Is this common? Any one else have foods that can't go near since pregnancy? Annie and Violet are worth the loss of wasabi peas and kale, but I still find it all rather odd.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Collateral Damage
Over the course of my two pregnancies, and the many, many months of morning all day sickness, there were foods, or entire food groups, that I was horribly averse to. Most have re-entered my diet with little difficulty, but since pregnancy, there are a few foods that still make me want to vomit all over my shoes. Since Annie, wasabi peas, which I used to love, are totally off limits. Seriously just the thought of them makes my mouth go all saliva-y. And since Violet, I can't even think about eating kale. Just the idea makes me want to hurl and I used to be all about kale! It may be good for you, but it's sadly fallen by the wayside as pregnancy collateral damage for this girl.
Is this common? Any one else have foods that can't go near since pregnancy? Annie and Violet are worth the loss of wasabi peas and kale, but I still find it all rather odd.
Is this common? Any one else have foods that can't go near since pregnancy? Annie and Violet are worth the loss of wasabi peas and kale, but I still find it all rather odd.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Idiots?
Einstein was probably right that technology in lieu of human interaction is not so good for the psyche. (I would so much prefer to see you all in person instead of sharing my life via the blog.) But, did he anticipate families and friends living hundreds/thousands of miles away from each other? In that vein, isn't some form of communication (albeit electronic) better than no communication? Or, perhaps I'm just an idiot?
Note: Two-way communication does make me feel like slightly less of an idiot. Lots of you text or email about blog posts, but feel free to comment on the blog too. Makes me feel a wee bit better about 'talking' to myself.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
If only we knew then...
I'm in the process of organizing the office, and came across a photo album of old pictures that my mom put together for me before Brad and I got married. I had gone through the album then, but in the hoopla of the wedding, I never really took time to look at everything. So, I took sometime today.
As I started getting to the middle school and high school pics, I felt myself becoming an insecure 14 year old, ready to judge myself for every way that I did not measure up. Ugly braces, pudgy, too white, weird smile... Thankfully though, my 35 year old brain kicked in, and I was able to see those pictures (and me) for what I what I really was back then. And, I was cute! It's funny, I have been out of school for as long as I was in school (it's been 17 years!), yet there is a part of me that still saw young Amy through the harsh glare of a tween reality. I still held teenage angst about how I looked, and had never really taken the time to see myself through untainted adult eyes. In a weird way, all these years later, I had an epiphany TODAY about how I looked 20 plus years ago. I did measure up back then- I just didn't know it!
It's so sad that perspective like this so often doesn't come until you are older. What's the old cliche, youth is wasted on the young. So so true.
It got me thinking though. I had a lot of confidence as a kid, but I still didn't think I close to measured up. So what do I do to try to make sure my girls don't have similar struggles? Is it just an inevitable part of growing up, or is there something we can do? I'll continue to think on that, but in the meantime, we have a family friend who is 15, so I felt obliged to send her the following email:
This is very random, but I thought you might want to hear the words of wisdom that just occurred to me. They might mean something to you, they might not, but I thought I'd pass them on...
So, I was going through a box of old pictures that my Mom had given me, and there are tons of me in middle school and high school. When I think back to those times, although I did have a lot of fun, I remember myself being a bit pudgy and not so cute. I was constantly judging myself and comparing myself (which is what pretty much ALL teenage girls do, right?) and never really felt that I measured up. But now, I look back, and I gotta say- I was pretty adorable. First, I was thin. Maybe I wasn't a stick, but I had a very nice little body. (Not sure what I was thinking.) Second, I was pretty cute. (Granted- the braces were not a good look, but what can you do? But, the sad fact is, I truly didn't see it then. I was so caught up in being a teenager, and wishing I was something I wasn't (tan, tall, gorgeous hair like you) that I never ever appreciated myself for what I was. I let myself feel like I wasn't good enough for years, and looking back, that was so ridiculous!
About my second year of college, I kinda came into my own and started figuring things out. I gained a lot more confidence and did start to think that I looked pretty good. But, it's too bad that it took me that long. I wish I had that confidence in middle school and high school!
So, my public service announcement is this:
I hope you see how beautiful you are! Not just in 'oh- my grandma thinks I'm pretty' terms, but in- 'you are really a gorgeous girl' terms. Someday you will wake up and be me, with two kids and a belly that does NOT look like it used to, and you will wish you realized how amazing you looked back in the day. Don't let it pass you by! Love yourself now and enjoy every pretty, skinny moment And remember, we are all our worst critics. I bet if you could see yourself the way your classmates see you, you would be really amazed at how gorgeous they think you are!
