28: Pinning, Plastic and Botox

Since I have been back in good ole Hot as heck Tempe AZ, a lot has been going on. Well it is official. I am close to 28 years old. The countdown came on the 5th when my younger cousin all of 9 months hit 27. From September 5th to December 13th we are the same age. Every year between these months I am reminded of how much older I am than well most people I hang out with. There are just a few in this little world of mine that will hit 28 before I do. At 25, we hit the mid point. I dealt with my quarter life crisis, and dropped a bunch of LBS, went back to school to get my second degree and progress more with my education in order to progress in my professional life. Who would have thought a "professional life" would ever be something that I would accomplish.

I remember sitting in the library at OLMC copying homework and studying for Mr. Humphreys obligatory science quiz. Those sucked! Then came 26, 27 and now 28- barf. I do my fare share of complaining that I am old. I definitely feel it when I pull an all niter and  NEED to sleep all day Sunday in order to make my 5am wake up call Monday morning for my 10 hour work day.

I recently received a whole LOT of news...Juicy news- that I will keep to myself, 1. because this is about me and 2. because I dont want my friends to get pissy at my big mouth. After receiving possibly the fourth biggest piece of news in the past month, I decided I needed to get a little wild. I was racing my fingertips to find something, new, refreshing, brown out worthy, painful, NEWS WORTHY. I had a lot of thoughts; tattoos, piercings, booking a trip, getting the tummy tuck that I have been salivating over. SO what happened? Me and the best decided to take a gander at crazy ole Target. I picked up razors, and single cup coffees. Not exactly the invigorating Saturday night I envisioned but I did need coffee and razors because I was going to the lake on Sunday. In my defense I had downed two helpings of mucinex and Robitussin DM to fight the nasty fever/ flu I had picked up from someone during the week. I didn't care though, 101 temp and puke face had nothing on me. I was going to get out of the house and out of bed. 
 
In general, the topics of what has been going on has somewhat surrounded the fact that we are getting older and older and older. Surprise surprise- every year you get older. All this juicy news contained crazy situations that I found my self being a little envious of...nothing that I would particularly choose for myself but these were headline making stories. It has me thinking that all this freaking out is because those of us born in 83 and 84 are nearing the dreaded number 30. Some of my best memories were from 14 years old and when I think back, that was almost 12 years ago. Manilla Folder that was a long time ago.

In an early attempt to beat my families gobble neck curse, I have been religiously injecting my age lines and wrinkles with botox for the past 3 years now and I am on the verge to getting these smile lines and more done. It seems that each of my friends have been presenting themselves special birthday treats, from botox to atv's to vacations and a whole lot more. In an attempt for our older generation to pull our heads out of the sand, we get lectured. I have been lectured so much these past two weeks.

I am an adult 27 years 9 months and a few days like 20 or something, and I am getting lectured. About what you wonder? Well let me tell you. My life choices. Not my professional life choices but my personal life choices. I am not married, I do not have children, I choose not to mow my lawn, and my dishes are not cleaned at every second of everyday. Oh yea, and in the instant that I mentioned getting my lips plumped full of Restilin, the emails came rolling in from all the ladies in the family and friends. A big  DONT DO IT! It almost makes me want to do it, just to spite the rest. Who cares if I have fish lips. Right?!

During one of my lectures, I started to cry. I thought I had this world pretty much figured out. Work hard, play harder, 10 hours a day will most definitely put you in bed by 8pm, and partying with your 24 year old brother will only lead to a headache and embarrassment. I have discovered its not such a cool feeling when your brother tries to pimp you out.

I often wonder if the saying is true: "You are only as old as you feel." Well if this is the case; I am 65. It takes me awhile to walk straight when I wake up in the morning, if I sit down, I will most likely fall asleep in 5 minutes, and I find myself using the term "those kids" for anyone under 25.

