Anna Be.

I will spare my daughter her dignity by not posting a picture of her facedown on the floor and screaming. This is not her true self.  You know she's a happy little darling. But today is one of those days. All Mamie wants to do are the specific things I've told her not to do: playing with wall sockets, climbing on the coffee table, pulling out dirty diapers. She has shown a genius-level aptitude for identifying limits and pushing them. I know this determination builds the independence that will define her later. Her new brain is both overwhelmed with information and begging to be challenged. She has honed her physical coordination for walking, climbing, grabbing, throwing, but knows no context for when those things are not safe or appropriate. And worst of all, Mama's annoyance feeds into her need for stimulation. She yells for me to come to her, she runs away, she hides, she gets quiet, I find her back in one of the naughty spots I just pulled her out of. Then sh...

I provide this list without commentary; you may draw your own conclusions. I only promise it is true that I am actively reading all of these simultaneously.

On March 30, I declared my determination to finally get my office unpacked and organized .  Two months later, this is what it looks like: Right. So, really, what is it going to take to make some progress here?  I had to think about what is blocking the process. Entry to the room is literally blocked by bags of baby clothes and newborn things that need to be stored in the attic. Cluttered workspaces bloc all the sewing and writing I want to do in there. Feeling overwhelmed by the clutter is blocking me from getting any of it under control.  I can work for 15 minutes here and there, but it hasn't amounted to anything that gives me a sense of accomplishment or freedom. Today, just to get myself to spend 15 minutes in there, I started brainstorming the essential elements of what needs to be done. Inspiration  -- I'm going old school and making a vision board.  I think if I just had a visual reminder of what I want this room to be, I wi...

Yesterday I ran 5k as part of One Big Fat Run . It took me 62 minutes, and frankly, I didn't know it was possible to be so slow. I know speed doesn't matter at all, but I had a personal goal to do it in under an hour.  I will make that goal next time. I found out about The Fat Girl's Guide to Running   from a commenter on an article I wrote about running at the first of the year. It has been consistently motivating to me this year.  Just knowing there are so many other women who want to run NOW -- and are not waiting until they look like a "runner" -- has muted my excuse button. Right now my informal running goals are: Do 5k once a month and get a little faster each time. Run 10k in September for my 40th birthday. Run a half marathon in November. My immediate non-running goal is to go stop my kid from breaking out the front door.