Hope you have a nice day and sorry for my random message. Maybe you can remember this and make sure and pass it on to my girls in 13 years
Amy
She immediately sent this message back: Awwwww! Thank you so much. That made my whole day. That means a lot that you took the time to type all of that. And to be honest I hate the way I look and I hate the way I act towards others too. This means a lot thank you(:
I think sometimes we forget how hard it was to be a teenager and how much these poor kids live in their own heads. Teenagers are tough to be around, but if I recall correctly, it's because it's just plain tough to be a teenager! I wouldn't wish a teenage re-do on anyone! (20's- I'd redo in a heartbeat though ;)
Now, to maintain this perspective! Please remind me of this in 13 years when I have two teenage girls and am pulling out my much-less-lush-than-it-was-when-I-was-younger hair!
As I started getting to the middle school and high school pics, I felt myself becoming an insecure 14 year old, ready to judge myself for every way that I did not measure up. Ugly braces, pudgy, too white, weird smile... Thankfully though, my 35 year old brain kicked in, and I was able to see those pictures (and me) for what I what I really was back then. And, I was cute! It's funny, I have been out of school for as long as I was in school (it's been 17 years!), yet there is a part of me that still saw young Amy through the harsh glare of a tween reality. I still held teenage angst about how I looked, and had never really taken the time to see myself through untainted adult eyes. In a weird way, all these years later, I had an epiphany TODAY about how I looked 20 plus years ago. I did measure up back then- I just didn't know it!
It's so sad that perspective like this so often doesn't come until you are older. What's the old cliche, youth is wasted on the young. So so true.
It got me thinking though. I had a lot of confidence as a kid, but I still didn't think I close to measured up. So what do I do to try to make sure my girls don't have similar struggles? Is it just an inevitable part of growing up, or is there something we can do? I'll continue to think on that, but in the meantime, we have a family friend who is 15, so I felt obliged to send her the following email:
This is very random, but I thought you might want to hear the words of wisdom that just occurred to me. They might mean something to you, they might not, but I thought I'd pass them on...
So, I was going through a box of old pictures that my Mom had given me, and there are tons of me in middle school and high school. When I think back to those times, although I did have a lot of fun, I remember myself being a bit pudgy and not so cute. I was constantly judging myself and comparing myself (which is what pretty much ALL teenage girls do, right?) and never really felt that I measured up. But now, I look back, and I gotta say- I was pretty adorable. First, I was thin. Maybe I wasn't a stick, but I had a very nice little body. (Not sure what I was thinking.) Second, I was pretty cute. (Granted- the braces were not a good look, but what can you do? But, the sad fact is, I truly didn't see it then. I was so caught up in being a teenager, and wishing I was something I wasn't (tan, tall, gorgeous hair like you) that I never ever appreciated myself for what I was. I let myself feel like I wasn't good enough for years, and looking back, that was so ridiculous!
About my second year of college, I kinda came into my own and started figuring things out. I gained a lot more confidence and did start to think that I looked pretty good. But, it's too bad that it took me that long. I wish I had that confidence in middle school and high school!
So, my public service announcement is this:
I hope you see how beautiful you are! Not just in 'oh- my grandma thinks I'm pretty' terms, but in- 'you are really a gorgeous girl' terms. Someday you will wake up and be me, with two kids and a belly that does NOT look like it used to, and you will wish you realized how amazing you looked back in the day. Don't let it pass you by! Love yourself now and enjoy every pretty, skinny moment And remember, we are all our worst critics. I bet if you could see yourself the way your classmates see you, you would be really amazed at how gorgeous they think you are!
Hope you have a nice day and sorry for my random message. Maybe you can remember this and make sure and pass it on to my girls in 13 years
Amy
She immediately sent this message back: Awwwww! Thank you so much. That made my whole day. That means a lot that you took the time to type all of that. And to be honest I hate the way I look and I hate the way I act towards others too. This means a lot thank you(:
I think sometimes we forget how hard it was to be a teenager and how much these poor kids live in their own heads. Teenagers are tough to be around, but if I recall correctly, it's because it's just plain tough to be a teenager! I wouldn't wish a teenage re-do on anyone! (20's- I'd redo in a heartbeat though ;)
Now, to maintain this perspective! Please remind me of this in 13 years when I have two teenage girls and am pulling out my much-less-lush-than-it-was-when-I-was-younger hair!
 |
| 8th Grade Dinner Dance ////// Senior picture |
Thursday, February 7, 2013
"Girls"
I'm obsessed with the show "Girls" on HBO. It's definitely raunchy, but I love it. I feel like I can completely relate to the characters (especially the main character) and I think the show does an amazing job of portraying what it is like to be a young woman girl trying to figure herself out in today's world.