I promised myself, when I came home from school, I would not get in bed when I got home. I would do something every afternoon to give back or contribute or to let the world know- My name is Lauren and I am here. I would not lay in bed all weekend every weekend and watch reruns of "flipping out" and "say yes to the dress". Well that became half true. I do spend a lot of time in bed but it is spent "pinning" I stare at my computer and find super cute things online and pin them. Its addicting. I spend the other half of my time looking up tummy tucks online and the rest of it asleep.

One day you wake up and say this is my life. I work, I play and I sleep and somewhere in the middle, I find time to do the dishes, see my friends and gawk at the latest bit of news.

I attended an appointment with a friend today and decided to have a side consultation for a tummy tuck. Now this isn't completely spontaneous, I have been thinking about this for 3 years. After looking at pictures and salivating over these pre skinny women's even flatter tummy - I did something I didn't think I would. Instead of making an appointment for a real consultation, I said thanks and walked out. Besides the fact that you need at least two weeks off of work, about 12K, and can't sit right for a few weeks, I am totally down for this. Another thing that bothered me was when looking at all these pictures, I mentioned that these ladies were already thin. When I mentioned I have lost over 100 lbs, The girl replied "Oh my. Yea a lot of patients come in here after gastric bi- pass or other weight loss solutions." I looked at her and replied, "I did it with diet and exercise." Stunned. She looked stunned, now please I am defiantly not the marshmallow man, but I do not look like a gastric bi pass patient- no offense to them but I am proud of the way I lost this weight.

I just always assumed at 28 life would be figured out, married, career, kids, range rover, white picket fence. But life happens and crap gets thrown into the mix that you would never expect.  I don't know if it is my group or my age in general but I was explaining to a friend, that when you have one aspect of your life perfect, for instance, your career and the other lets say your love life, isn't there it is  way off balance. Its like you have two scales and to get them to sit at the same height, you have to have the same amount of weight on there. Until you find a balance, you wont be happy. I think it is why women get jealous of those who are married and with a career, they seem to have it all- the "perfect life". I also pointed out that most of the people we knew who were married before 25 and have had children are miserable. We shared a laugh and she agreed.

As I approach 28, I have come to even more conclusions. DO what you want. Have a plan and save your money. If you want to get a Tummy tuck or implants or fish lips or rid of your elevens- go for it. If you want to own a business, do it, have a baby?- Educate yourself and prepare the best you can...It's only fair to the life you are bringing into this world. Wanna sing at open night mic? well I hope you are not tone deaf. And if you want to wait on a phone call, for someone to tell you why they suck...please stop  waiting because you deserve SO much more in this world. I know its cliche but if you could only see yourself how others see you, then you would be unstoppable. Please do not let others write your story. Expectations are made to be broken and goals are made to be surpassed. There are a million stars in the sky and if you reach high enough, you can hold one in your hands BUT be sure to share it because just like a flame, if you hold it to closely, it will suffocate and lose its light.

I hope to embrace 28 and its going to start with a Vegas birthday. Just decided.

My Montessori secret

Last Thursday, I was told I was given a secret. A gift of the "Montessori Secret". 

Last summer I embarked on a path. I packed my car and drove all of 5.5 hours away to the far away land of bathing suits, sun, and Sea World. I walked into a dorm, VERY nervous and apprehensive to meet my room mate and to whom this person would be because of my past horrible experiences of living with other people but it was there that I  met my very special name twin. Our friendship started like this "Hi I'm Lauren" "I'm Lauren!" And that is how it began.

We walked into our class that day and embarked on a path to Independence. My original thoughts were, "I graduated college, this will be easy peasy." If you have sat through a college class, then I can do anything. Well as the saying goes - or my saying, "Anything worth getting doesn't come easily." and also "work hard, play harder".

The first summer was filled with a blind education. No real schedules, long days, hand writing pages and pages and books of notes and reading the same book over and over until something clicked. Everyday was a little bit confusing but mind blowing at the same time. At each moment, I had an "ah hah" moment. I could not wait to come home and share everything with everyone; people with children, people without children, everyone! I wish Silvia told me it was a secret last summer, because sharing secrets with some people piss them off!

