Continuation of Katrina: Moving On

We arrived in Georgia on Saturday evening and we remained glued to the TV for the rest of the week. We all watched as the city we loved seemed to fall apart before our eyes.
It was almost surreal that this was really happening. We would beg for the TV cameras who were filming from the helicopters going around town to fly a little further to the left or right in hopes of seeing what our homes looked like. It was a helpless feeling. Cell phones weren't working so we were very limited in our communication with family and friends who were spread out across the southeast. Like I said, it didn't feel real. It was hard to believe that it was really happening to us.
Michael obviously accepted the job in Georgia. What else were we supposed to do? Someone has to have a job to go to. I was working at Commander's Palace Restaurant. I sure wasn't going to be planning any events anytime in the future. The city was in complete turmoil.
I can't even count the number of nights I cried myself to sleep. It was all so heartbreaking. One day we had one life and the next day we had another. We knew there was a possibility of us leaving New Orleans anyway, but not like this. There were no goodbyes, no going away celebrations, no "last time" here or there. It was like having a band aid ripped off.
I still have an email that I wrote to a friend right after the storm and I talked about how it's the normalcy that I missed. It was the comforts of home and the simple stuff. I could drive to work with my eyes closed because I knew the city so well. I had my favorite grocery store. I loved my job. Not to mention my family and friends. I know that may sound stupid, but when you are completely starting over it's the silliest things you miss.
I have to stop myself and say-- I am incredibly blessed. I did not lose my home in the storm. I know too many friends and loved ones who lost everything and they have an even more heartbreaking story than mine. We all have a story. No matter what the loss in material items we are all still scared by the whole thing.
It was the loss of a city that we loved. Sure it will go on and the city will recover, but it will never be the same. We could no longer avoid the topic of "the" storm or all the questions of "what if the levees fail?" We knew the answers now. Everyone's worst fears were realized.
We were able to sell our home and move on with our life in Georgia. Again, we were very blessed.
I can remember feeling such anger in the weeks and months after the storm. I would walk through a store in Georgia and I would look at people going on with their normal lives and I would think, "The audacity of these people to just carry on like nothing is wrong!" I envied their normalcy, that they could carry on with their everyday occurrences.
I went back to NOLA twice before we finally moved. I have never experienced anything so eeriy. The first time I flew in I was in awe. We drove straight home and it took me a day and a half to leave the house. The short drive to the house and all I saw was enough to scare me. It was like a bomb had hit. No leaves on trees, huge branches missing from trees, sunlight where there had always been shade. No birds, no animals. Sounds of helicopters, hammers, chain saws. No gas stations open. I went to the grocery store and only 2 aisles had food. There was no music on in the grocery. You don't realize how strange it is to have a silent store.
I finally felt brave enough to go to my own house. I cried the whole way there. As I drove I could barely look straight because I was surveying the damage to the left and right. It felt so raw and invasive. Everyone's stuff was on the lawn and curb-- tables, chairs, desks, dressers, toys, appliances, you name it and it was out there. It was so strange to see items so personal displayed for everyone to see.
For those of you who have dealt with hurricanes you know what it's like to return after you've left. Your home is in complete disarray. Everything is moved around. What can be lifted off the floor is raised. Pictures and mirrors are off the wall so not to become flying debris is a window should break, it's just a mess. I walked around our house, our first house, the house we had our first baby in, the house that was filled with all of our comforts. Of course more tears followed.
Again, I can't say enough how lucky we were. This is just my story. It's my version to save and remember and pass on to my kiddos. It's a part of who I am.
The hardest part for Michael and I was watching our parents suffer through all they went through in the year following the storm. They are going to be upset if they read this but -it aged them. It wore them out. It was physically, emotionally mentally and financially draining. They had to fight with insurance companies, get quotes and claims and contractors and subcontractors along with thousands of other people battling the same thing. It's a level of stress that can completely wear a person down.
As hard as the storm was on all of our parents one of the worst parts was having us leave. William is their first grandbaby. At the time he was the only one living in the same city as them and he was their light! It broke our hearts to take that away from them. (It still does.) As wonderful parents do, they encouraged us to begin a new life and live in a city that could offer us things New Orleans couldn't.
I could write forever about this because there are so many parts of the story, but I wanted to finish up what I started.
I just want to be sure that it is clear that my loss in the storm is minute in comparison to so many people. This is not meant to be a pity party is merely one version of one part of the whole event. What if, when you left work today you never went back? What if the house you left today wasn't there when you came home? What if your life as you know it today no longer existed tomorrow?

