I Am an Individual

Hi!  My name is Stephanie.  I'm 41 years old and I have four kids.  I love photography, the color pink, high heels, wearing dresses, laughing obnoxiously, smiling, dancing, reading books, cooking, watching Pride & Prejudice, going to lunch with friends, running, drinking delicious coffee, talking, meeting new people, going to the beach, dyeing my hair whatever color I desire on any given day, and listening to music of all kinds. 

These are are things *I* enjoy.  Me.  Stephanie.  The person.

Yes, I have a family and I really love my kids.  Really a lot.  But I am not my kids, and I am most definitely not my kids activities.  I am an individual who has likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, and desires all my own.  I have things that bring happiness to my soul.  I have things that help me maintain my individuality, which is incredibly important to me.

Far too often I see people drowning in monotony.  They do all the things they feel society thinks they should be doing for the age they are at instead of doing things that bring them actual joy and make them feel alive.  Like apparently, for the age I am, I should enjoy knitting, baking cupcakes and attending PTA meetings.  You know what?  I don't enjoy those things.  If you do, that is super fantastic!!!  Because hey, you are an individual too.  Do what you like.  Do what brings YOU pleasure. 

Do I do average, everyday things?  Absolutely!  I do laundry and make beds and check homework.  I listen to my kids read and remind them 20 times to brush their teeth.  I take out the garbage and load the dishwasher.  I take my kids to the park and wash the car and shop for groceries.  I tuck my kids in bed at night.

Do I blog or Facebook about these things?  Usually not.  Because let's face it, most people I know do that stuff.  If you are part of my inner circle peeps you KNOW I do all of those things.  If you are on the outside looking in, you really don't know me and you don't know all the time I spend with my babes doing perfectly normal things.  My kids make me happy, but they are not the ONLY things that bring me joy.

I think one of the most fatal mistakes we can make is forgetting we are unique individuals.  Doing things that make me happy also make me a better parent and a better person.  It's all about balance, and when I have done personally satisfying things I am better equipped to handle the tough yet rewarding job of being a parent. 

I've heard it said that adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you.  Today I hope you will have an adventure.  Maybe be a little (or a lot) silly.  Do something by yourself or with an adult friend that brings YOU joy.  Come on...you know you want to.

Welcome to My Obsession(s)

There are two things in my world that I am absolutely fastidious about - brushing my teeth and shaving my legs.  My inner circle peeps pretty much think I am crazy because of this.  They actually think I am crazy for a whole bunch of others reasons, so let's just get real and consider these two things on a pretty extensive list.  I'm the kind of person that just when you think you've reached the bottom of my crazy, you realize there is a crazy underground garage.  My ridiculousness has no bounds.

I digress...

So I actually carry a toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag.  Let's face it, I like to eat.  I don't always eat things that are delicate on my palate either.  I like onions, garlic, peppers, Parmesan cheese - you know, all the stinky things.  All the things that make you happy I'm not breathing in your face while being pushed up next to you  in the wave pool at Tokyo Summerland in Japan.  Google that.  It's crazy crowded there.

So I like brushing my teeth after eating.  Sue me.  I'm pretty sure there are worse habits.

The thing I am probably most meticulous about is shaving my legs.  I cannot stand prickly legs.  I am not the girl that is thankful for winter because it means I don't have to shave.  Ewww.  If you are reading this, sorry Megan.

I was out to dinner a couple of weeks ago with my evil twin and I told her about my shaving problem.  I told her I was pretty sure I was going to go home after dinner and shave my legs because I hadn't done it in the morning per usual.  I got the "you're crazy" look.  Good news is that I've grown accustomed to that look.

Let's face it, shaving just isn't that hard.  It seriously takes just a couple of minutes and if you happen to be sleeping with a significant other at night I'm pretty sure that person would consider it a real treat if they didn't have to worry about getting road rash from brushing up against you.

So you might be reading right now and thinking this girl has too much time on her hands or that you have bigger and better things to be thinking about during the day.  That may very well be true, but the real reason I do these things is because I feel like I need to be prepared.  Seriously, ladies.  What if today was the day I ran into Robert Downey Jr. and he decided to profess his undying love for me?  What if????  A girls gotta be prepared for that stuff.

See, I warned you about the crazy underground garage.  Bam.  There it is.