It’s not roadkill, it’s my hair!

My Hair

Here's all 10.5 inches of it which will soon be in a plastic bag and headed across the sea to Locks of Love.  I hadn't intended to cut quite this much off.  I thought I'd do the gradual long to short thing, but when I discovered that I had enough length to support this cool organization I though, heck…  Cut it off.  A strange sensation to have someone sawing off the hair at the base of your neck…  but the results are cute, I think.  And for the first time in years, I was excited to wake up this morning and do my hair (which took about 48 seconds — yeehaw!).

I do promise to post a pix of the hair that is left asap.  My daughter cut about 8 inches off her hair as well — so it was quite the party yesterday.  Course, the party started in the morning when I was able to pick up MY DRIVER'S LICENSE after completing my 30 days of suspension… which brings me to my next thought…

Did I learn anything?

Yes.  I learned that one of the reasons I drive too fast is because I'm always late and always in a hurry and I think that's because I'm juggling too many plates in the air.  Or my plates are too full?  Or the plates in the air have spaghetti flying off them in every directions as they wizz through the sky?  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.

Melissa commented recently about the problem of the "supermom."  The thing is that in my heart, I truly AM a supermom… if only because of the unspeakable love I feel for my kiddos.  The easy part is loving them, the hard part is figuring out what is best for them.  Much due to the influence of my mom, I have always felt what was best for them was that they have as many, and as rich, and as full activities in their lives as possible.  The nice part is that it keeps us from sitting in front of the TV — the not nice part is that I often run through a day exposing my children to wonderful enrichments but maybe never looking in their eyes.

Having to walk everywhere for the last 4 weeks left me with a lot more time to gaze into those beautiful brown eyes, to sing Jingle Bells and Wheels on the Bus with them & to chat about everything and nothing with my almost-teenager.  And it's reminded me that there has to be a balance somewhere…

I'm hoping that this new year will give me the chance to try out my new acts.  Fewer plates to juggle and more playing on the floor.  Cuter hair and a chance to feel more like Joelle and not just "Momma" and "Wife."  Slower driving and slower living.  We'll see.

Read and post comments |
Send to a friend

God’s sense of humor

Ever since my in-laws left a few weeks ago, I've had this nagging sense that I'm overdoing it.  That I'm running around resembling a headless chicken.  That I'm missing quality moments cuz I'm packing in too much quantity.  Of course, this is all par for the course during the holiday season.  But you'd think after all these years I would learn my lesson and figure out how to slow down.

I've been talking to my husband and a few friends about this feeling of overdone-ness and everyone has sort of nodded and smiled.  I think my husband doesn't know what to do with me when I get like this, poor guy.  So, lucky for me — God decided to step in with His/Her wonderful sense of humor…

Brent called Tuesday morning and said, "I hope you're not doing anything tomorrow because we've got to go into Admin because you've gotten too many points on your license and they might suspend your license."

WWWHHAT?????????????????????????

I tried to cry in the office that next morning, but have never been good at that.  Instead I just unashamedly begged to be able to do community service or attend a class or ANYTHING.  The answer?  Nope.  30 days suspension — on and off base.

That means no commissary/PX & no Stroller Strides & no PWOC Bible study for me.  For my kids it means no Kindermusik, no Lapsit, no Kumon & no site-seeing with Liz…  unless I/we walk.   And worst of all, it means that after a full day at work, my sweet husband now has to chauffeur me around.  Unreal.

Merely the consequences of my actions?  Well, yes.  I did those things.  It is my fault.  But wow, it sure is messing up everyone else's lives an awful lot. 

And it sure is going to slow me down.  Hmmmm.

I hate learning my lessons.

Read and post comments |
Send to a friend