3rd Anniversary

PART 1
The 25th of August is my 3rd Anniversary of being in Georgia. I'm an Atlantan by way of New Orleans. For those of you who know me you know this story. We all have our own story.
A little over 3 years ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine that I vividly remember. We stood outside of my house in the heat of a New Orleans summer and talked about living in Louisiana. I told her, "I just don't know if it's enough." Michael and I were born and raised in New Orleans- actually in Metairie and Kenner. All of our familes are there. We left for college, but came back. When you are raised in New Orleans you don't leave. If you leave, you come back. Every holiday is spent with every family member possible. A little claustophobic, yes - comforting and charmingly predictable, definitely!
We graduated from college, got jobs, got married and had our first child. We quickly realized that in New Orleans we would always struggle to achieve the life we wanted. Our jobs would not be able to take us to the next level that we strived for. Hence, the conversation by the car. It was becoming difficult to ignore.
A little over a month later Michael came home and said that Coke was restructuring and his position was being eliminated in the local office and moved to Atlanta. Basically, he could find a new job or apply for a position in Atlanta. In an instant it was- are you kidding? Leave all our family, everything we know? We just had the first grandchild, how can we take him away from his grandparents? How could be leave?
We were so torn. Our feelings would flip flop on a daily basis. There were times when we were excited and then times that I could hardly sleep because I was sick to my stomach. Did I jinx myself by talking about this? I asked for this! How could I do something so stupid. I don't want to leave.
Well, you know how you pray and ask for a sign? Ours came in the form of a natural disaster...

PART 2
After of few months of job hunting and not a single prospect Michael proceeded with the interview process at Coke. A huge comfort to us was that other families were going through this same process. A few of our other friends at Coke were facing the same big move. This made it a little less scarry.
On Friday, August 24th Michael got his job offer to move to Atlanta. That night we took William who was 15th months old to his first Saints game. It was a preseason game and our best friends had gotten last minute tickets. We got home and watched the news and saw the hurricane heading straight for us. I called my Dad who was at a family wedding and he blew me off. We had just had a false alarm a few weeks back so he told me he'd call me in the morning. I knew that waiting until the morning was too late.
Let me back up by saying that the year before I swore up and down that it would be the last hurricane season I could handle. I swore that we would move across the lake in hopes of avoiding the mass exodus and fear of flooding. Everytime there was a threat of a storm this year I would call and get a hotel room in Baton Rouge before the storm even got close. This one came so fast that it was too late.
Since neither one of our familes were concerned we were on our own and figured out that we had 2 options- 1) go to Houston and try to stay with my college roommate, but risk taking the same route and the rest of New Orleans or 2) go to Atlanta to stay with my step-sister, check out our possible future hometown and go opposite of the rest of New Orleans.

We chose Atlanta and we're here 3 years later...

TO BE CONTINUED...

What We Say

We've all been told that once you say something you can't take it back. It's a hard lesson to learn, but we've all been there. As a senior in high school I told a friend who had decided to sleep with her boyfriend that it made her a lessor friend-- idiot! In college I once told Michael all the things I wish he would do differently, but at least I drew it on a little heart piece of paper-- nice move! As a kid someone made me fall off a set of bleachers and I broke my wrist, but I lied and told my parents I tripped and fell-- there goes their trust.
Our words and what we say and how we say it is such a delicate balance. When to speak up and when to suck it up and keep it to ourselves is a question we will ask ourselves all our life. I am always amazed by the power of our words-- how fast we can raise someone up and how quickly we can bring someone down.
Recently, I have been a recipient of words someone may wish to take back. I've also been the lucky recipient of words that have warmed my heart. My husband has learned the frustration of waiting too long to say something because he just couldn't come up with the right words and then the time passed and it's too late.

I went to an all girls, Catholic high school. I have been involved in more female drama than I care to remember. I think I've actully blocked some of it out. I recently had someone who I thought was a friend use words towards me that nearly knocked my socks off. I was so proud of myself- I stood my ground and held firm and kept it clean! She has never apologized to me and I often think of how in just a few words she did so much damage.

I am a Realtor and I recently had someone who is a mentor to me take blow to her career. She has always had warm words and much wisdon for me and I have tried my hardest to impart the same kindness to her these past couple of months. How easy it is to use our honest, heartfelt words to lift somone who needs it so much. Why don't we do it more often?

