August Recap

First, a question:

HOW THE HELL IS IT SEPTEMBER?

It's all a bit mind-boggling, that we have a mere four months left until a whole new year. That means Halloween is right around the corner, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, THEN 2011, HOLY SHIT.

But, for now, August.

***

This past month I started regularly doing two things I haven't done in as long as I can recall: going to sleep at a reasonable hour and reading.

I've been offline in the evenings just as often as I've been on and let me tell you, as much as I love the internet, there's nothing quite as nice or as vital to one's peace of mind as a good book and an early bedtime.

(Unless that good book keeps you up until 1:30, I'M LOOKING AT YOU HUNGER GAMES.)

***

This month we also didn't eat out (for the most part) and, hey, we didn't die! We made a few exceptions, which I was fine with, but for the most part we ate all our meals from our own kitchen. It basically confirmed something I already knew: we spend entirely too much money on unnecessary meals. 

I'm going to try very, very hard to bring my lunch to work every day and to limit eating out to the weekends, for date nights or special family outings.

***

I've lost 31 pounds this year and have 17 more to go. It feels as if the weight is falling off ever-so slowly and that I'll never reach my goal. It's hard to keep perspective when you plateau, you know?

But, there's this: I enjoy food, I enjoy cooking (here's my September menu, if you care about that kind of thing), I enjoy running. Those are three brand-new things for me. It's hard to say I ever really enjoyed food before, not when there was so much fucked-up guilty aftermath that went along with it.

But, I no longer view food as a crutch or my particular form of self-medication. I feel I've done more for my family in terms of taking care of them and providing meals for them this year than all other years combined, and I feel I've done more for myself this year, as well.

I'm not there yet, no, and that's just frustrating, no way around it. To be close but not quite there.

But I'll get there.

When I do, drinks for everyone!

***

Style Lush continues to blow my mind. The content is just hands-down incredible. We consistently have great giveaways and fun features and the most talented DIYers I know.

Make no mistake, I am not one of them. I just organize all that talent in one place while contributing very little of it.

(Oh, and our one-year anniversary is in October. I'm lining up some great giveaways for that week. If you have a shop or store or hidden talent and want to contribute to a giveaway that week, let me know.) 

***

This month I also: saw Greenday in concert, had a fancy date night with my husband, threw a party, and went to BlogHer.

Phew. Maybe it was less of a low-key month than I thought.

***

Then there's Kyle.

Oh Kyle.

18 months has been, for us, just blissful. (Now 14-15 months was not.) He understands so much, and is so easy to talk to and get through to, and while he's doing all that BEING-A-REAL-PERSON shit, he's still a baby. There's chub, everywhere, and he's still toddling around in diapers and a little wobbly, and so soft and sweet. 

(Although 18 months did bring the toddler feet of doom. THEY SMELL OF DEATH AND ROT.)

He holds my hand, without me asking him to, and while the tantrums are brutal, they're also quick. 

He's talking more, he's laughing more, he's dancing more, he's just more, while still being so little.

He has a sense of humor and while it's a little, uh, strange -- he thinks it's HILARIOUS when we sneeze -- making him laugh has got to be the best thing on the planet. Sorry, boss, can I just quit my job and make my kid laugh for  a living because I appear to be awesome at it?

Every stage is so fleeting, so hard to remember without the help of a blog, so full of highs and lows that if you sit around think about it for very long, you can't help but cry. It's cruel, the way we are given these gifts only to have them morph into something else entirely so soon, but it's so beautiful that they're replaced with something even more amazing.

Missing who he was before is like missing a light while I live with the sun.

 

***

September holds: Kyle's first college football game, my first 10K (and lunch with Natalie), our nephew's birthday party, another birthday party, a handful of other birthdays, and the end of summer. NOT SUMMER TEMPERATURES, THOUGH, OH NO. Texas is an overachiever when it comes to being stupid.

What are you looking forward to this month?

Comments

[Heather]

I am looking forward to the arrival of autumn, because that means the arrival of autumn in Boston, and I CAN'T.WAIT.

