Thursday, May 31, 2018

Birthday Review

Me: 34. Not a big milestone, just firmly chugging along in the "mid thirties" categories". I admit I preferred 33, because it is a fun number. Work is going well. I am incredibly busy, and try to do my best. Some days my best is amazing. Some days my best still includes a lot of mistakes. I guess that is just life. My most recent self-observation is that, having taken on a couple of new teams, I am becoming one of those people who always mentions how busy I am. I do not want to be that person, and I need to figure out how to manage the larger-than-possible work load without projecting that image. Outside of work, I am enjoying life. I enjoy being a mother - MOST days. Of course there are difficulties. I enjoy the beauty of the city. I drink too much Star Bucks, don't clean enough, and life goes on. I also am on a Jane Austen kick.I am feeling particularly driven at the moment to simplify and downsize, and hoping to bring the kids along for the ride (DH is on board).  I have everything in life that I had dreamed about (loving husband, adorable kids, home ownership), and I do no not take that for granted, I am extremely grateful. I don't feel like I need anything else particularly to be happy, and that is a good place to be.

Ben: 6 yrs old, just wrapping up kindergarten. The past week he has been very cooperative and fun, it has been so nice to see. I love playing board games with him, doing math with him, watching him learn and grow. He can read quite well now and I think would be able to read any book within (or only slightly above) his vocabulary level. He still is very interested in Ants, and has an Ant farm that we all enjoy watching from time to time. If I had to guess, I think he will grow up to go into a science. Perhaps he will follow his own professed dream of being an author and write popular science. Or maybe he will research ridiculously specific questions only he cares about, like the social habits of the grey Siberian dust mite.

Felicity: 3 yrs old and pure spunk, she is definitely a three year old. She wants to accomplish great things! Climb mountains, run the household, and have other people cater to her every need. Of course. I would predict her to have an adventurous life - travel, hiking, outdoors. Maybe she will