So why do we wait? We don't know what to say, we can't find the right words? I bought a card for someone we knew who was very sick. I pestered my husband to write in the card so I could mail it. He drug his feet because he just couldn't come up with the "right" thing. I don't think there are words that are perfect, but it's just that you thought of them. Why not the simple truth-- I'm thinking of you, I'm praying for you, You touched me in my life, You made a difference? Mental note-- don't hold back next time!

I offended a dear friend and had no idea. She kindly told me recently and while I don't think I would say anything different I feel blessed that we were able to open our lines of communication. I hope that after we spoke we learned that sometimes what someone says and what we hear are 2 totally different things.

As women, we LOVE to talk. I could talk all day and night. The older I get the more I want to listen. I want to ask the questions and then listen. The ones I love the most are the ones I long to learn inside and out. I can listen and learn and appreciate who they are and how they became the ones I love.

MIA

I know I have been quite a slacker lately. Life has been a bit hectic and I hope to share soon. I make tons of mental notes, but when I have time to write it isn't flowing our quite right! I hope to catch up soon! Until then...

Thursday's Foodie Fun

Amuse-Bouche
Ok, are you ready for a bit of a snobby term?The term amuse-bouche is used often in fine dining for a small treat from the chef.
Here's what Food Lover's says:[ah-mewz-boosh] French derivitive for appetizer, typically referring to a small one or two bite portion to tickle tastebuds.

The National News as seen by a 4 year old

First of all let me start by saying that I would prefer if my 4 year old never saw the national news however the other morning it was unavoidable.
Almost every morning before I jump in the shower I put on PBS in case my little guy wakes up and come into our room. Earlier this week I forgot to turn the TV on and when he came in he turned it on himself. Unfortunately, it was on the national news. I was in the shower and trying to finish as fast as I could to keep him from seeing something he isn't ready to see-- which is almost everything! So here is our conversation while I'm in the shower and he's watching the news. (Thankfully he only caught the 5 minute recap of today's news):

W: Mommy, there was this car with wires and stuff and then it BLEW UP just like fireworks! (He loves fireworks so this was very exciting to him.)

M: Wow buddy. I'm trying to hurry so I can turn on Clifford for you.
(I think he just saw a car bomb- lovely! Hurry, hurry conditioner. Get out of my hair!)

W: Mommy, today in Dallas there's a storm. In Dallas there's going to be fog and a rain storm.
(Thank goodness we're onto a safe subject!)

W:Mommy, there's a baseball man who won a big giant trophy.
M: That's because he won the Home Run Derby. (So glad I paid attention to ESPN last night.)

So in my 4 year old's mind the news is about fireworks, weather and trophies. I wish it was that simple.

Wednesday's Foodie Fun

The only time I've used allspice is in making apple pies! So what's it really all about?The pea-size berry of the evergreen pimiento tree, native to the West Indies and South America, though Jamaica provides most of the world's supply (allpice is also knows as Jamaica pepper). The dried berries are dark brown and can be purchased whole or ground. The spice is so named because it tastes like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Store in a cool, dark place for no more than 6 months. llspice is used in both savory and sweet cooking.

New Feature

I graduated with an Advertising and Marketing degree. I have never had a job in Advertising or Marketing. Surprise, surprise-- I wonder how many people have jobs directly related to their degree.

My first job out of college was with a restaurant. In New Orleans it's about as "old line" as you can get. This whole new world was incredibly fascinating to me and I fell head over heels. When I have more time I can elaborate more, but until then that gives a little background on why I'll be adding a daily foodie term.

Webster defines foodie as a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads. I think it bit more than that. I think it someone who enjoys learning about food and cooking skills and trying new food.

My husband and I love to cook, more so bake. We enjoy learning about food so I thought I would share this love and add a daily foodie term to enlighten you all. I hope you enjoy (and learn)!

Perspective

I had a crazy week last week. It wasn't until I was on a plane thousands of miles over the US that I could put it into perspective. I sat their on the plane alone in silence-- those two things rarely happen for a Mom. I could finally just zone out and reflect on my week and I couldn't help but chuckle.

All caught up in my week I dwelled on my frustration with our prediatrician and figuring out what virus my little one had. That was shortly followed by a trip to the Emergency room for stiches. Monday morning brought a diagnosis of strep throat and that was topped off with a tire blow out and a dead car battery. This is the way it always goes before trying to go out of town.

