Happy for No Reason

This is exactly where you'll find Zach these days: studying, talking about, and eventually squishing (usually by accident) all sorts of creep crawlers.

I've been reading for the past few months a book entitled Happy for No Reason.  Past few months???  Not because it is 5,000 pages long or because it's a difficult read, but rather I just don't get around to it much anymore (read: I would prefer to veg out in front of the tv after the kids go to bed over pouring over the classics -- some day I plan to change this, but it's not happening anytime soon).  Actually, I've read quite a few books since the boys have come into our lives, but they all involve handling difficult children and getting babies to sleep through the night - go figure!  Happy for No Reason caught my eye at Barnes and Noble on a day when I was feeling a little less than happy and a little more than guilty for feeling so.  Stepping outside and looking in, I have it made:  the most incredible partner and best friend who has a fabulously paying job that allows me to stay at home with our boys; a wonderful network of gal and guy friends; a loving and supportive extended family; healthy and spirited children; food on the table; a large house with running water and air conditioning; reliable cars that get us around...I could go on on on, but I'll spare us all.  The bottom line is although I am very aware of how fortunate I am, I find myself wanting more: I want the house to be completed with its renovations and decorated to my taste; I want my kids to learn to play by themselves; I want more time for myself and my interests like say, reading; I want to wear more fashionable clothing and "do" my hair more often; I want permanent hair removal -- oh, wait!  I scored that at Christmas -- thanks, Dad!; I want to justify buying $45 Keen sandals for the boys because those shoes are just too stinkin' cute; I want to travel more (with and without the kids); I want to eat sushi on a daily basis (cha-ching); I want to surgically remove my double chin, and although I'm down to a size 0/2, I'd still like to tone up my pork chops (I think my cousin Ashley uses this term to refer to that flabby area by one's armpit); I want to have a successful career; I want a limitless expense account here; I want a couple of these for my kitchen; and so forth.  Clearly my list of "wants" is ridiculous when paired with my "haves".  Spoiled, huh?  I hate that.

I know these wants are natural and completely human, but I still feel a bit ashamed.  I highly recommend
Happy for No Reason as it's written by Marci Shimoff who interviewed 100 people that were seemingly happy without necessarily given reasons to be so. Some have terrible health problems, others lost family members in horrific scenarios...and even worse, but these people still exude happiness. Shimoff finds the common factors that make these people happy which include spirituality, finding the good in the bad, choosing a healthy and balanced diet, and um, other things...remember, I'm still reading it. :)



I've found the book extremely helpful and prospective-building.  But I'm also learning to enjoy the joys in life and allow myself to be "spoiled" a bit without feeling riddled with guilt.  Like when these beauties arrived, I knew I'd instantly feel happier...

and I did. (shame!) :)

Until I started reading the labels -- true to my obsessive-compulsive nature -- and realized that 30 of the 90 boxes delivered were the WRONG COLOR wood!  Aaaaah!  And those 30 boxes were on the VERY BOTTOM of the pile, of course.  I looked on the bright side, feeling fortunate that we caught it early enough and in time to replace the boxes.  (Remember one of the Happy for No Reason tips? Find the good in the bad.) :)

I don't really know where I'm going with this, but I have friends and family asking for photos of the new floors, so here they are...

Who's that cute guy bending over? :)

Luke was trying to get in the picture.  Notice his leg on the right?  I refused.  Why?  One guess (starts with an "N" and rhymes with rude).

Clearly no staging was going on here.

We still have a lot to do, but we're very happy with how they turned out.  We debated where to start and stop the wood and ended up doing just about the entire first floor, including the kitchen (gasp!) and powder room (double gasp!).  So if you're looking for me I'll be wiping up ice chips fallen from the freezer and every drop of drool out of Mabel's mouth, trying to protect my new loves.  Not to mention what the boys do in the bathroom -- ick!

If you live locally and are look for a flooring company at an affordable price, I highly recommend Mr. Flooring in Austin.

While the floors were being installed, the lovely Julie and Gary Boese (aka JuJu and Grandpa Boese) hosted the boys and me.  I was far from prepared for our trip, throwing our clothes in a bag at the last minute.  My legs were unshaven (the laser hair removal will take a year, FYI), my toe nails were chipped, and I showed up empty-handed, but they are family and accepted me just the same.  The boys (and Mabel) absolutely love visiting their house.  It reminds me of when I was a child visiting my grandparents.  I remember how magical it all felt (and still feels).  Something about the familiarity, though infrequently seen, is so comforting. 

The boys absolutely adore going to their house.  Between the handmade sandbox, tractor and wheel barrow rides, golf ball game, requests for pancakes with Lil' Smokies, and more, those poor grandparents get a workout.  I failed to bring my camera (it must have been with my razor and nail polish), but Julie was kind enough to share these pictures...

In other news -- and an attempt to catch up on our family's happenings -- the boys and I visited our beloved Sweet Berry Farms this year to pick strawberries. 

I say beloved because every visit I feel like it's the quintessential mother/child thing to do.  What could be better than visiting a sweet little farm full of strawberries, with high hopes of picking tons of berries?  With plans to fulfill my expectations of making our own fruit leather and other berry concoctions?  What could possibly go wrong with this, you ask?  How about two boys that suddenly decide picking things is no fun?  What?!  These kids try to pick all of my flowers at home and now they go on strike?!  Actually, Zach enjoyed the picking, but then proceeded to take one bite out of each berry before throwing them back at the farm.  Nice.  Needless to say I did not end up with enough to make fruit leather or any other concoction.  Boo!  In fact, this was the hit of the day...

Yes, I know.  They're wearing matching shirts.  I said I wouldn't be go there, but I did.  Let's just say the shirts were cheap and they're easier to find when they match.  Maybe not, but what are you gonna do about it? :) 

The boys LOVED the goats!  They were entertained for a good thirty minutes.  Longer than I've seen anything else hold their attention.  I'm trying to convince Steve that our backyard is big enough for a goat or two.  So far, it's not working, but I'll keep you posted.  Making chevre could be fun, too. :)  And our tax appraisal went way up this year, so maybe we could get an agriculture exemption?  Anyhoo, here are a few more pictures...

Is that not a guilty (dirty) face and arm pose?

I really do enjoy trips like these.  I'm desperately hoping that the memories of these events will dull the pain of the others.  Like the time when Luke (completely naked, of course) ran out the door with a handful of my bras and underwear (I was working on laundry).  I was running behind in all my attractive morning glory (you know what I'm talking about if you've seen me at 7am -- rough, really ROUGH), shouting threats that I could never follow through with.  All while the neighbors were starting their morning commute.  True story.

I'll just go ahead and leave you with that image.  Come on, tell me you don't feel a little bit sorry for me. :)

xo,

Jess