Don't drink the milk.

Normal. Perfection. I've been hit pretty hard by these two concepts recently. Whether it has been conversing with friends or simply reading blog posts that others have written, it just keeps slapping me in the face.
I, of course, am both of these things. Normal and Perfect. It is a pretty amazing combo if I do say so myself. I never lose my temper, I never feed my kid McDonald's..or any fast food for that matter, my home is always spotless, and I meet my husband's every need with nary a complaint. In fact, I never complain about anything. I am the epitome of patience. Oh, and I'm not sure if you've seen me, but I'm smokin' hot. Flawless in fact.
Yeah. So.....why exactly are we holding this as the ideal? Why are we holding our true selves back from one another? Believe me, this is coming from a woman who has hid dirty laundry(not figuratively) from our lovely housekeeper who comes once a week because I was mortified by the sheer amount of piles I had accumulated. Really?
Let's take it a step further. Why was I so annoyed when Wyatt didn't smile in any of our family pictures this past weekend? I believe our photographer's exact words were, I've never seen a kid look so sad/angry blowing bubbles before. Excellent. Why was I so pissed? It's because I felt like it was a reflection of me. I was embarrassed. When the meltdown at the store happens, or Wyatt starts acting up, instead of thinking that he's seven years old, bored out of his mind and just wants to "act his age" I am being selfish...I'm worried that the appearance of the situation and the fact that we're not a picture perfect family (literally in this case) may shine through. In all honesty, it would probably be a great reminder to order the picture where he's miserable...because why pretend to be something we're not?? As my incredibly wise girlfriend mentioned- "perfection is equated with control," and as many of us have learned the hard way- that is something that we as humans simply do not have.
So, to heck with perfection. Let's talk about normal. I think this one is a bit more difficult to embrace...because deep down we know nobody's perfect. But normal? Normal blends in to the crowd. Normal can live day to day without having unwanted attention drawn to it. If you're not "normal?" Holy crap balls- you're screwed!- That sucks for you!!
Isn't is sad that that is how the majority of people think?
My bestie Merriam-Webster says this about normal:

¹nor·mal

 adjective \ˈnȯr-məl\

: usual or ordinary : not strange

: mentally and physically healthy

1

:  perpendicular; especially :  perpendicular to a tangent at a point of tangency

2

a :  according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle

b :  conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern

3

:  occurring naturally <normal immunity>

4

a :  of, relating to, or characterized by average intelligence or development

b :  free from mental disorder :  sane

Don't get me wrong, sanity is definitely good. But here's the thing. While being normal, may, on any given day be easier, it certainly doesn't set you apart from the crowd- positively or negatively. In fact, I thought that it was interesting that the antonyms of normal were: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual.

Fascinating. At the end of the day I would rather hang out with a friend who is exceptional or a little odd as opposed to one who is ordinary. Wouldn't you?  Why do we place such an emphasis on maintaining the norm..the status-quo? Why do I feel that I need to stick Wyatt in that normal box of perfection, when in reality if I didn't squeeze him so tight he could be something extraordinary? We don't want our kids to be walking bots of normality, or make them think that just because society thinks this way, it's the right way. The beauty of people is that they are all wired differently with amazing talents and gifts- many of whom are anything but usual or ordinary. Again, particularly in the realm of child-rearing this is easier said then done. I just wish I could embrace this on a daily basis instead of worrying so much about what others may think or say.

So, what to do? I have found that surrounding myself with a handful of exceptional, extraordinary, unusual friends (not to mention my hubby) help to offer the support needed in keeping it real and essentially, at the end of the day keeping me grounded. A few of them, like myself, may even have expired milk in their fridge.
You may be thinking that you're going to stop reading this post now, particularly if I triggered your gag reflex..but grossness is not what I'm getting at. Spoiled milk is a reality. Life gets in the way. The milk goes bad and it stays in the fridge. You may be like me who buys another carton and pushes the spoiled one further back. (Who wants to pour sour milk down the drain anyway? ) Stuff happens. We are working or playing, or spending time with spouses, kids; craziness ensues and the last thing you're thinking about is pouring that blasted milk down the drain. Or throwing out that head of cauliflower that I SWEAR I was going to make something incredible with..... but I digress. I'm just saying at the end of the day, let's try not beat ourselves up. Rest in the fact that whether anyone will openly admit it to you or not, they've been there despite their seemingly beautiful rested face.

P.S. If I know you're coming in advance, I will  have fresh milk for you. I promise.

A very tiny plate

¹pro·cess

 noun \ˈprä-ˌses, ˈprō-, -səs\: a series of actions that produce something or that lead to a particular result.

Thank you Merriam.

Our family is at a place right now where we find ourselves having been given dessert plates for a Thanksgiving dinner. There's just a lot. A lot on our small little plates. A lot to process. Everything of course is out of my control, and so I am trusting God and having faith in the process. I mean, that's my goal. It's all a big test that I feel like I am failing. I am not clairvoyant. I do not know if everything will turn out the way I expect. I liken it almost to that of a pointillism painting. When standing too close, remaining too focused on the minuscule details, you lose sight of the full picture. I am staring so hard at a few of those dots, I am becoming cross-eyed with doubt and anxiety.

