Blasts from the Past and Positive Vibes

Today was a weird day. Not a bad way, in fact, it was a really positive day. It was just a little strange. Let me just start off by saying that my last couple of weeks might have been kind of rough, but with a little bit of sleep, I feel like a new person! Charley has finally adjusted to sleeping with a cast on her leg, and has slept straight through the night since Sunday. It's amazing what a little bit of sleep will do for a mom! I feel great, and definitely more myself. That might be partially due to the fact that I took Monday off. I decided I needed a day just to play with Charley and recover from the last couple of weeks. It was  truly a wonderful day. We went to the zoo with some friends, then came home and played for the rest of the day. I really had fun with her. I feel like I am so frequently just trying to keep Charley occupied while I'm working, that I forget to have fun with her. I need to take days off more often!



Anyway, about today. Charley slept until almost 8, which was AWESOME, and meant I had time to get up, shower, and have my morning coffee before she woke up. Aaaah, peace and quiet in the morning. I loved every minute of it! Once Charley did wake up, and we got moving, we ran back to our house (we're house sitting for my dad), and picked up a couple of things I would need for the next few days. Then, we ran into Target for 3 items, and of course purchased more like 15, but that's how it works at Target, right? Charley is a great kid, and I know that. The vast majority of the time, she brings nothing but joy into my life, but sometimes Target trips can be difficult. Well, today was actually a GREAT Target day for us. Charley sat in her stroller the whole time, without whining, and I couldn't believe the number of smiles and comments she got while we were there. She's gotten quite a bit of attention for her cast, but only one person commented on her cast. Several others smiled as we walked by, and I told her, "I don't speak Whine." More chatted with her as we waited in line, and she messed up her perfectly styled hair (intentionally, of course). Still others grinned at her as she got her cake pop (yes, I bribed my child) and beamed with excitement. It was one of the few Target trips since I've had Charley that I've had the chance to see how much people really enjoy kids, and how children can bring a smile to people's faces with such simple things. It was a great way to start off our day!

When we got home, and I began making contacts with various preschools....That's when it got weird. Not the work stuff. That was actually great, and I set up a few more Gus the Bus dates. But I started to get text messages from guys I've dated in the last year. Not one, not two, but FOUR guys I dated. Four!  Now I know it's not unusual to hear from guys you've dated a few weeks later...but these are guys I haven't heard from or talked to in MONTHS. One I haven't heard from in nearly a year. It struck me...is there something in the air today? Why today? Why FOUR different guys on one day? It was definitely interesting. I don't know if I'll ever be able to explain it. But apparently I'm putting some love vibes out in the universe or something. Ha! As long as they're positive vibes, I'll keep them coming! It's strange, though, because if I look back at last  year at this time (or close to it), the same people are coming around. It's like I'm repeating last fall (although I'm not, because last year I actually dated these people). But now I'm not quite so naive, I've learned a lot about who I am, what I want, and what I need. Last year what I wanted and what I needed were two different things. Now, with some time, experience, and personal growth, what I want and what I need are more in sync. My friend Sean said it the best, I think. I want one person to invest in, and see where it goes. I don't want to think about how it's going to work out in the long run. I don't want to think about distance, or jobs, or he lives there, if it went somewhere would I have to move? How would it work with the kids? He has cats (or dogs)...and I'm allergic. How would that work? I don't want to think about the logistical things, because my theory is, if something truly develops, I'll figure it out and make it work. That's just what we do, right? Make it work!  I just want to get to the root of someone. REALLY get to know him, and see where it goes. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Okay, back to the positive vibes, one of my closest friends had something wonderful happen today. Her neighbor was getting some cement work done on her driveway, and my friend asked her neighbor to send the guys over for a quote while they were there. After a little bit of discussion, the cement guy came to her door with an estimate of $1,400. My friend politely declined, because that just wasn't in the budget at the moment. A little while later, she got a knock on her door. The cement guy was back, and told her that he'd talked to her neighbor who mentioned she'd had a rough time the last couple of years, and he'd like to do her driveway for free. FREE! She refused, and told him she couldn't let him do that, but he insisted, and she started to cry. "Things like this just don't happen to me!" she told him. As she told me the story, my eyes welled up with tears. There is nobody I know who is more deserving of such a kind gesture. She's been paying it forward for years, it's about time someone actually did something sweet, wonderful, and unsolicited for her. Just another weird, but wonderful surprise. For me, it was a reminder that there really are great people in the world.

On that note, I had a great night at the gym, as well. Two of my Rec Team students participated in a cartwheel-a-thon at the gym to raise money for the St. Louis Park Emergency Program, and between the two of them raised nearly $400. I was so proud, and incredibly impressed. These girls worked so hard to raise money to help others. Again, proof that there are great people in the world! They are good citizens in training!