beautiful

Had coffee with a beautiful new friend this morning & it was wonderful.  I learned so much about her, and she took the time to learn about me too.  She is authentic, easy to talk to, non-judgmental and comfortable with tears. 

Interestingly enough, I learned that her mother's favorite flower was the yellow rose (a symbol of friendship).  She obviously knew how to be a good friend, and I'm grateful, because I'm reaping the benefits.  Can't wait for our next date in a couple of weeks.

cleanse

Just finished a 21 day cleanse.  It's been nothing but fruits & veggies all day every day.  OK, so I ate a cupcake once . . . and was SO nauseous.  You can rest assured I regretted cheating!

Boy do I feel great!  It's amazing how much more energy I have & how much better my daily attitude has been.  Lingering depression: gone.  Stomach bloating: gone.  Funky attitude: gone.

SO thankful for fruits & veggies.  I've done it before, but how quickly I forget the benefits of feeling good.

Now the challenge: to keep it up & continue to feel great.

being known

There are a few unique things about my experience in Chicago so far:

1. People are QUICK on the horn
2. Drivers are NUTS (already been rear-ended.  Nope - not hurt.)
3. Folks like to talk a LOT (mostly monologues)

Regarding #3: it's kinda funny how people here just talk . . . no dialogue.  Just talking.  In fact, had someone over for dinner this week who talked for 3 hours straight.  Tried to redirect a few times to allow others into the conversation, but nope.  Didn't work.

So it's been great having my friend, CyBelle, here.  She is one of the best question-askers I know . . . and she cares (deeply) about the answers.  I've gotten to share so much the last 4 days.  It's been very helpful for my soul to be asked questions & then allowed to share the answers in a safe place.

And then there's the fact that her mantra has been "I just wanna see your world."  How great it's been to have someone want to just come & BE with me!  No agenda other than being together.

Showing off one of her favorite places: Sue the T-Rex at the Field Museum

And finally, she's engaged my kiddo.  Mahalia adores her, because CyBelle sees her, plays with her, talks to her etc.  It's been such a great reminder of the power of presence & the importance of being known.

honesty

Took Mahalia in for her first eye exam.  

The doctor asked me if she had any problems (of course, referring to her eyes), so I said, "No.  No problems at all."  Then Mahalia jumped in & said, "Yes I do, Mom.  Sometimes I'm not a good listener."  I just about died laughing. 

I simply adore her honesty.

Eye Exam

moments

I've never been accused of being the best mom.  Nope - I don't claim to be the best.  I do the best I can, but I'm no saint.  And I'm certainly not the best mom.

In fact, for Mother's Day, my annual tradition is to spend the majority of the day alone.  It's my day to remember & honor the fact that I am first and foremost a woman, and secondarily a wife & mother.  I spend the day in solitude - doing what I want to do, thinking the thoughts I want to think, and reflecting on my own life.

After a glorious day alone, something hit me.  My kiddo only has three months until Kindergarten.  Which means that in three months, the days of all-day adventures Monday-Friday will be gone.  So I've decided to create as many memories as I can these next three months & enjoy the moments.  

Here are a few moments I've already savored from this week:

Mahalia working on her creation

The final product

Checkin' out the dinos at Field Museum

Enjoying a romp through the park

Playin' with the pooches at the dog beach

day 5

I've been cooking almost entirely at home & dancing/working out regularly . . . and still  gaining inches (argh!).  My clothes were so tight that they actually hurt.  Ugh!  My thyroid decided to go haywire again.  Though I've been on meds & feel better than last fall, still not 100%.

So I decided to do a cleanse.  Fruits, vegetables & lentils only for 21 days.  No meat, no sugar, no caffeine, no fillers, nothing processed.  Everything organic.  

Today is day five.  And . . . I . . . feel . . . G  R  E  A  T!!!

Homemade guacamole!

Lentil, tomato, basil soup - yum!

Yes, people - I feel FABULOUS!  It's so amazing to have energy, think clearly, feel optimistic & want to play!  Here are a couple of the things I've made today.  So yummy!

between scooters & cookie dough

Yesterday with my kiddo was hilarious. 

I simply adore her.  There are so many facets to her, but one of my favorite (as with all kids), is her ability to go from very mundane things (like making cookies & riding scooters with the neighbors) to asking incredible questions. 

Here are a few recent gems: 

• We delivered some lunch to Dan & his students. When I asked if she'd like to stay & have a pizza with Daddy's students, she responded "I'd be delighted to meet Daddy's new students!"  (What is she, like 55? :-)
  
• "Um Mom, why are there only boys & girls in this lifetime?"
  
• When dancing wildly to one of her favorite CD's, she announced that I should watch her do the "commotions" (thought I'd die laughing)
  
• Since this week's Dancing with the Stars Episode (that had the group KISS on it - yeah, THANKS DWTS - read in sarcasm), she's been obsessed with painting her face white and "doodling" KISS on the computer (yeah, she means "googling" them)
  
• And her best (impossible to answer question so far), "If God is so big, how does he fit in our hearts?"