BUT- you back up a little, and all of those little dots end up coming together to form the big picture. So what is frustrating now, in the end all works out to form something beautiful. It was all in the plan.... All a part of the long process in getting there. 

I am desperately trying to keep that in mind over the next few months. 

One of those "items" on our very small plate is that we are moving to Hiroshima, Japan in June. Surprise! This is an incredible opportunity and I am so very thankful for my husband's skills and talent that are leading us on this journey around the world. It has been a wild ride thus far for sure- but it is definitely bittersweet. We have built an incredible life here in Taiwan; memorable experience filled with adventure and deep and meaningful friendships. Hiroshima however is a brand new start- terrifying, exciting....I'm still processing it all and when I do, I'll be sure to let you all know, one little point at a time. I can feel your enthusiasm from here. 

More to come.................................

Belle and the Big Bow tie

It's not really disclosing a huge secret when I say my husband has a large head. Please, we've written posts on this before. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with ego- he's just a big guy. Broad shoulders, solid, big neck to hold up an equally big head. Period. Where am I going with this? Follow my rabbit trail. Sometime in March my hubby agreed to go to a Gala, hosted by Wyatt's school. Yes. Yes. I know. Again with these things I don't usually do. BUT every girl likes to get dressed up every once in a while and at least pretend that she's the Belle of the Gala-esque ball...right? Right. So being that it was kinda fancy and the love of my life doesn't have a suit, the opportunity arose to bring him to a tailor. How fun! The experience was actually a good, albeit brief one. We arrived, the man measured, brought fabrics and colors and Will had two suits and two shirts custom made to fit him like the proverbial glove in approximately one week. Crazy!
So while the shirt and suits made my man look like the hot tamale I knew he already was, there was one piece missing (well actually his shoes were missing as well, but we didn't know that until the morning of)....the bow tie. Cue dramatic music, seeing as this was going to be a HUGE feat. Get me? HUGE.
Place # 1- had a bow tie, however it was comically too small.

Place# 2-had a bow tie, however it was Velcro? The man said it fits really large 17" necks. I knew it was too small and that Velcro isn't fancy or elegant. Did I purchase it? Yes. Did it work? No. Is it now on my closet floor? Yes.

Place #3- had a bow tie, Will tried it on, felt slightly strangulated but said it was fine. Did I purchase it? Yes. Did he wear it? No. Is it now also on my closet floor? Yes.

Place # 4- had a bow tie, however it was comically too large....or was it just right...hmmmm. Was it for a costume? Yes. Was it the only one that was going to actually work? Yes. Is it now laying on my couch? Yes.
End of story? He wore a tie.

I just thought that this story was funny and wanted to share. I love my husband, and I love that he was my hot date despite initial reservations. No one gives me a better time then this guy. Gala or no Gala.
P.S. For all who are reading this post, I'd love to know how you pronounce- GALA.  Say it
out loud to me right now. GALA.

Holy Hiatus

So I haven't written since August. AUGUST. That's incredibly negligent on this blogger's part. That's like Wyatt's entire first grade year. For those who actually read this blog I'm so very sorry. Admittedly I've been just kind of burnt out on writing. Dry. Witty-less. If I'm going to write with both of those descriptors in tow....well, I'd rather write nothing at all.

Let me try to get everyone up to speed.  I decided to toss my hat into the PTA ring this year. I know. Just....I know. It seems very un-Aly like, but I like to keep everyone on their toes. I've been doing quite a bit of editing and writing within this role, in addition to my monthly coffee article and occasional writing and weekly volunteering for Garden of Hope. I've been hiking, biking, eating, and exploring. I've been attending to Wyatt's burgeoning schedule and attending to his after school academic issues as he's soaking in new challenging material. READ: daily battles with homework.

Wyatt? More attitude, big personality, active social life. A character or a card as some may call him. He's funny, sarcastic, dramatic, at times easily defeated but ironically has an inspiring  inner self-confidence. He's comfortable around adults and no one is a stranger. He gives me a run for my money. Always. Soccer, Karate, Swimming, Piano and play dates with tutoring and OT thrown in for extra spice are just the daily norm. I look at this picture weekly to remind myself of his sweetness and that he does in fact love me.

Will and I have been going out on weekly date nights keeping the spark alive, spending time with great friends, eating amazing food. Good times, good times.

Over the past few months during my writing hiatus, I've been reminded about how precious life is, having acquired a renewed appreciation and love for my parents and just an overall thankfulness for this life I'm currently living. I've got a great husband, an exemplary kid and a family of origin that isn't a dysfunctional freak show. They are in fact, incredibly awesome. I really love my life. Let me just cheese it out. I'm a lucky girl.