What initially set me into a frustrated frenzy morphed into a comedy of errors. Before heading out of town Thursday I headed into the office to do a bit of work. When asked how I was doing I responded with a chipper, "I'm great!" All the time thinking, after this week it's got to get better!

I headed to the kitchen to get a much needed cup of coffee. I'm usually not brave enough to tackle the coffee machine but I figured, what the hell. I changed the filter, poured the coffee in and hit the button.

A few minutes later I returned to check on it. It was getting late and I was needing my caffeine. I walked in behind our office manager to hear her say, "What the heck happened here? Someone forgot to put the pot on the burner!"

You can imagine how I felt. I wanted to crawl under the table! She turned around and looked at me and there was no denying the truth. I just fessed up.

We both let out a huge belly laugh and started to clean. Not before she shared my "moment" with anyone nearby.

It seemed like the perfect ending to my week. It gave me a chance to just stop and laugh at myself.

So what I really learned last week was:

1. The next time my little one is running fever just suck it up and keep her home even if she breaks the fever in the middle of the night

2. Enjoy that this ER visit only meant 2 stiches because I'm sure there's more to come

3. My 16 year old driving habits die hard and curbs still jump out

4. Car batteries generally last 4 years and trying to carry a new one through Costco while pushing a stroller reminds me why God gave me (birthing) hips

5. Always buy Road Hazard coverage on your new tires-- it saved me a load!

6. The coffee maker requires a pot to catch the coffee. An accident like this also lets you know which way the floor leans. The coffee made its way straight across the kitchen. It was everywhere!

7. I have a wonderful husband who took great care of our kiddos while I got to go to Houston to celebrate with a dear friend an exciting new chapter in her life!

Title

I drug my feet for quite a while getting this blog started and part of it was coming up with a name. I toyed with a couple of ideas, but one day I was having a conversation with my my best friend and the two words Graceful and Chaotic seemed to stand out in our conversation about life & parenting.

The more I thought about it the more I felt connected to them and the more they seemed to speak to me. I feel like I am still on my journey to figure out who I am. I'm not sure if I will ever really know for sure. That's OK with me. I believe that my life is a journey and each stage, phase and adventure changes me, improves me and challenges me.

From the moment I knew I was pregnant parenthood became a huge part of my journey. And with parenthood comes chaos. It's not that I can't keep things straight, it's that there's so much to keep straight.

Let me just think for a second to what runs through my mind, esp. on a Monday morning:

Can I shower before the baby wakes up? If she wakes up fussing will she wake her brother?

If I hurry and shower, maybe I can get makeup on before they wake?

Did I remember to buy more waffles and those stinking animal plates he likes? Shoot, maybe he'll want one of my Weight Watcher's muffins. That's fine beause it's faster, but they leave a millions crumbs. The time I spend sweeping takes up the time I saved.

Did I remember to wash my face in the shower? Too late, I hear her crying.

Did he brush his teeth before we came down for breakfast? If I hurry and run up I can grab my blow dryer and curling iron before they notice. That way I can finish getting ready downstairs.

I know I shouldn't give them this much TV in the morning, but at least I can get everything done.

Did the bottles get made last night? Are they dated? I can't forget to write the tuition check.

Do they both have a change of clothes in their bag? Does she have enough baby food in her bag?

Crap, we didn't talk about what's for dinner tonight. Maybe I'll stop at the store on the way home.

Please don't spit up on me now that I'm dressed! My wardrobe is still minimal since I had you!

Are you kidding me, I just changed you, how can you have another dirty diaper!

Thank goodness we bought the shoes with velcro so I am relieved of that duty. I hope that we don't slow his learning how to tie his shoes by doing that-- who cares, the darn things are on and velcroed!

Almost time to go. Let me grab my bag and purse and the baby and make my first trip to the car. If I don't take her she'll be crying by the front door.

I can't leave her crying at the front door. The new neighbor across the street will think I'm a horrible mother. I need to go introduce myself and come up with some sort of charming excuse for being a grumpy, cranky person in the morning.

On to the second trip- school bags, tuition check in the side (don't forget to put it in the box at school) and baby.

Shoot, I forgot to grab my frozen lunch. Come on buddy, turn off the TV and get in the car (repeated 3x with my voice escalating each time). You see why my neighbor may think I'm nuts.

Alright bud, jump in and put on your straps (3x). Let's see how long it takes you--1, 2, 3.....

Do you see what I mean? Just a bit of chaos.

