Pink Giraffe Musing

I love lacrosse.  I love watching my son play lacrosse. I mean what mom doesn't love to watch their kid sing, play tuba, or dribble a basketball with skill?  But for me with lacrosse it's much more than that.  I love lacrosse for what it is my son and his life; for him as a boy.  And,  I love what lacrosse is for us as a family.  I don't always (read never) love the early mornings, sitting in the rain, or sweating in the heat.  But, all in all, it's the kind of thing I know I will miss one day.  Enough so that sometimes I just sit back and take it all in, sort of like savoring it.  In some strange way, I do love it, each rainy, hot, steamy, tiring moment.  I am happy to be there and lucky that my son has taken me on this journey. Lacrosse is, of course, a sport just like all of the others he has played through the years.  It makes him think.  It gives him the chance to him push himself.  It forces him to make quick decisions.  It provides him an outlet for his seem

Anticipation. It is often better than a surprise.  Anticipating something special makes the mundane more tolerable. It makes the heart feel full and happy.  Last week, all week long I was anticipating the weekend ahead.  I had the usual schedule of volleyball and lacrosse, but along with that was my son's first performance in a musical!!  The anticipation for that was immense!  It was ever present!  It was with me when I was driving, teaching, or falling asleep.  "Only two more days until the musical", I would tell myself while I ate lunch.  Then my body would fill up with a little burst of excitement.  By Friday afternoon, I texted my boyfriend, "I am so excited, I think I might burst!".  I didn't know what to expect.  I was nervous and excited. This week, I live through a different kind of anticipation altogether.   The anticipation of March 17th. Those of you who knew me then will remember hearing the news; at parties, out on the town, enjoying

"I don't know how you do it".  I keep getting this lately.  The truth of it is, neither do I.  I just do it because I have to, because it needs to be done, and there is no one else to do it.  I work full time at a school that is difficult.  I leave work feeling angry and frustrated far more often than anything else.  I work out a lot, because it does something good of my brain, and helps manage the feelings of grumpiness, and despair I feel at work.  I have also decided that it is good for my kids, because they are already getting a tired and less patient version of me than they deserve (and it sets a good example).  My kids are active (my friend says they are "joiners") and busy. While I am happy they are successful at the sports and activities they love, it is EXHAUSTING (and expensive).  Add to the list, that I run a home based business, which brings me GREAT JOY, and, I am dating. As a result of all these AWESOME and AMAZING things in my life.....2 gre

In August of 2016, I hosted a Wildtree Freezer Meal Workshop because I wanted to have some easy meals prepped and ready to go before school started.  Almost immediately, I was impressed and a little bit amazed. Everything was easy (like no brainer easy) and so good.  It was an answer.  It filled a need.  It kept me out of the drive thru line.  The products were ORGANIC with NO PRESERVATIVES and no GMO.  This was how I liked to feed my family, but not how I was feeding them with the demands of work and life and sports.......I know you know what I mean. During 2011, I went on a transformative health and fitness journey.  From couch potato, to fit and active.  As a part of that transformation, I started to feed my family healthy, organic meals.  I was a stay at home mom, and I loved to cook, so it was my pleasure to whip up delicious, healthy food for my family.  I would spend Sunday afternoons looking up recipes, pinning things to try, and making lots of good, healthy food for my f

Everything I ever needed to know, I learned at Boot Camp.......... When I was 38 and then again when I was 39, I had a plan.  Sort of a plan.  A plan that resided inside my head and was known only to me.  A plan to get fit by the time I was 40.  A plan that I acted out in no way, and told no one about.  Thirty-eight came and went, and so did thirty-nine and then I found myself kind of fat and 40.  Not only fat and 40; fat, forty and gaining.  I had been holding steady at my post baby weight for quite some time, until the winter months of 2010-2011, when the scale began creeping frighteningly upward.  Now, fat is a relative term, and subject of much debate in our culture, so I am going to say fat for me.  My whole life I was "skinny".  It was part of my identity. That skinny girl with the blond hair…..that was me.  I used to hate being called skinny, until I saw myself as fat.  That seemed much worse.  Clothes didn't fit like I wanted, I couldn't do all the thi