My first book review...and the start of a journey

After winning an e-book, I’ve decided to do my 1^stbook review. I actually won this a while back, but because of a variety of circumstances, it took me a while to finish it and I’m finally getting down to writing about it.

The e-book I won was The Beautiful Hangover by Liana Cano and Micheline Waring. While the book gives a background on both women, it is from the point of view of Micheline. It's about a Canadian expat (Micheline) living in Argentina who, with the help of her Columbian friend (Liana), an expat as well, starts to find herself again, and learns the balance of wife, mother and self.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started reading, and I was pleasantly surprised. This is my first biography, or at least non-fiction, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I love to read and it’s not uncommon for me to get lost in a book, but this may have been the first time it felt like the book was being written about me. There are of course big differences between us, but when she described when she finally took stock of her life what she saw, I realized we could be looking at almost identical reflections in the mirror.
         

“I don’t think I’d really looked in a mirror for some time, and I was a little dismayed to see my reflection. My hair didn’t look so good. I had dark circles under my eyes. My skin was dull and I started to notice some wrinkles. The sleepless nights were taking their toll on me.”

“I realized that my activities revolved entirely around running our household.”

After reading this, I realized that somewhere along the line, I had let myself go. I rarely did more then the bare minimum to get myself through the day. There are many mornings I don’t even bother brushing my hair since I’m not planning on leaving the house and my hair usually ends up in a ponytail anyways. I know what some people might say, I have a 15 month old who was very demanding as an infant and I was also caring for my toddler and a dog, usually by myself because of hubby’s schedule, but I’m not the first to do this, and others seems to manage well. And exercise…well, I’ve never been good at committing to an exercise routine, though as my weight and waist line start to inch back up and my energy levels seem to drop, I may have to admit that it’s time I took control of my physical health. As for my mental health, well, lets just say that’s taken a hit that not everyone is aware of. I’ve lost my self-esteem. I never had much to begin with, and I struggled for a few years before I got myself into a good place where I was confident in myself, but over the last couple of years, I lost it, and didn’t bother trying hard enough to hold onto it. It’s sad to realize that I forgot how important I am.

I enjoyed reading about Micheline’s journey as she finds herself again. Especially the moment when she finally realizes that she’s achieved her “beautiful hangover”. I plan on going back and re-reading, I’ve even starting making notes of my favourite sections, but I know I’m in for hard work. My journey to my own beautiful hangover is just beginning, and like Micheline says;

“I hadn’t lost myself in a day, and I wasn’t going to find my way back that quickly either.”

Thank you, for helping me realize what I hadn't noticed before since I was too busy caring for others, and not enough about myself.

That Time of Year

So, it's that time of year again, yep, cold and flu season...fun!

I hate this time of year! I swear I can see the germs coating every surface! I'm not a germ-a-phob per se, but I swear since I've had kids, I've become hyper-aware!

We are fairly lucky. Being a stay-at-home mom, my kids aren't exposed as much as other kids who are in day care or school (that'll be next year), but we still get our share of illnesses. Usually hubby picks it up at work & brings it home, but sometimes we get it from family functions or even out shopping. Ya, don't believe me? Watch the people around you & see how many cough into their hands before touching something. Grossed out now? Yep, that's me almost everywhere I go!

But the germs aren't the only reason I hate this time of year, the other reason is that plethora of runny noses. I'll admit, before I had kids, I could handle anything! Give me poop, pee, spit up, sometimes even vomit, & I'd barely blink an eye, but give me a kid with a runny nose & it would take all my will power not to run as far and fast as I could! Shortly after we were married, I remember being at a friend's house who had a one year old. This child seemed to constantly have a runny nose & as much as I loved her, I dreaded her sweet little hug...and the inevitable gift she left behind on my clothes. A few years later, with 2 kids of my own, I've grown to realize that I have become nothing more then a glorified tissue. My son seems to prefer to rub his runny nose on my shoulder then on the tissue I'm offering. In fact, that's one of the main reasons I hate runny noses, the fights over cleaning them.

In my house, trying to wipe a runny nose is like being part of a soap opera. There is screaming, crying, and that's just from me. Trying to use a nasal aspirator? It's like a battle scene from a movie. There are battle cries, arms & legs are flying, weapons are used & sometimes, blood is drawn. The weapons in question are of course, the nasal aspirator on my end, and whatever toy they happen to be holding. And OK, so maybe so far there has been no blood, but I'm surprised, I've been hit pretty hard in the face during these fights. These kids fight dirty!

So that defeated looking woman you see out with the 2 kids, 1 or both with runny noses, that could be me. I promise I'll try to keep them from getting too bad, but sometimes, I'm just tired of fighting.