The first summer ended and it came back to leave  my beach side dorm, say goodbye to my friends and head home to the real hot world of Arizona. The year was difficult full of ups and downs, stress and binge eating, one of my favorite things to do. Not many tears but just a little bit of begrudging anger and tension. I longed for the days I could go back to my Montessori training and being in bliss. This training felt like look at the prettiest flower or breathing the cleanest air. Sure there were moments filled with nights ending at 2 am of studying, something I NEVER did in college, frustration with having to type and type and type, not understanding certain concepts or why things were the way they were but it was something to hope for!

The second summer came and here I was thrown back into this world wind of a learning process. I came to the conclusion early on, that some come to this course too seek Montessori training and learning for the children and some come for a change within themselves and pick up some Montessori jargon along the way. I was kind of OKAY with it but not really. If you have something to fix in yourself, I personally and in my opinion only do not think you should work with children. But this is solely my opinion. But whatever. Not my place to judge.

This summer was filled with more endless nights, new game plans for not wasting time with useless printing and fixing and perfecting. I spent time, hand sewing, cutting, laminating, searching for materials, everything perfect and beautiful for the children. I spent time fantasizing when I have a baby or a classroom all the great things I would do with the babies etc. I spent time typing, formatting, and beautifying. The other half of the time, I spent time, watching HBOGO, watching fire works from my window, pinning on pinterest and eating candy, hence the jelly belly that had returned...really you are what you eat- so I am a chunky monkey, sour watermelon ring. Oh well it will go away.

I spent a lot of time, getting to know some friends better, and I am sure glad I did. I studied and practiced with the materials. I stripped myself of my hair extensions, wedges, dresses, eyelashes, and acrylics. I stopped worrying about my exterior and started to figure out the interior AS well as figuring out how to pass this class. I spent my nights walking on the treadmill and memorizing the phases of the "girlie time" and how long a zygote is a zygote. 16 days approximately if you were wondering.

The time came to turn in all my work and get ready for my oral exams. 2 hours of question and answer and presentations. Not only did you have to sale yourself, you had to prove you had to know the information and how to present it to a child. I was nervous as heck! part 1, have your materials examined by what I call the AMI Goddess and part 2, speak person to person to the AMI Goddesses, and prove that you not only understand Montessori Philosophy but the physical and metal aspects of development. No prob right?! As I waited I almost threw up. I went in and started flowing, 2 hours came and went, high points and low points, I did it, I was done, now to have fun!!!

I went to my very first farmers market, had a strawberry Popsicle and tamale and walked around with my  friends. I waited all day for the call that I passed. Finally around 5, dressed in my scan-dilly clad pajamas and Ugg boots, I went to get Veronica to get dinner. As we waited and waited for the call and yes or no, pass or fail, we chatted and shared. I love sharing but I love listening too! Finally it was 6:55, we decided to go home but first we had to make a trip to the ladies room. Well low and behold, while in the stall, my phone rings, I had to pick up. I just hoped on the other end of the phone, she would not figure out that of all places I was yes, on the phone, in the bathroom. - We all do it, and logically I am not ashamed but honestly, its one of those things you just don't talk about. Then I heard the most beautiful words you can hear, "Congratulations Lauren! You passed! I did?? Thank you Thank you!!!" Flush! Darn auto flush...but it didn't matter I ran out of the bathroom and jumped around like a happy girl receiving her first special piece of anything. Veronica and I jumped around in the bathroom and hugged. Then I burst through those doors and danced around in the cafeteria!! Gathering stares of course, one because We were in a cafeteria, two because I was in pajamas, and three probably because I was dressed for winter but it was mid July...I'm from Arizona: 66 degrees equals winter! I giggled like a little school girl. Accomplishment!

I thanked Veronica and went back to my dorm room, started texting and posting of course! receiving many congratulations and yahoos! and thinking to myself. "Well this is it, now I get to have fun!"

The next week, my family came in and it was time to shine. Out of the 20 or so girls, I had 17 people there for me. 17 people was sort of jaw dropping, but it was nice. Even though, there was a hole there because one of the most important people, I did this for, was not there physically, it felt special. It hit me, when you feel you have no one, when you feel left behind or left out, or just alone, you have too take a moment and appreciate what is around you. I had an amazing family, who made the trip just for me! It was so special and a great moment. And I know my mom was smiling for me.


So back to this Montessori secret. It shouldn't be one. I have already been lecturing to my lovely family about the perfect environment, boundaries, limits, eating habits, toilet learning and more, and they take it in with a smile. Simply because they know too, it shouldn't be a secret. Montessori is very misconceived, it is more than a philosophy because it follows neuroscience, and overall physical and psychological development from conception through adulthood. It is not an alternative schooling system but a different way to teach children. In my opinion, the way we are being taught now, isn't doing much good, so why not try something different, and even though, it has been around for 100 years, something new, something special.

I am very excited to have this secret and to share it with anyone willing to hear it! I am blessed to have met the girls I have especially my name twin Lauren, Danielle and Katrina. I couldn't have gotten through with out Zoe, and our movie nights! and with out Veronica who let me run over to her dorm room and be like "WHHHAAATTTT is this and WWWHHHATT is going on and I CAAANNNT believe this!" I have been blessed with this experience and am eager to learn more.

Last Thursday, I was also told, " you feel that this is an ending, but it is the beginning" and I am ready for it. So bring it on world, please and thank you!

Babies R Us

What a long week last week was. A plethora of emotions, long long days, and countless typing...120 pages single spaced and counting...so much looking at a computer screen that I think I went blind and literally could not take in any more information. Brain overload, mind shutting down, body in need of alcoholic beverage.

So besides the all the school, I was robbed, all my banking info jacked and tried to be used (and you cant catch this guy why?) locked down with no control of what was happening in AZ.....and I think we all know by know now how much I hate not having control.....I spent a lot of time in solitude, which I really love...pondering, thinking.... "should I fly home?" "How can I fix this?" "Should I call JJ another 15 times and ask him the same questions over and over and over?" AND on top of that I was yelled at / told off a lot this week....To be honest...I don't like and or appreciate yelling unless it is coming out of my mouth.

Well I didnt act on what I was thinking BUT I did eat a lot of ice cream....and it hit me tonight while applying my self tanner and looking at my leg thinking "what the hell is that? is that a bump is that a shadow nope its a bump- crap!!!!" OK Lauren you gotta do damage control this week"

Sometimes when your mind is pushed to the limit with uncontrollable circumstances You have to sit and think "why the hell am I doing this?"

Truth be told.... I have wanted a baby since I was 13.....1 would sit around and pick baby names and think of the perfect white picket fence I would have with my husband in my big home most likely in Tempe and we would go to church. I would have twin boys, twin girls and then a set of twins one boy and one girl...names: Gabriel, Alexander, Alazae, Genvieve, Samuel, Cain, and other names that I can not recall at this very instant.

Life would be perfect. I would be a teen mom and have a perfect little family. Money grew on trees and houses were free....Honestly I knew differently but it was nice to think about. But really what 13 year old really thinks about that?! Me.

3 years passed and I was 16 working at my grandmas school with my mom looking at different colleges to go to...Yale, Harvard, somewhere in Italy....you know the big leagues - Not that any were calling but a girl has to dream big right?! I sat in the office and asked my mom "How am I going to get money to pay for this?" I heard a voice to my left and she said "Just get pregnant honey...then right a letter to diaper company and they will pay for school!" It was a young mom sitting in the office. NOW for the first time in my life, my mom yelled at someone "DON'T tell my daughter that!!!!" the voice replied "Sorry Therese I am just saying." she said "-----name excluded for privacy, DON'T TELL HER THAT!" As my mom yelled I took a mental note, "OK Dont get pregnant...you get away with everything but this might actually be something that mom might KILL me for doing."

So my dreams of being a young well super young mom stopped there and realized that it simply could not be my reality...so what did I do? School and everything else a 16 year old would do.

 

Even though my dreams of becoming a statistic ended quite abruptly I still dream t of it but my goals changed. I would definitely have to get married first. That might be a good idea. Ok so husband at 16...not something that I really wanted to be tied down too....I was much to un trusting of men and I certainly was not going to be told what to do by one. PSSSHH, In the words of cartman "I do what I want!"

College came and I was 18, still to young to get married and have kids. I was going to be a lot of great things in college: a lawyer, a speech pathologist, an abnormal psychologist, an architect, a Spanish teacher, a communications major and superstar...all of these careers resolved around children...I would find a way to help children. 

After my mom passed away, I finally made a decision...Business Administration...totally has to do with kids...right? Heck no! I got my degree in all of 2 years after 4 years of goofing around and was good to go....I was still able to work with children by working at my grandmothers school but in the office. I do like business, I am good at business and I like dealing with money and good with money...Just not my own.

I always knew I wanted my AMI certification so I could work with children and it took about 2 years to get accepted into the MISD program in San Diego...and I found the perfect age. BABIES! 

I always loved Babies...look back to being 13. And I would be good at this, I am good at giving my opinion and I have been a babysitter, Nanny and have given so much (probably too much information) to my cousins who recently had children....I was so enthusiastic about the information I was given with this course that I practically spit it on people trying to share all this good stuff....

Today, during the second summer of my training on 4th of July, I sat in my dorm room sewing and editing my albums...my 200 plus pages of notes typed from the beginning of the summer. I spent all weekend going back and forth from Ikea, target, Michaels, Staples, office Depot, Pier one, Joannes of course I stopped in Nordstrom Rack but who could resist. ...and all to find the perfect tray and ribbon. Yes a tray and ribbon...why do they have to be perfect? Well because everything we give to children should be perfect. It is our jobs as adults to have everything these children need.

I was in Target for 40 minutes looking at wooden trays. Picking them up, placing them down, picking them up, holding them....looking at random families and debating if I could ask to borrow their child....my better judgment reminded me not too because quite frankly I probably looked like a creeper or a baby stealer...And I would just like to clarify for my cousin, even though I ask you to bring home a baby for me from work....I am just kidding...gross.

As I was sewing and watching Teen mom reunion...it hit me...I am doing this for the children. The children deserve better than what we have. And if we had it pretty good, then they deserve us always to be on our "A" game so we can share the good things in our life with them. They deserve the perfect tray because we want to set them up for success not for failure, They need the perfect ribbon because textures should be inviting to them so they learn to work with their hands and appreciate what they are doing and they deserve the best education. And as I remind parents who I give tours too, education is not just academic its social, emotional and so much more. And that is what I strive to provide their children with.

At 27, I have come to realize that its not that I am too young - because I am not...but that I am not ready to have a child, to be the protector, educator, and most important relationship to another human being...but I promise my future kids this (which I do hope to be ready for SOONER than LATER) I will hold your hand but not hinder you, I will give you the most beautiful things that you need, I will set limits for you and provide you with love and empathy and I most certainly will remind you just as my mom did....if you get pregnant at 16 younger or older- I just might have woop you....just kidding of course....because I know now that my mother yelling at that lady, was simply to prove a point to me that she wanted better for me and she believed in me in that moment more than I believed in myself. She saw far beyond the stars in my eyes and help me to gain something much more concrete - a brighter, better, more successful me - who was not promised a simple life from God or from my parents but one full of life lessons, hard work, pain sometimes more pain that feels bearable, but also a life full of wonderful family, education, friends and little miracles here and there.

She might not be around physically but I know in my heart and through Gods eyes she is the angel on my back....

So look out for me because I might be baby-less but I sure have a lot of light to shine and I know she is humbling me every step through it.

a little tid bit from San Diego

Another transitional phase is going on here. All year I waited and waited until I get to come back to Sunny California and finally here I am. We sit in class from 8 – 4:30 in order to review review review. We go over the redundant yet important information and I find myself checked out, mentally and physically. I worry about a lot of things – I think it is in my nature. I am worried about the kids at school, who is closing up, how the days are going, what the workers are doing. I worry.  I miss my nieces like crazy and the rest of the world too I guess. Last Sunday I packed everything from my fake hair to my hand sewn baby materials, exhaustively hopped in my car with my brother and cousin and we lollygagged our way to California. Already I have had a few new experiences.

