In the first few weeks of social distancing, I was panicked, stressed and, frankly, depressed. I could not wrap my mind around what was happening. I was in denial about the changes we would have to make in the coming months. I told myself then that I would not force myself to be productive. I read a tweet that offered an important reminder: You are in a pandemic while still trying to work. It ... Read more
Teacher Appreciation Day in Quarantine
Teachers deserve all the praise and much more. I've appreciated V's teachers before the pandemic forced me to facilitate my child's learning, but now even more so. V's teachers created lessons for the remaining weeks of school that contain activities for each subject. Each Monday-Thursday we find new lessons on her school iPad, while Fridays are catch-up days. I struggle with not only balancing ... Read more
Things That Won’t Be the Same
These past couple of months have been eye opening. Every day I see social media posts by people wishing life would go back to normal. "When this is over ..., " they say. But some things won't be the same. Some of our behaviors will change, and some should. I've been thinking about some of the ways life will look different from now on and things that won't be the same, some minor and some ... Read more
Our New Normal | Quarantine Thoughts
Remember when I shared 2020 goals? March goals? I was so full of optimism, as I'm sure so many of us were, and then, well, you know. This past two and a half weeks of quarantine, as we all seem to be calling it, has been surreal. I've lost count of how many times I've asked myself whether this is real life. Is this actually happening? Right now the focus is figuring out this new normal. I've ... Read more
Closing a Chapter: Selling Our Phoenix Condo
We said goodbye to our home in Phoenix on Friday. It was bittersweet, but selling our Phoenix condo was a decision we've thought about for years. Buying a condo is one of my proudest accomplishments because I did it all on my own in 2012. I had no idea what I was doing when I submitted an offer on the townhome I had been renting when it went into foreclosure in 2011. I didn't think I could afford ... Read more
5 Years of Marriage
Graham and I celebrated our fifth anniversary on Sept. 20. I can't believe it's been five years since we got Maui'd at Gannon's restaurant in Hawaii in what I felt was the perfect ceremony for us. Time flies when you're moving 1,700 miles, saying goodbye to our dog Taylor, becoming parents to two girls, celebrating a World Series win and buying a home, with lots of other memories in between. I ... Read more
Christmas at the Flora House
This has been a special Christmas for us: It was the first in our new house, and it was Addi's first! V had some new traditions, too. Our Christmas recap: I love our tree this year despite never finding a tree topper after ours broke. I plan to also purchase a new tree skirt next year. We chose to stay in Chicago for Christmas this year vs. traveling to Arizona or Kentucky. We wanted to ... Read more
A’s 8-Month Update
This has been a major month in terms of milestones for Addi. She has changed so much in a short time, and this phase has become my favorite so far. I love watching her do new things and learn every day. Sleep: After waking 3-5 times a night every night since she turned 4 months old, we decided it was in our family's best interest to attempt to teach her to fall asleep on her own. It's been less ... Read more
How to Find Motivation and Inspiration When You’re in a Rut
Lately I have been feeling off. I happens every year when Chicago's winter hits (unofficially). The darkness at 4:30 p.m., the constant cloudiness, the frequent snow/ice/rain combine to kill my motivation and make me want to hibernate. I don't have the luxury of sitting around and doing nothing, though, so I needed to find my inspiration again. I needed to pull myself out of this rut. I've ... Read more
Adelina’s 7-Month Update
Every baby update I've read starts with disbelief about the child growing so quickly. You can go ahead and insert that statement here about Addi. As of today she is 7 months old! She's so much closer to 1 now and I can't handle it. I haven't posted an update since she was 4 months old, so I wanted to share a bit about how she's doing now. Sleep: Addi is still waking up at least three times a ... Read more