Life (lately).

I'm going to be clichéd and proclaim life to be busy lately. The kind of busy where you're not sure why exactly you're busy but days meld into weeks and next thing you know it is April and yet you are positive you were passing out Christmas gifts and Valentines just last week. Though let it be said that spring is very, very welcome.

Track is in full swing, so Kiddo's got practice six days per week + a meet in addition to the arduous process of making sure his perpetually late homework is turned in in time to get some sort of credit. (Oy! Boys!) Weekends are, well, a brief respite from the hubub but also involve a lot of paper towels. I'm sure you know what I mean: last weekend we used a whole roll because the cat had a case of the pukes and Kiddo managed to miss the giant bowl of pancake batter and cracked an egg right onto the kitchen floor.

This is a season much like the ones that came before, and the many to come. It's not bad or good, it's just life. I'm sure there will be times I look back and think That was nothing! and times when I will think I'm glad it's over. I am also certain there will be times when I desperately miss these experiences. (Well, maybe not the cat puke.) Those are the days I'll be glad I kept this journal; glad that my memories are tucked safely away on a server somewhere, ready to be revisited. A reminder of the seasons, because, man, do they fly by.

Last month, feeling overwhelmed and flustered by motherhood and workforce reentry, I sought the calming influence of the ocean. My love for the ocean is deep and abiding; it's impossible for me to fret to the soundtrack of crashing waves and sand between my toes. Upon my return the same worries awaited me, but I also had an improved perspective. There is nothing like the ocean to make you realize how small your problems are in this vast world. 

Seeking out time for myself is a relatively new endeavor; Mario has always been supportive when it comes to me taking a break, but guilt and second-guessing and the tendency to micromanage (What if everything falls apart in my absence?!) always got in the way. I still feel a little guilty leaving him to manage everything, but it no longer stops me from doing it every so often. And let's be honest: a less frazzled version of myself benefits everyone.

This Easter was lovely in a low-key kind of way. We opened our baskets as a family, then headed over to our friends' house for an early dinner. As part of my plan to simplify, I let myself off the hook when it came to dyeing eggs. Kiddo is currently off boiled eggs, and Husband doesn't eat them at all, and I didn't want the pressure of consuming them all by myself. So I said no. Instead, we made Rice Krispies Treat + Fruity Pebbles eggs and Kiddo decorated them with sprinkles and colored sugar. There were also Coconut Lime cupcakes which are always a crowd-pleaser. (Complete with vintage German bird embellishments. And more sprinkles! My domestic prowess was on full display.)

Spring calls for a new doormat and colorful canvas shoes. // April showers bring May flowers. What do May flowers bring? (Pilgrims!) // Lemon everything. (Lemon Trifle candle + my new favorite snack: plain Greek yogurt with a spoonful of lemon custard swirled in.)

A new laptop skin + an exploration of Portland's awesome coffee house scene. (I had my last laptop for 7+ years, so replacing both was a big commitment. I'm incredibly loyal.) // Still coffee free. (She says, as she sips a latte. My first and only in weeks!) // A man that makes pasta from scratch, even after discovering we donated our pasta maker before the move, is a man worth keeping around. // An amazing, oh-so helpful vintage book on plant husbandry + photobombing at its finest.

Kiddo did not get his athleticism from me, so I'm in constant awe of his muscular stature and long legs. (The ropy veins that run through his arms are something to behold, for sure.) // When he was little he used to fill entire notebooks with his drawings and doodles. Recently he's picked it back up and is so. darn. good. (Another thing he didn't inherit from me.) Constant awe, I tell you.

This week Kiddo is on spring break, so we headed to Bend, Oregon for a couple days. The architecture! Swoonworthy. (That yellow Arts and Crafts! Gah! It must be mine!)

While in Bend we had our first stay at a McMenamins property. It's hard to explain the awesomeness that is a McMenamins, but this converted schoolhouse was a rather awesome adventure. (The funky art, the history, the architecture, the nooks and crannies and hidden bars... fascinating!)

In other news, I had a job interview yesterday! For a position I received a rejection email about two weeks ago! It's exactly what I'm looking for, but also daunting, so of course I'm terrified but so happy to have been asked to interview for it. (I can do this? I can do this!) There are several more applicants left to be considered, and it's a bit of a long shot, but gosh if it wasn't a morale boost. A real Hey! Maybe it IS possible to get back in the game!. Plus, my interviewer is a physician assistant and wanted to help a sister out, so maybe? If you could cross your fingers and toes and think positive thoughts for me, I'll bake you all cookies. (Lemon, of course.)

Last but not least, this stud muffin is turning a year older today. Boy did I marry up.

Happy Weekend!