Monday, August 2, 2010

Survival mode

Things have been kind of crazy for the Shoups lately. With my new job, long commute and Kaitlyn's new school, our world has been kind of pushed, crammed and squeezed like never before. I've mostly been in survival mode, moving from one activity to the next. It's hard to stay coherent some days, much less upbeat and positive.

I celebrated my 34th birthday a couple of weeks ago. Not a big milestone birthday and the day passed as an ordinary day. I kind of had an odd feeling going into it, so I wasn't surprised by the slight vanilla feel to the day. Next year is the big 3-5! That's the year I plan to become an adult! I heard it's important to have goals so that is mine for next year.

The animal population continues to shrink gradually. We're no longer having the fire sale we once were and are slowly introducing the kittens into the general population. They get the run of the house once we are home and have the run of the basement during the day. I keep saying this will be the last batch of kitten fosters for awhile, for reasons too great to number, but who knows what the future holds? I have a dog foster waiting in the wings that I will bring in once some of the kitten population has dwindled, but for now, we just have our three dogs and that's good enough for me.

Brent continues to be the glue that holds the household together. While I worked long hours last week and played host for a couple of days to an out of town friend, he kept the household running smoothly. He continues to excel at work to the point that he is being given additional opportunities, so that's been really exciting for him. He found out that the big race he wanted to do this year sold out very quickly, so he won't be doing his 50 mile marathon this year. Instead, he'll focus on more centrally located marathons to build his speed and stamina.

Kaitlyn is growing in leaps and bounds. We are still struggling with potty training, but she's just not showing that much interest. The poor thing is currently dealing with her first bout of pink eye ever (after I was JUST bragging to my friend Emily about the lack of presence pink eye has had in her short life) and is super cranky as a result. She loves her new school, is excited about her friends at school and the waterworks are turned down low for the most part. This is good news as your child's heartbreaking sobs can render you useless for the rest of the day, despite the fact the web cam says she's forgotten all about you. She loves to give hugs and kisses, and is generally pretty mild mannered. She will stare at you like she doesn't know what language you're speaking when you tell her to do something she doesn't want to do, but otherwise, is a very well behaved child. It's good to know that SOMEONE can stay grounded amongst all this craziness!

If you have kids and you're reading this blog, give them an extra hug and kiss tonight, no matter their age. A friend of a friend recently lost her little girl, very very suddenly. We always say that life is precious and we should cherish every moment of it. Life with your kids is precious beyond measure. If you don't take this time to appreciate everything your child has to offer (yes, I mean the good and the bad) now, you'll truly miss out on so much. Be thankful that your child is a pain in the butt and can tell you no. Some parents will never hear their child speak. As your child runs away from you in the department store, take a moment (while in pursuit, of course) to rejoice in the fact that both of their legs are fully functioning. And when they throw their food back at you, be thankful that they have food to throw at you. There are so many things in this world that just don't reward you the way being a parent rewards you. Appreciate your family and love them with all your might. Who knows how long you'll have that privilege.

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