17 is a very good year: an anniversary post

Well we made short work of that last night, didn't we?

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After a lovely anniversary dinner where the girlie only acted up mildly (obviously no nap earlier in the day), we came home and celebrated with a bottle of bubbly while watching Man Vs. Wild with the boy.

It was lovely, really. Because it's what marriage is all about.

(That was then...)

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As I managed a two week holiday this past month, I'm still trying to get through the dozen or so magazines that I purchased for my downtime. A very timely read for me yesterday was this article I found in Elle, "Till Whatever Do Us Part". I don't know if I was just totally primed for it (hello, anniversary) or if indeed it was one of the best articles about marriage that I had read in a while.

It got me thinking about why our marriage works. So here are 17 reasons why I think we're still going strong:

1/ He knows that my shopping addiction will never go away, and he'll even $upport it from time to time.

2/ He thinks I'm cute.

3/ We laugh about stupid things that no one else gets.

4/ We survived unexplained infertility and made a couple of miracles:



5/ He only borrows my make-up occasionally.


6/ He makes awesome Grey Goose martinis.

7/ We designed and did our own contracting for the following and our relationship remained intact:



8/ He helped me find a career and pushed me to re-charge it 12 years later.

9/ He held me up during the lowest point in my life ... and made me stronger.

10/ He encourages my writing on the blog even if it's taken over my life the odd time.

11/ We respect that we each have a life of our own. We support each others' "nights out" with the girls and boys.

12/ I think he's cute.

13/ The sex is still pretty good when we find the time for it. Still???? You bet, just don't tell the kids.

14/ I'm type A++++ and he's not.

15/ He knows me, he really knows me and still...

16/ He loves me and,

17/ I love him.

(This is now...)

Friday Fragments

It's been a bit difficult to put together seamlessly coherent thought lately.

What a perfect day for fragments.

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Remember a while back when I was asked to be a Bodyjam Superstar - my 45 seconds of fame during the newest disco released theme at my regular workout? One of my workout pals took a picture, and because I love you, here it is...





That's me on the left, Hoochie-mama-ing. And when is it good for a 40-something woman to wear ponytails , a sparkly top and spandex? Likely never. So I won't be posting this type of thing again in future.

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One more week before school starts and I haven't taken the kids back to school shopping yet. I've need new Lululemons (hear that, NEED :) So I'll start with me.

But honestly, I think both kids have grown more than a few inches over the summer, and with shorts it doesn't matter. I can't send them to school in floods though. Cannot.

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I took my Mom and kids to watch "Nanny McPhee Returns". I need a Nanny McPhee, at least according to Mom. She lectured the kids, as a cautionary tale, about how things can go so wrong if you don't help your Mom out (*spoiler alert* - such as losing your Dad to war, losing your farm, possible divorce...)

My Mom - she's got my back!

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We've got an anniversary coming up. With no sitter this year, we've decided to bring the kids with us. They're pretty good in restaurants, so it should be fun.

Sappy Anniversary post to follow.

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Oh, and I found another fabulous Friday blog hopping site ... check it!



Great weekend to you all!

So are you still happy?

It's a soggy Sunday morning, the man is on a bike ride, the kids are being hypnotized by their respective screens, so what's a girl to do?

Blog, I guess.

I contemplated participating in Weekly Winners, it would have been easy enough, as I actually have photos, albeit a week late. No videos of course (video camera went MIA on our recent trip, apparently it was a collective "WE" who lost it, and for the sake of my marriage I decided to let it go... which was terribly difficult for me, as you know, as I am nothing if not a superior wife, and maybe I'm still shooting myself that I hadn't personally taken responsibility of it and crazy-glued the thing to my person...did I say I was over it yet...? Honestly, I am.).

Anywhoo, it was a wonderful city vacation. So this will be a wordy Weekly Winners.

Can you guess where we were?









It was great being away from the office for a couple of weeks. Sure, it was right in the middle of major crises but when you think about it, is it ever a good time to take a vacation? But being physically and electronically disconnected (I only checked my e:mail once while away) was critical in keeping everything in proper perspective. Much needed perspective.

I looked back at a post from this time last year. I was posting about Barbie beds, BBQ's and friends turning 40. I was a full time stay at home Mom.

This time THIS year, I unfortunately haven't made the time to renovate Barbie's decor. However, there are still the BBQ's and dinners, and more friends turning 40-plus. In fact, we had a couple over for dinner last night. And I am now a full time work-out of home Mom.

The requisite question came up, from my SAHM friend:

"So Karen, are you still happy with your work?"

How did I answer?

"Yes, I am. Actually as of Friday, rather ecstatic".

I've adjusted fairly well, ya think?

When I was presented the job opportunity last year, the biggest part of my reluctance to move away from doing my own thing and jumping back into the corporate fire was the "people" stuff. And what did I encounter within days of being on the job? People stuff. Big people stuff. As in high frustration and low morale stuff...with no realizable solution in sight. Sort of like staring a corporate Mount Everest in the face.

I was so stressed, so nervous, so "how am I going to do anything about this, I'm the new kid on the block, no one knows me here, the processes are overwhelming and gahhhhhh, I haven't done this sort of thing in five freakin' years!!!!!"

I assigned myself Project Number One. Project number one was to alleviate the pressure. Project number one was to make things happen, for people who saw little hope. I had to put on my thinking hat, brush off my subtle powers of political persuasion ( skills honed by potty training negotiation and perseverance likely helped), put the business case scenario ducks in order...

Project number one, with no realizable solution in sight - is now within a hair's breath of being resolved.

It took me almost a year. But I suppose a year to move a mountain is no small feat.

"Hey Karen, maybe you could move while you talk?" I got a nudge from the hubby as he transitioned our dinner guests into the dining room for the tomato-cucumber-bocconcini salad (oh the powers of Google) that I had literally just thrown together.

I guess I get a bit overly-excited when I talk about work. I always have. And there continue to be mountains to move on the work-life balance front.

So, am I still happy?

There is the next issue, a Mount Vesuvius in the wings ...

But yeah, I'm pretty sure that I am.

Weekly Winners - Vacation

In case you haven't noticed, I'm taking a well deserved family break. Sun, water, trampolines... food, drink, s'mores...an additional five pounds to lose when I'm back on the BodyJam train.

But that will have to wait. Because I'm still on ...