This only gets me into the car! I usually forget to put the check in the box, but they know by now where to find it in the bag.

Now on to work! Seriously?

So then there comes in the Graceful part. I try to pull it together and seem calm, rational and put together. There's no need for the world to know that I just barely got out of the house, it's only 8:30am and I feel like it should be noon!

I've babbled on too much to elaborate this time, but I'll touch on the gracefulness another time.

Girl Talk

So how much girl talk is enough? I don't mean the normal chit chat about kids or whining about housework. I mean the real nitty gritty stuff. K and I were talking about this subject yesterday. We work together and in a normal work week we probably spend more time together than we do with our families. So there isn't much I don't know about her and vice versa. I'm OK with that. I'm pretty much an open book. If I wasn't I couldn't write this.

So, how much do you spill? How far do you go? Do you share the details? Start the conversation? After a great deal of alcohol you may get me to agree or disagree with something or give you a simple yes or no. Under no circumstances would I freely offer info. I just can't really cross that bridge. Maybe the problem is that most of my girlfriends know my husband too well. I think I also know their husbands too well and those thoughts or visuals are just not neccessary. I may have trouble holding a conversation without a smirk or wondering eye.

On the flip side, what about guy talk? How far does your husband go? Do you know?

I know without a doubt that my husband is as tight lipped as they come. I find that so respectful. I know he's been poked and prodded for more details, but he holds firm. Now don't get me wrong. By no means am I a prude who doesn't enjoy a little juicy gossip or a good deep down belly laugh or giggle....Just as long as it's not on my account.

So here's my thing. Isn't your imagination so much better than reality sometimes? I love that no one knows those details about me. A tight lipped devilish smirk is always so much more fun. Let them guess and wonder. They think they know...but do they really know?

Things I Love (One of Many)

I think I am a bit of a stationary snob. I love paper! I love stationary, invitations, note cards, journals, you name it and I'm a sucker for it. My friend Sarah goes one step further and loves expensive wrapping paper. The kind that they sell in square sheets in the stationary stores. I don't go that far, but selecting my little ones' birthday invitations is quite an affair!


So, I just thought I'd share a few websites and companies. Some of these are recent finds and others are absolute favorites. The web is such a huge place with tons of companies so these are just a few, but feel free to share any goodies!


1. www.printpattern.blogspot.com/
I came across this website when I was looking for another company. I love all their quirky finds! It's a UK company so the fabrics and cards and paper they find are mostly European companies.

2. www.wearefamilydesign.co.uk/
I found this company while I was on the Print Pattern Blog. The design behind the blog title is from their art. I am usually a little more traditional than this and I consider their designs contemporary. Anyway, I am a cupcake lover so I really liked their cupcake art.

3. www.scriptura.com/
I LOVE this store. Scriptura is a store located in my home town of New Orleans. I once worked in the wedding/catering/hospitality industry. My favorite brides used Scriptura. I was ensured that they had fabulous taste if they worked with the staff there. Check out their site. They have incredible paper and note cards and invitations and everything in between! Their New Orleans products are awesome!

4. www.r-nichols.com/
R. Nichols is so cool! I found his work at Scriptura. They have been huge supporters of his during his career. Mr. Nichols even has a New Orleans line of paper. You have to check out his stuff. His artwork is clean and sleek and very stylish. The story of his inspiration is great-- esp. if you're a teacher. For those of you in Orlando, please check out his store and let me know what you think.

5. www.cathkidston.co.uk/
I can't quite remember how I stumbled on the Cath Kidston site,but I just find their stuff so charming. Some people may think it's a little Grannyish, but I think it's sweet. I like their aprons, their bags and their stationary. I was so excited I actually found some note cards at a local Barnes and Noble.

6. www.tinyprints.com/
I really fell in love with this company when I was in search of a birth announcement for my daughter. It was so easy to design my own card using one of their templates. I was also really impressed with the quality of the card. Ever since finding out that I was having a girl I have dreaded going through some sort of princess stage. (I guess I'm still going through a Princess stage, but you know what I mean.) Well, TinyPrints actually carries some princess-ish invites that I don't find completely offensive. I LOVE the ice cream party ones and the one with the candy on it. (Can you tell what makes me weak?)

7. www.polkadotdesign.com/
This is a newer site for me. What I love the best on their site is the line called Three Designing Women. I have been wanting to buy a personalized stamp for a while. One like picture above. I just can't decide which one and what to include. One just for me or for the family or for work? Until I decide I just keep continuing to admire them. When I found this site I just fell head over heels for the Three Designing Women products. When you go to the site click on Stamp Embosser and you'll have the option to go to the product line. The announcements and gift tags are my favorites.

