Today I am guest posting over at Life With Pho, the blog of a friend from college. He does a really cool series about the Quarter Life Crisis- that period of time after college graduation that seems to look different for everyone and leave everyone asking soul-wrenching questions. I wrote about the five years between getting married and finally having Milo. Head on over and check it out!
This weekend was a little family retreat full of my favorite things:
Milo’s recent antics include absolutely adoring himself in the mirror on the back of his nursery door.
Visiting Lulu in Somerville for a walk to Davis Square. We had a round of cold drinks at Mike’s; I preferred Laurel’s pizza to my wrap.
Milo dressed to match his snacks.
Maybe we taught him to share too well?
He stayed out past his bedtime to party with his auntie.
I brought home cupcakes for Ben and I. Mojito was delicious until I got an over-soaked rum bite. I like shots and sweets, but lets us blend carefully, now.
On Mama’s Day, sweet gifts were followed by breakfast at our traditional spot.
We’ve been going here on Sunday mornings since college, so it was nice to bring Milo and smell like a diner for the rest of the day.
Afterwards we finally checked out Rietta Ranch, the outdoor flea market a few towns over. It was pretty hot and there was a FESTIVAL of people watching opportunities. I liked it.
I sat next to this guy on the way home. Because I could.
It was a really great weekend with some of my absolute favorite people. I hope yours was happy, too.
^ Milo dressed up like an Ewok.
^ We introduced him to the tiny Steve Zissou who lives on our thermostat
^ I’ve been trying to go to the gym a few times a week, and it’s been working. My cute bag helps.
^ I found a chocolate energy drink called “Milo” in the international foods aisle. I assume it makes you move as much as Milo does.
^ Maurice Sendak died, and I listened to his remembrances on NPR with a heavy heart.
^ Milo checked out some fish at Petco and it was cute.
^ I wore one of Ben’s Star Wars shirts to school to celebrate May the 4th. I also made them greet each other by saying “May the 4th be with you” in morning circle. My English-Language Learners were confused.
^ We did the Walk for Hunger- 5th time for Ben and I, 1st for Milo, and my fabulous sister Laurel came with us. We missed the beginning of the walk and I was hella furious until I realized taking the T to the middle of the walk and joining up there was kind of awesomer. We ended up doing 9 miles, and I was proud.
I haven’t quite shook the funk I was talking about last week, and I think some of it is getting caught up in the sum of my frustrations. Bad days at work, the MONOTONY of not being happy with my body, the stress of childproofing/just plain MAINTAINING a house without a solid skill set…blah, blah, blah, change the record. I’m formulating a plan.
Rounding up images for this collage helped me realize I love focusing on these snapshots of fun and funny and sweet and sentimental things. I have approximately 2134 pictures of Milo and some of his dad, but I need to keep taking pictures of sweet things I see at school, outfits that I like, grocery store discoveries…I need a little more light, and I need to look outside of myself to find it.
I’m challenging myself to take a few pictures every day, whether with a real camera or an iPhone, that are not of Milo. Obviously, my daily photo-documentation of his life will continue, but I think I can branch out a little. Other steps to happiness include: showering on the weekends, instead of skipping “to save time,” and inevitably running into someone when I’m out doing errands and hating myself for running around looking like the matchstick girl. Also, I’m probably going to cave on my no-drive-thru-coffee-during-May challenge. I like cutting back during the week, but iced coffee is one of my sweetest pleasures, and it’s entirely possible that my bad mood over the past two weeks is due to not indulging. I’m actually probably dying inside. Saturdays are iced coffee days.
So yes, a concrete course of action is the way to go. What do you do to break out of a funk? What do you treat yourself with? Do you ever have to bribe yourself/online confess to commit to taking a weekend shower? Let me know.