I am looking forward to a date night with my husband on 09/11, for a wedding reception. So, not focused on us, but a dress up kinda night nonetheless.

I am looking forward to picking up my wedding dress on 09/17, and hoping that it fits slightly better than it did on 08/28.

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

Hey - good for you on the weight loss! That is AMAZING.

I'm looking forward to a month spent primarily at home. I have a work trip planned at the end of the month, but that's IT. Yay for being home! (August was exhausting.)

[Elsha]

How is it September indeed? I'm excited about the month though. It's a busy one this year (I'm posting about it at my blog actually.)

Glad you are enjoying the 18 month old phase. I was not a fan of 18 months.

[ellbee]

I'm looking forward to the BIRTH OF MY FIRST CHILD OMGGAHH! (Sorry for the all caps, but it's thisclose and I'm starting to freak out!)

[Devany]

Great quotes about babes growing up...THANK YOU!!!

[K]

I'm looking forward to vacation in OBX (so long as Earl doesn't eff that up) next week. My first ever half marathon on Sept 12th. And some cooler weather (crosses fingers).

[Raven]

Riviera Maya Mexico this weekend!

We limit our eating out to the weekends and eat in during the week, including the husband's lunch (most of the time, on occasion he does eat out with co-workers) and it has allowed me to be able to stay home as long as I have.

I would be happy to giveaway one of my fabric flowers if you are interested :)

[Katy]

Football! I don't even watch football, but I really like the season--seeing old friends, cheering for your team. It's great.

Love Style Lush. Wish you much more success.

I've been online a little less and you are right--it is nice to just be sometimes.

[auntie]

Your description of the "toddler feet of doom" cracked me up! And seriously, how is it possible that you practically bring me to tears on a monthly recap post, for crying out loud?? Anytime you talk about Kyle or your husband or really just about anything, I get weepy. You're amazing!

I'm looking forward to some lovely fall weather and hopefully finally getting my budget under control because Christmas is right around the freaking corner.

Also? I LOVE Style Lush!

[Candy]

"Missing who he was before is like missing a light while I live with the sun." Probably the single most poignant thing I have read regarding children all year <3 <3 <3 I'm so quoting you.

[Sarah in Ottawa]

We just had a new baby (Veronica - born on the 24th, and whose name was a bit influenced by my undying love for Veronica Mars), and we are looking forward to watching her grow. Plus, my husband turns 35 in a couple of weeks, so I am excited for his birthday.

What is with toddlers and sneezes? My son Teddy (who is about 2 weeks older than Kyle) thinks that sneezes - both real and fake - are the height of hilarity. Yesterday, when the baby sneezed, he kept begging her to do it 'again!!'

[Marie Green]

No joke, I am suffering from lack of sleep THIS VERY MOMENT because of the Hunger Games. Well, specifically Mockingjay. Katniss Everdean has been haunting my dreams as well. *sigh*

I love watching you reach your goals... so inspiring. Thanks for sharing with us.

Also, is it possible that it's Kyle's SHOES that are the problem? My kids had a pair once that made their feet EVIL, until I realized the shoes smelled worse than their feet...

[elizabeth]

AHHHH i'm so glad you're reading hunger games, it's such a GREAT book! i feel like i'm living and breathing hunger games since i'm teaching it to my 8th graders, but i love it so it makes school fun :) i'm about to start reading mockingjay!

[Kate]

I guess I'm gonna have to read Hunger Games. Also, you so eloquently summed up that whold kid thing. Becoming a parent and watching a child grow is to fully understand the meaning of the word bittersweet.

As far as September goes, I am officially a homeschooler (Holy crap!) to my 3rd grader. My daughter turns 5 (!!) on Labor Day and goes back to preschool, my husband and I get a quick overnight trip to Portland to do the Warrior Dash, I'm hoping to do another 1/2 marathon the end of the month and I'm hoping that summer will make a last ditch effort before officially giving up to winter.

[Kristie]

September is among those other birthday's. :) And I CAN'T wait to see you Sunday to celebrate!