I'm still here

Things have been a little busy around here. First we are trying to get some remodeling done. Its amazing how draining it can be to have builders in and out of your house, asking questions you have not thought of answers to yet. Or worse, not asking questions and just doing it their own way without asking, and having to keep track of what is actually going on. While we have been excited about getting our second bathroom finished and the guest room finally put together, I never knew it would really bother me to see a hole cut into my house for the new dryer vent, or the new tankless water heater. Seeing a hole in my hole-less house really was disturbing. I don't know why, but it somehow makes you feel a little less safe. You know like, there's a HOLE in your house. Logically I understand that windows and doors are holes, but I didn't see those being made so that doesn't matter. But when I walked into the carport to talk to one of our builders and saw a six inch hold in my house I almost started crying. I really could see into the house from the carport.

We finally got to a stopping point on the remodel and my Mom and her husband came in town for Marin's birthday, AND MINE! I exist too mom! Actually they came with birthday gifts for both of us, I got to do a little shopping and make the switch from boot cut jeans to the new famous skinny jean. So I'm in style now. I just want to insert here, the skinny jean was not created for men. Could someone out there please just explain the Hipster man skinny jean. Do they know they look like a woman in their pants. Anyways, I made the switch, but I'm not a man or a hipster so I can follow the crowd right :)

After my mom left I began to prepare for Marin's birthday. I can't wait to show you pictures of our Nature Explorer party. I'm not going to say any more about it right now. More soon on that one.

Along with all of that I also experienced some tragedy in the past week. The loss of a good friend. I will also tell that story soon. I just wanted you all to know I know my posts have been lame these days. I am coming back now that things are calming down a little.

I also want to tell you all that I am going to start a weekly post with some title related to "Real Parenting". One of the things that came out of this past week in loosing my friend, were many discussions about how we as mothers and parents need our community of friends to support us and to be real with. One of the things that blogs and social sites like Facebook do is create some sort of an identity for us, that may or may not be true. What I am trying to say is that there are tons of parenting, mommy, sewing-mama, photo-mama, natural-mama, hip-mama, homeschooling-mama, cooking-mama, you name it-mama blogs out there. And all of them, not always intentionally paint this picture perfect idea of what the writer's home life must be like. All those home decorating one's, please, you have cute homes, but where is the toilet paper your toddler pulled out of the bathroom, down the hall, into the kitchen and out the back door. We know you can't have dinner on the table when you have been painting that upcycled whatever all day. Or can you? I have been doing some "house project" stuff and on those days my kids don't eat all day (well cooked things, I just toss granola bars at them and tell them to stay near the table) the rest of the house is falling down and well, to hell with the laundry. If I don't just focus on the house all day, meaning I follow the kids around like a creepy shadow picking up every discarded item. If I don't pee all day and only fold and put away laundry, make beds, change diapers, wipe bottoms, drop off and pick up from preschool, clean up from breakfast, clean up from snack, clean up from lunch, clean up from snack, clean up from dinner (oh wait my husband usually does that one so I can't include that one) then, only then, does my house stay clean. I really am serious about the no peeing part. So anyways, over the next few months I want to expose the real work it takes to be a parent, not just the glamorous stuff that a lot of blogs focus on, not the Facebook posts that make my life look perfect, but the really stuff that goes on. Not to take the joy or love out of parenting, because I really do love my kids and I really do love parenting. But to take some time showing all sides of parenting.

Also I would love your stories. I would love to have some guest writers who are in the trenches of parenting, sharing the joys and exhaustion and watching them sit side by side on the same fence. So send me your stories. I want to hear them!