Life Updates of a Larger Magnitude

Ever read Freakanomics?  Awesome book for data junkies.  Lots of hysterical correlations that you never saw coming.  Anyway,  I'm reading this article Reger posted (by the same people) and it made me want to write about something I've been thinking about for some time now, but didn't want to say aloud. STEVENSON: I mean, the bottom line is that the data still suggests that people with kids are less happy than people without, even though among the people like us, that happiness hit is smaller, it does suggest they’re less happy. This is true for the Shea family, but something I am hesitant to write because once you put it on the internet, you know your kids are going to find it years from now and put you in a crappy nursing home. (Brynna!  I don't mean it!) It's just that the level of responsibility skyrockets so vastly that it is not possible to be as carefree and happy as no kids.  But it's also kind of like working out - I hate running, I do not en...

So we bought this house, this sweet sweet little house, but it needed a facelift inside.  The first step - paint!  The walls were "white" but hadn't been painted in years.  The kitchen is a weird ashy wood color with little cabinet space and a serious flow probem.  We painted the walls, knocked down an upper cabinet to open things up, painted the cabinets, and (this weekend) are painting the countertops with a Rustoleum product just for that purpose.  Here is a photo tribute to the wall painting: the colors possibilities (all very neutral so because we literally painted every wall except the bathrooms) and the winner is... burnished clay!  matt wanted the more brown one on the top left, but I convinced him that gray is the new brown ;) stocking up on supplies - a professional paint sprayer, some paint, tarps, and toilet paper (of course!) and the essential supplies - gatorade and Amp! the spray fest begins here ...

I should say first that I wrote the last blog a few days ago, but had it delay posting.  I didn't think it appropriate to post it right after I heard the news, but I needed an emotional outlet.  Anyway, on to something frivolous because there has just been too much sad... Is anyone else overwhelmed by the digital world and in need of a simplification?  Man! The obvious one is communication.  Email (I've got 3 addresses + work), text, phone, skype, gchat, Facebook.  Yikes!  But really what I'm on right now is digital media.  I've got a Zune pass (awesome, because it let's me listen to a variety of artists), but then I also buy some CDs or songs through Amazon which now let's me store those purchases in my Cloud (I hate Zune for buying music because it uses "Points" instead of giving you a dollar value.  No thank you.)  And because we have an iPad I have iTunes installed.  And we have a backup media server.  There are just too dar...

My heart hurts.  A sweet child drowned this weekend and I just can not stop thinking about how incredibly unspeakably devastating it is.  I can't stop thinking about how the mother feels.  I think it is selfish to take someone else's loss and make it about how upset you are (I am).  But as a  mother I can't help but connect to every other mother, especially when their children are the same age as mine and we are both living the same trials and tribulations.  How do you live with that?  How do you deal with it?  These things happen in the abstract, in theory, but when it happens to someone you know... My heart hurts. My heart hurts for the parents who will have to live without seeing their child grow, with the guilt of wondering if they could have done something different.  My heart hurts for the whole family, who will now always feel the presence of someone who is not there.  My heart hurts for the ...

I'm starting to feel like I'm getting a handle on my life again - not just treading water.  Feels GOOOOOOOD.  Por ejemplo - My children have both had at least 2 baths this week.  When that number falls below 2 (ummm, like the time when it was "Unknown"), I'm definitely struggling.  Also, I've started pulling together the interior decoration scheme of my house.  Which means I'm moving out of the Boxes!  Boxes!  Boxes! phase.  Things have been (mostly) placed in their appropriate rooms and now I need to systematically go through and organize.  Pretty much all our family is descending on Florida next weekend, so I'm wondering if my mom will attack my wall art collection again.  When Eve was born she came down for a few days and hung all my stuff on the walls at the apartment.  That was nice. I've gone on a home accessory shopping binge (mainly with Overstock.com), which includes 2 sets of gorgeously luxurious sheets, a duvet cover se...

Dear Loyal Fans, I know I asked a few of you to diligently tune in to my Lenten reflections and give me feedback.  And I have not kept up my end of the deal.  This is simply to say sorry for that.  It turns out I just am not super woman.  I realized something fundamental today (that seems like common sense, but isn't to me.) I can do many things at a time.  And I can do things well.  But I can't do both. I don't know why I recognized that adding triathlon training to my daily schedule was pushing me to my mental capacity, but somehow did not anticipate that buying a house would push me over it.  Meh.  Hindsight and all that.  The sprint tri is next weekend (April 16th) and I've decided that I will workout enough between now and then to stay ready, but not much more.  The Olympic tri is in 3 weeks (May 1), and I've let go of the idea that I need to pseudo-compete.  I will be able to finish it, and if I have to walk for port...

Today's reflection is about gratitude.  I have an amazing family (take this term as liberally as you want.  I mean both near and far, kin and not kin.).  I have a great job where I am (maybe overly) fairly rewarded for the work I do.  Me and mine are all healthy and happy.  I can run for miles.  I'm buying a nice little house this week.  I've got money in the bank.  I'm surrounded by amazing people, both near and far, who constantly astound me with their awesomeness.  This past week alone I interacted with about 85% of all the people in my life, and didn't have one bad experience. It's weird how this will strike me out of the blue.  I will be minding my own business being a little grump and for some minute reason have this tiny epiphany.  I am incredibly blessed.  I don't think I can reflect on that long enough or often enough. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you.