8. www.swoozies.com/
I LOVE this store!! There is one right near my office and I swear I could find a reason to buy something every time I'm in there. Swoozies is great for a treat for yourself of a sussy. (Suh-see: an unexpected gift or present) I love to buy gifts and this store is perfect. I have a friend who tried to inquire about opening one, but they don't franchise. Check it out and see if there is one near you because it is worth a look.

So, that's it. Check these sites out and enjoy!

Straight Forward

How much do you tell someone who is about to become a Mother? How much do they need to know? When I was pregnant I read a good bit and thought I had a pretty good handle on what was about to happen. As all of you know, no book or website can prepare you. Can anything really prepare you?

I love being a Mom. It wasn't always that way and I'm OK to admit that. I can remember laying in the hospital bed after my son was born. He wouldn't latch on and it seemed that he was crying SO much. They took him to the nursery to give us some rest. I would lay in the bed and hear a nurse coming down the hall, pushing a cart and I would secretly think, "Please don't be mine, please don't be mine!" I felt overwhelmed and exhasted and unprepared. My anxiety the day we were leaving the hospital was almost crippling. Despite being exhausted I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking, "What am I going to do with him when I get him home?"

My first night home was a Saturday. That Sunday morning I awoke with only a few hours of sleep under my belt. A dear childhood friend who already had 2 littles one called and said, "Happy Mother's Day!" I broke down in tears and responded, "this is horrible." I thought, what in the world did I do? I have no idea what I am doing? My world seemed so small and so confusing and so overwhelming.

It took me almost a year to accept Motherhood. I will do another entry on that, but I had an identity meltdown-- quietly-- so I thought.

So, I have a friend who is about to have her first child on her own. She is one of the reasons I really decided to write. We have had a number of conversations about motherhood. All of them completely straightforward. Mostly humorous to lighten her mood.

I reached out to her earlier this week as she started her last week before Motherhood. She thanked me for my honesty and recounted several stories I had told her. I had forgotten about some of them. I was tickled that they had stuck with her. I shared raw moments with her that sometimes we are too afraid to reveal.

My baby girl is 10 months old. Four years later and 2 babies later I can laugh at my 1st Mother's Day meltdown, my need for a formula making tutorial (despite the written instructions on the can) and frantic call to a friend with my first infant suppository experience. Don't we all need to know that someone else struggled the same way? No matter how old we are- doesn't it give you comfort that you're not alone?

I often listen with attentive ears when someone speaks about their teenagers angst or toddlers potty training issues. I often think,"So glad I'm passed that" or "Oh crap, I'm going to have to deal with that". Either way, I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one.

You know you're dying to ask-- what do you mean formula-making tutorial. The same friend who called with her Mother's Day message was blessed with my frantic phone call. I was at the end of my breast feeding rope. I had enough! I decided to go with the formula. The problem was that I was so rattled I thought a phone call would be easier than reading the instructions. I frantically called and said, "How do I make formula?" Of course her response was, "Did you read the back of the can?" Again, we're going on minimal sleep here-- just give me the damn details! She did and my child ate-- what else can I say?

Getting Started

I have been dragging my feet on getting this started because I wanted it to be just right. I kept thinking that I would come up with just the right plan of attack. Tonight I decided to just blow caution to the wind and just jump in with both feet.

Hi, my name is E and I think I'm addicted to blogs. No really, I think I'm just nosey by nature and I like to blog hop and make entries on my family blog as well. My family blog is not on here because this one is separate. This one is just for me. What's that like? Something just for me? I think any other Mom can relate! This is a place for me to write and vent and ramble (like right now).

So, as I've said, I'm a Mom. I'll also a million other things. I spend 90% of my day in the Mom/Wife role and the other 10% daydreaming about the other parts of me. I wouldn't want life any other way, despite occassional whinning to the contrary.
I am a 30 something mother of two. I have started this for my own personal space to write and improve my writing. After all, I have been letting that journalism degree go to waste. I also welcome others to email with comments or commentary on something I've written or something on your mind. If I find it pleasing I am happy to post in and give you total credit.

So, welcome, please enjoy this journey with me. I am a full time working mother of 2 with a very flexible schedule and an even more patient husband. I live in Atlanta by way of New Orleans and will continue to share more as we go.