A Little Life Update

 

As I write this, it’s been one week almost to the hour that Chris has left for a whole month of army training. It’s the longest we’ve ever been apart since we’ve been married and had kids, and I’m holding things together the very best that I can over here. The morning he left, he got up and watched Moana with Blake, her favorite movie that has been admittedly acting as her babysitter for almost two hours each day – because mama’s gotta work. And then walked out the door for a month of grueling training.

I feel bad that I’ve been turning to technology to keep these kids occupied each day, but I’m in survival mode right now and I’m just trying to accept thats way its going to be this week, until we travel to see my family in Pittsburgh this upcoming weekend.

We’re sort of in transition mode over here, and as couple, still very much wanting to get out of the city so the kids can have a back yard (and not to mention, a dishwasher and garage would be nice, too), but working on figuring out the right path to make that happen. It’s not easy when you’re locked in an expensive lease. I love New York City and will cry my eyes out the day that we do eventually leave, but our whole family is ready for this change. So Chris is busy progressing further in his military career and I couldn’t be more proud of his hard work and dedication.

As you all know, Blake is about to turn one this month and before Chris left we had plans for a big party in Pittsburgh. But he got his orders for this training a week before we were scheduled to leave, so we had to scrap that idea. Things like that happen sometimes in life and as hard as it is, you just gotta roll with the punches. Instead, I’m traveling this weekend with both kids by myself for the first time ever (send me some positive vibes!) to Pittsburgh to spend 10 days with my family and give Branden a chance to play with his cousins and run around all day. So, we’re really looking forward to that.

Since this training came as such a surprise to us, I almost feel like summer was rushed. We had so many things planned for each weekend in August and now everything has been postponed or I’m doing it with the kiddos alone, and it’s kinda sad making these memories without Chris around. He’s super understanding of course, and just wants us all to have fun.

We’ve got our daily routine over here and I’m of course flooded with mom guilt all the time because I’m working so much, but it is what it is. I hate having to stop what I’m doing if we want to go to the park and wish now more than ever that I could just send them outside to play while I do my computer work on the deck. I’ve been trying to shift my schedule to work more during the morning, take a break to get out of the house in the afternoon and then get back at it in the evening, but I’ve always had a really hard time writing at night. The struggle to meet deadlines is real, my friends!

I suppose I sound like I’m rambling a little bit here, but I just wanted to give you all a little glimpse of what my life looks like behind the scenes these days. I know everyone sees these beautiful pictures that we take and messages that I try to send to you all, but that doesn’t come without lots and lots of curation on my end. I’m just a regular old mom like you all, filled with mom guilt on the daily, trying to do the best that I can to make everyone happy and it’s not an easy job. Every time I think I’ve got life figured out, there’s another curve ball that gets thrown our way and I’m just happy you’re all along for that journey with me.

Fashionably Yours,

Allison