#1: Missing Ring
This week I lost my wedding band!! :( The ONLY time I ever take off my wedding/engagement rings is when I make meatballs! (Well....I also had to take them off during a couple of my pregnancies bc my fingers got too fat. But that isn't relative right now!)
So, on Tuesday afternoon, I was making meatballs. I hate when raw meat that I've got all over my hands gets around my rings and in the stones of my engagement ring. I mean, it's gross, and hard to clean, and I feel like I won't wash it all off well enough and have raw meat germs on my rings, (and fingers)! And, yes, my family will tell you that I have an issue with raw meat....don't even bring up raw chicken!
I didn't even remember taking off my rings, but I'm sleep deprived and dealing with some perimenopause memory loss(see below)! After I finished the meatballs and washed my hands(a couple of times), I reached in my pocket and the only ring in there was my engagement ring?!? What-the-what?!? Well, I looked all over! Swept the floor, peeked under the stove, watched Jay go through the garbage(once I got up the courage to tell him I lost it!).....and the meatballs have all been eaten now so it wasn't hiding in there! So far, my prayers to St. Anthony have gone unanswered! I'm hoping it's in some stupid place....since I don't even remember taking it off!
Jay and I got married young and we had no money, so it's just a plain gold, "what's the cheapest band you sell", kind of ring. (I wish we had gone with silver, but gold was the "in thing" back in the early 90's!) Jay was concerned at first because I might go out in the world and appear to be single! Thankfully, I still have my engagement ring...which we actually bought many years later at some point when we had a little money...so Jay can rest easy!(bc, you know, there are LOTS of singles ads that read "single male seeking relationship with single woman that has a boatload of children!)
Replacing the "what's the cheapest wedding band you have" ring will cost about $400!!! Yikes...23 years of inflation is a beast! I'm not going to do that....we'll just wait until a big anniversary and get a special wedding band!(hint, hint, Jay)
(and I'll keep praying to St. Anthony..that ring is around here somewhere!)
#2: World Youth Day
World Youth Day will be in Poland in August of next year. Sarah's high school just announced that they are putting together a group to go....and guess who wants to sign up?!? I have VERY mixed feelings about it! I know it would be an incredible experience to be around so many youth that love their faith...and Pope Francis! Jay is 1/2 Polish and has an obsession with St. Pope JPII, so that makes a trip to Poland even that much more special! However...it's going to cost about $5000!!! We have to figure out fundraisers on our own and only have 6 months to raise the money! Then there's the issue that it's in....Poland....and that we would be sending our (by then) 17 yo daughter overseas to hang out with millions of strangers all bombarding a country where we know no one. The "what if's" of my fearful mama heart can get a little loud...."What if she gets sick", "What if someone hurts her?", "What if someone steals her things?", "What if she loses her passport?!", "What if some crazy people plan an attack?". She will be halfway around the world and we won't be there to protect her!Fear vs possible experience of a lifetime...and the decision has to be made asap.
I like it better when they're little and the biggest decision is to order them vanilla ice cream or let them have the chocolate ice cream that will probably ruin the white shirt that they're wearing!
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| Not a white shirt...and she was eating chocolate chip pancakes, not ice cream...but you know what I mean! |
#3: Getting Older Part I
Since this is supposed to be 7 "Quick" takes and not 7 "long" takes...I need to move this along! Since I turned 40 fifteen months ago, the adjustment has not gone well! My kids are getting older, I'm getting older, and all of a sudden all the rules are changing! I'm trying to transfer gracefully from a mom with a (seemingly) constant stream of nursing babies and busy toddlers to a mom with less constant hands on parenting. It's not easy! If people ask, "What are your talents?", for the last 22 years the answer would be having babies and caring for young children!While I knew those years wouldn't go on forever....even though many nights it seemed they might...I'm struggling to redefine myself. My focus and goals have been on helping my kids through all the various phases of childhood that I'm struggling to figure out how to make personal goals for my "second half of life"! Any tips would be appreciated!
#4: Getting Older Part Deux
This whole perimenopause/menopause thing does seem a little unfair. As if hormones don't wreak enough havoc in our lives during our child bearing years! I think I'll have to get Jay on of those books for men to understand exactly what's going on and how to be supportive. Is there a "What to Expect When You're (Peri)menopausing?
#5: Trying to Get Back My Game Day Groove
Fall is Football Sundays! I'm trying to get back into creating some special game time menus! The request for this week: Buffalo Chicken Wings and Mini Meatball Sliders. Now I have to find the recipes.....I SO need to get organized!
#6: Can We Please Start the Fall Weather
The kids are in school...it's time for beach weather to go away! Bring on the 60's! I want to wear sweat shirts and enjoy putting the oven on again! p.s. Fall weather is welcome to stay until April. There is no need to send Winter this year! Thank-you.
#7: Happy Weekend!
(At least this one was quick!) :)
