Now we're getting somewhere...

For a long time now, there have been things I've wanted to do for myself, but hadn't.  Some were simple things like "read more," or run, or, um, take a shower.  I was too busy, too tired, too pregnant, too poor, too scared, too blah blah blah to do anything but keep them silly little interests that I would think about indulging if I was wealthier, had more time, got skinnier, grew some huevos, and if there wasn't a rerun of How I Met Your Mother on tv that I hadn't seen more than five times.

Then things happened:  I spoke to an old friend -- a father of young, twin girls -- who is living with ALS; my cousin passed away from cancer; two weeks later my husband's uncle passed away from cancer; and I read your blogs, blogs of women who are living their lives and not making excuses.

In the wake of that, how dare I not pick up a book, or pick up my feet (or take a shower, for that matter)? 

It might not sound like much, but here are some of the things I want to do.

(1) Read more.  I used to devour books.  Nothing too cerebral (although, I do love a good book on reaching financial goals), but not young adult lit either.  Bonus points if it makes me laugh.  I picked up Mindy Kaling's book last week and was ripping through it, feeling almost...relief?..to be able to consume words that are not connected to a legal brief.  But now I don't want to finish it because I have nothing lined up to read after it.  So help me!  What have you read lately that you've loved, that you couldn't put down?

(2) Exercise.  Dieting is only getting me so far.  As fascinating as post-partum belly jiggle is -- and trust me, it's fascinating -- I wouldn't be sad if I had to focus on something else.  I ran once, a couple days ago, and my body reminded me that I'm old.  But I'm going to do it again, if for no other reason than because I can.  I've also talked Roar and the Husband into joining me for a Warrior Dash next year.  I know it's not for a while, but I've never been able to run, and I basically have been sitting on my butt for the last year and a half. Now I have an excuse to train.

(3) Improve my photography.  Here's where it's getting really fun (okay, yes, the reading is fun, but this is really, really fun).  I signed up for a photography class.  It's been two weeks, and I've already gotten so much out of it.  My favorite thing so far?  Being able to take indoor shots at night without the flash.  Lookie!

I find Samantha's thumb sucking to be adorable and frightening; frightening because I only quit sucking my thumb recently, like, last year or something.  So sometimes I tell her to stop.  She doesn't listen.

Zachary's absolute love of salads is super awesome, except when he steals mine like he's doing here.

Really, this boy loves him some salad.

"Is there more?"  Seriously, he wanted to know.

Yeah, I don't even know what to say.

So there is some of it.  And there's more!  But I'm taking baby steps.  I don't know exactly where I'm going to go, but I do know that I'm not going to stand still anymore.