Blogging Transparency
With blogging, there is a certain amount of transparency that goes with the territory. Opening up your story and your lives with people on the Internet is getting really difficult for me. Not because of anything that has been said, but because there’s been a lot of heavy shit that has happened over the past year that maybe my family doesn’t want plastered over the Internet. If you know me in real life, then you know that drama surrounds my family. Nothing makes me want to crawl under a piece of furniture quicker than some drama, but when it’s your family, you kind of can’t without coming off as the bad guy.
So, in the interest of keeping it real around here, I’m going to lay some of it out there. Honestly, I can’t make this stuff up, y’all. Bravo wouldn’t need to script this story line.
My mom and step-dad separated last summer, and there was a LOT of drama that surrounded it. But I’m happy to say, they have worked things out and are back together and have been in some intense counseling sessions that have truly helped their marriage. I’m happy to see them happy. But in drama-like fashion, my mom fell down the stairs in late April and broke two ribs and ripped her rotator cuff in two. Needless to say, she’s had surgery and is recovering well, but is over the whole immobility thing.
Hubs and I both changed jobs and I am attempting to fall into a new routine. A lot of the time it feels like single parenting. But I will say, that because I don’t get to spend as much time chatting and being around him, that we both cherish what time we have together and I think it’s made for a stronger marriage. It’s so easy to fall into a routine of just discussing what the girls need and their schedules, but it take a real effort to open up about our lives and the little things that happen during our days. I am truly blessed to have an amazing husband who wants to make my life as easy as he can, and does whatever in his power to make things happen with the least amount of stress on me. He is an amazing father, who after a long day at work, doesn’t mind bathing the girls and doesn’t complain about making me coffee every morning, when I could clearly do both of those things myself without disturbing him.
My 85 year old grandmother had a heart attack a couple of weeks ago. Super scary stuff. She’s back at her assisted living facility, but is getting to spend some quality time with physical therapy. She praised my running to her cardiologist, and while he semi- mocked me over my 13.1 sticker on the back of my car, it made me think about why I started running in the first place… because I wanted to find something for cardiac health, since heart disease runs in my family. Not for the PR’s or the bling, but for setting a good example for my children about taking care of your body.
Just when I thought things could calm down, my nephew breaks his hand because he got so angry at his dad. I probably shouldn’t be putting this out there, but I feel like it’s a PSA for parents. If you, as a father, talk to your child in such a way that they want to hit you, you’re doing it wrong. There is a way to communicate without being passive-agressive and cussing your children in front of your other children. If you so happen to think it’s okay to talk to your wife that way, you’re doing it wrong. You are telling your sons that is how you treat your wife and teaching your daughter that’s how a man treats the woman he loves. NOT. OKAY.
That’s basically the short version of what’s on my mind. I’m not a fan of the drama and would really love for it to just go away. With that said, I’m enjoying my summer with my girls. There’s been a lot of girl time, painted nails, swimming, missed naps, and gymnastics going on. All of this “single parenting” has really brought it home on what it means to be a parent. It’s not always about discipline and following rules and set schedule. It’s summer time, and we should be having fun. I’ve stopped saying “no” to things that I don’t really want to do, and put my big girl panties on and am doing the things The Reds want to do, because that’s what I’m supposed to do. It’s a little liberating to me. I’m such a control freak and it’s teaching me to let loose and have some fun. You want to go get Fro-Yo? I’ll pay $10 for those smiles and giggles any day. Swimming after nap time would have been unheard of last year, but this year, it’s part of our new routine. I may not be getting all of my runs or workouts in, but I’m getting the majority of them. I’ve been guilty of being selfish when it comes to my running, but not right now.
2014 has been the year of change for me, and it’s been a good thing. Who cares if the house is clean when you have giggling girls and infectious smiles?
