Peace…for the Kids’ Sake?

Recently I have received many comments from kind and encouraging readers telling me that I have done a wonderful job of putting my kids’ interests first by creating a peaceful relationship with my ex.  While I certainly appreciate their admiration, I must make a confession.  I didn’t do it for the kids.  I did it for me. Read the rest of this entry »

The World According to my Daughter

These are photos that I found in my phone, taken by my 6-year-old daughter Layla

Self portrait with me in the background

Her brother Jonah from across the table (wearing Mama's reading glasses)

Our beloved dog Utah, who is still very much on her mind and in her heart

Her grandparents' dog Sugar Brown, who she nursed back to health this summer

Her adored grandmother Po in her beautiful garden

The playground at her elementary school

Her principal's funky antique car

The baby gorilla that she won at the Three County Fair

Hmm...I think you all are smart enough to know that this is the sky.

Her portrait of me

And finally, her favorite place to be...on my lap

How to Cook for One

No, I did not cook this to eat all alone. It's my achiote-rubbed Thanksgiving turkey, just to show you that I can indeed cook.

When I was married I made delicious, often gourmet, meals every night for my family.  Not only was I a good cook, but my ex got regular sex as well.  Can you believe that we ever broke up?  He appreciates our weekly family night dinners because he still gets a taste of sumpin’ sumpin’ (not what you are thinking!).

Transitioning into the lifestyle of a divorcee required me to rethink my shopping and cooking routines.  In the beginning, I found that I was buying way too much food, and it was going to waste.  I had to remember that I not only had one less adult to feed, but I also didn’t have the kids for dinner three nights a week.  And on my free nights, I often go out with friends so I don’t really have to cook for just myself.

However, Monday nights tend to be my solo evenings, and after I get home from a vigorous hot yoga practice, I am very hungry.   Read the rest of this entry »

Enough Time

The lazy days of summer are a thing of the past.

I just finished my first week back at school, and everyone keeps asking me how it is going.  The biggest change is that I just don’t have as much time as I did during the summer.  It is stressful for me to think about all that I have to do, but I remind myself that this is the price that I pay to have the summers off, right?  Today, while I was catching up on my backlog of blog subscriptions, I came across the perfect article for me called My “Enough List” on Alli’n Son’s Thursday Thank You Journal (I love any blog that makes me focus on gratitude).  The author was pointing out that humans have a tendency to focus on the things we want MORE of or on how things could be BETTER, yet if we really think about it, we have ENOUGH of a lot of things.  That’s when it hit me.  I could have more time, but the good news is that I have enough time to do most of the things that I love.

So the following is my Enough List, it is a list of the things that I have enough time to do during the next semester.

1) Friday night family dinners. Read the rest of this entry »

Spontaneous Fun

I am not sure why, but ever since my divorce, I have been way more spontaneous.  Maybe it’s because I have taken this event as an opportunity to recreate myself and my life.  Maybe I have more energy to try new things now that I am no longer engaged in daily domestic conflict.  Or perhaps I had simply gotten into a rut in my life when I was married and the kids were little, a rut that I have joyfully broken out of. Read the rest of this entry »