Busy?

I read an article recently about the word 'busy' (http://www.tylerwardis.com/busy-isnt-respectable-anymore/)....how it has transformed how we speak to eachother, how it sums up our whole lives, how it oversimplifies the catching up of friends....and I have vowed not to use the word busy anymore...because I want to be deeper and more thoughtful than that. So instead of using busy to explain why I haven't blogged in three months, I am going to explain what I've been doing. And just so you know, blogging for me is like a volcano or a geyser - my thoughts and stories and emotions build and build until I let it all out on here. If I blog once a week, the pressure stays low; but if I go as long as I have gone this time the pressure is extreme and I really have to set aside time to let it all out. Be prepared for a long one....maybe grab a cup of coffee (or wine) and some cheese (or some good organic 70% dark chocolate - our latest fave)..and settle in..

Thanks Angela Hopper Photography!

1.  Raising toddler Lane. This kid blows my mind. I was in the self checkout line at the grocery store the other day and Lane was in the cart seat thing behind me. I saw her start to stand up (which she's not supposed to because she could fall) and I told her firmly that she needed to sit (which she laughed at) so I strapped her in and told her it wasn't a game in my firmest Mommy voice. She turned her attention to a stranger behind us. The woman was smiling at her and by the time I was finished checking out, she was out of line visiting with Lane, who was in full on flirt mode, talking to her and trying to kiss her at this point. The woman told me how lucky I am, how sweet Lane is, and how fast it all goes by. I told her how lucky I feel, and I do. She belongs to the world and I have the privilege of raising her. She knows my neighbors, she visits the mailman, she gives hugs to family members she has only met once. She is learning to count, to use the potty, to make excuses at bedtime, to request 'okra' and 'pickles' at mealtime. To splash in puddles, to follow her shadow, to request her favorite music videos - the only tv she likes - which are mostly all completely inappropriate, to open packages, to walk the dogs. She has her favorite books and toys a plastic turtle, a plastic kitty and a plastic racoon. We spend over an hour every day outside; riding her bike, swinging, going to parks, finding and hording 'mail' (unwanted pennysavers) and riding in her wagon. Sometimes we have picnics in the open field across the street, and they almost always involve a ride on her tree, a big oak with low branches that she can site on. She hides our things in drawers and cupboards and the refrigerator, she builds big nests of her things and gets upset if I move them when she is around, she runs, she feeds snacks to her animals, she gets frustrated with me when I am not understanding her, she gets excited when Daddy gets a blanket out because that means cuddle time on the couch, she steals keys-phones-wallets-purses-bracelets-necklaces and wears/uses it all at the same time, she is getting better and better at using her fork, she says 'hi' to people and it makes me sad when people don't respond.

I hope I can keep up with her energy, encourage her enthusiasm and channel her passion. I feel like every day is an opportunity to teach her something, to listen to her, to play with her, to introduce her to something new. She and my marriage are my most important projects, my legacy, my life. 

2. Running my business. This is like nothing I have ever experienced. I have six or eight projects going at once. Some can be finished in a week, others will take months. Some pay the bills, others are thoughtful and intense. I do my billing, my drawing, my communications, my paperwork. I have about 10-15 hours of sitter time for Lane a week and that comprises all of the meetings that I can have, any quiet phone calls and some of the desk work. The rest is done on weekends when Dave is home, when she goes to sleep at night, or during nap time. I get calls from new clients and I want to tell them I cannot take anything else on, but then they tell me the project and I get excited and don't. Sometimes I can get everything done easily and other times it totally stresses me out, but I love doing what I am doing. 

3. Camping. We bought a pop up camper and  have been camping. Lane loves it, we love it. It's a win win. It's nothing fancy, but it has climate control and comfortable beds and a sink and that is all we need. We camped Hunting Island in South Carolina, we camped Tallulah Gorge in the Georgia Mountains and visited James Island outside of Charleston for Christmas. Lane can run, go to the playground, pick up rocks and sticks and we can sit by the fire when she goes to sleep at night. We go with friends and cook and drink and hike. Some people think I am crazy for taking a toddler, I think those people are crazy for not camping with their kids. Kids have a natural connection to 'side' (outside to Lane). It's such a natural thing to let them be to pick up rocks and sticks and explore.

Thank you Jade + Matthew Take Pictures!

I need to wrap this up, I'm using a nap time and little one is due to wake. I promise to blog more regularly, thank you to my faithful readers, friends and family.

Some more pictures of the last three months: