go into a meeting thinking about being the only woman in the room. The fact that they were willing to share that advice, and more, has made me a fan of theirs. I admire them for what they've done to achieve their current roles professionally and personally. That being said, what if women followed JoJo's advice and rather than hating on other women we complimented other women more often? Men do it all the time.

A Blogger I Shall (Will) Be

Today I decided to officially start a blog. I've thought about it often in the last year. I even borrowed a friend's book on blogging. I'm still working on finishing it. I'm a daughter, sister, wife, mom, friend and professional to a lot of great people that have stuck by me over the years. Unfortunately, as it happens for so many people, making time for everyone and everything is an issue. Yet, I have managed to find some balance even with a full-time job, a two-and-a-half-year old and one year old twins. It's demanding, but I love it (most days). At the same time, I feel like I'm not doing nearly enough as I should be. I haven't printed some great baby pics I have or created baby books yet for the twins. I didn't even send birth announcements. I haven't finished my two-year old's baby book for that matter! I have piles of clothes that I've sorted and re-sorted as too big, too small, not now, and maybe later. So what do I do when time is an issue? I start a blog to take up more of the time I really don't have to spare. It will definitely be a creative outlet, but I think the most value will come from spending time capturing and memorializing small and large happenings in my life, milestones from the kids, times with family and friends or it'll serve as a place to jot down random thoughts. Perhaps years from now this blog will serve as a reminder to my children (and my husband) as to what a cool mom/wife I am. For me personally, maybe it will serve as a written reminder to myself that I am a sum of the individual roles I play in this life. Or, maybe it will simply serve as a virtual baby book so I can toss the partially-filled hard copy versions out and live guilt-free. I could live with that too. I look forward to capturing all the Monkey Foolery in this zoohouse.