I just finished watching an episode and thought 'Yep, that about sums it up. Been there'. Then I turned off the TV (at 10:00pm), went to check on the kids, did one last straightening up of all the little things that my OCD requires are perfect (throw pillows, kitchen towels, coffee table position...), and then grabbed the laundry so I could have it folded and put away before I went to bed. And then it hit me. As much as the 25 year old inside of me desperately wants to relate (and pretend I'm still there), I am no longer a girl. I am a far cry from the wild, carefree person I was at 25. It is a sad, yet true fact:
I'm a grown up!
When the hell did that happen?
I just finished watching an episode and thought 'Yep, that about sums it up. Been there'. Then I turned off the TV (at 10:00pm), went to check on the kids, did one last straightening up of all the little things that my OCD requires are perfect (throw pillows, kitchen towels, coffee table position...), and then grabbed the laundry so I could have it folded and put away before I went to bed. And then it hit me. As much as the 25 year old inside of me desperately wants to relate (and pretend I'm still there), I am no longer a girl. I am a far cry from the wild, carefree person I was at 25. It is a sad, yet true fact:
I'm a grown up!
When the hell did that happen?
Speaking of all grown up...
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| (Violet is doing some serious mean mugging in this pic) |
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Dare I say SEXY?
I would like to preface this post by acknowledging that I do in fact know that it is 2013 and not 1989. However, although you can take the girl out of the 80s, you can't always take the 80s out of the girl!
I am a natural blonde. (shocker, right?) And, as far as I'm concerned, there is nothing good about being a natural blonde. It comes with fair pigment-lacking skin (note I said "fair"- us pasty folks don't like the words 'pale' or 'pasty'), light eyebrows (prompting constant fixation, make-up, and hair dye) and incredibly thin, limp hair. I use every volumizing product out there and blow dry my hair as big as I can get it, only to watch it fall lifelessly around my face in minutes. It sucks.
I haven't had body or volume in my hair since 1989, the year of my fabulous uber 80's tight spiral perm, and I must admit I yearn for those days. So, since it is the year of Amy...
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Oh no she didn't...
Oh, yes I did! I got a perm! Well, the salon I go to (which is a really good one, that charges much too much) insisted that it was a body wave and not a perm, but I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of semantics. They did use different size curlers so it would look more natural, and I style it more wavy than scrunchy crazy curly (a la 1989), but it's a perm. And... I LOVE IT! The jury is still out as to whether I am living in the past or if it really does look good, but- for the first time in over 20 years, I have big, bouncy hair.
who's fabbbbbbulous?
.jpeg)
As I walked out of the salon, the receptionist, who was about 45 (and probably secretly yearns for the 80's too) said, can I tell you something without you getting offended? Skeptically, I said sure. "You look, dare I say, sexy!" I laughed. Oh yes ma'am, please do dare! I'll take sexy any day!
Year of sexy Amy!?
I am a natural blonde. (shocker, right?) And, as far as I'm concerned, there is nothing good about being a natural blonde. It comes with fair pigment-lacking skin (note I said "fair"- us pasty folks don't like the words 'pale' or 'pasty'), light eyebrows (prompting constant fixation, make-up, and hair dye) and incredibly thin, limp hair. I use every volumizing product out there and blow dry my hair as big as I can get it, only to watch it fall lifelessly around my face in minutes. It sucks.
I haven't had body or volume in my hair since 1989, the year of my fabulous uber 80's tight spiral perm, and I must admit I yearn for those days. So, since it is the year of Amy...
.jpeg)
Oh, yes I did! I got a perm! Well, the salon I go to (which is a really good one, that charges much too much) insisted that it was a body wave and not a perm, but I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of semantics. They did use different size curlers so it would look more natural, and I style it more wavy than scrunchy crazy curly (a la 1989), but it's a perm. And... I LOVE IT! The jury is still out as to whether I am living in the past or if it really does look good, but- for the first time in over 20 years, I have big, bouncy hair.
who's fabbbbbbulous?
.jpeg)
As I walked out of the salon, the receptionist, who was about 45 (and probably secretly yearns for the 80's too) said, can I tell you something without you getting offended? Skeptically, I said sure. "You look, dare I say, sexy!" I laughed. Oh yes ma'am, please do dare! I'll take sexy any day!
Year of sexy Amy!?
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