1.       Being stopped at my hotel room by a security guard to ask if I needed help to get away from these men talking to me through a window (my brother and cousin)

2.       Walking up to random people on the beach and asking if we can join- maybe it’s me but you don’t walk up to strangers and start conversations, especially if they look like they will kill you

3.       Ate at a Mexican restaurant masked as a fried chicken joint.

4.       Went off schedule. I am a schedule girl, without a schedule, I tend to “freak out”

Amongst other things I have done, I have finally unpacked and have also become the most messy unorganized person I know. Another uncharacteristic trait in me that I didn’t know I have.

So today I received a text message. Not from just any friend saying hello…which I do not get or give much these days, but from Lauren M. The third Lauren I have in my life. These messages contained pictures of our sunflowers.  Besides missing my nieces and worrying about work, when I left to finish school. I was most concerned with missing these flowers grow. The children planted these seeds in February and Ms. Lauren let me know today that the flowers are taller than the roof. Last week when I left, they were a few feet shy; not all the flowers were in bloom and it was sort of a waiting game. Today was the day! The flowers are blooming and the trees are growing tall.

In a silly way, I relate to these flowers. There have been lots of changes in my family, with my friends, and in my professional life. I have 2 new nieces, as we have heard about before and new bonds with good friends and looser bonds on others, and work well is work. It is good and important. Each day, I learn a little bit more about my mother as a woman and the work she did. This is painful and meaningful but also very stressful. However, I do believe the path to Heaven is paved in sacrifice.  When my mom died, her one worry is that I would follow on her path. I didn’t understand what that meant but I think I do now or at least a little part of that. My journey however, is not hers. I am seen in our small Montessori community know as someone to be recognized and I am not going to lie, that feels good. BUT it is tiring, as one fire is put out, another one is ignited. Typically it doesn’t bother me so much because I do feed off drama but I am not liking it so much.

Once I checked into my hotel room, I could feel all the resentment, anger, misplaced anger and crappy people wash away. This is 7 weeks for me.

One of the reasons I love this course about the Montessori Philosophy and form of education is because it allows you to look deep into yourself. You have a better understanding of the world around you and it helps because you have to start from the young child. You have to become a whole person before you can work with children. Anyone can be a parent, and I have seen plenty who personally I do not think knows their foot from their face but it takes a different type of person to work with children.  A teacher must be prepared at all times, full of knowledge, patience, and consistency. If the teacher does not have that then they fail the child.

Yesterday in class we sat and talked and talked and listened and surfed the web. A few interesting points came up:

·         The philosophy that we are learning about is common sense.

·         Do not live through, interject, or give un needed help to the child- you are stopping their natural educational process. Education is not only about academics, it is everything else in the world too.

·         There is a fine line between giving into wants and needs, discipline and correction, and giving incorrect knowledge to children.

It’s funny to me because I come here for my education, and yet all I can do is think about “my kids” at home. What are they doing? What are they watching? Etc etc. I came here to better myself, and in turn I have been given the opportunity to help the most important people: The children.

As adults, we get into routines, and schedules. We stay away from our friends and family because a variety of reasons and make up excuses to why we do not want to see them. We lie to ourselves and are afraid to hear the truth; we forget to give to ourselves, because we become a slave to the almighty dollar. I know personally that after a 12 hour work day, I am left saying I have no more to give or I do not understand “WHY” these things are happening. But really I haven’t taken the time to look or to care.

When you don’t understand something then open a book, send a message and seek the truth.

A poster pinned to our wall is "Have great faith, great doubt, and great effort," Teachers open the door, you must enter by yourself."

To come full circle with this mess of thoughts….

I am very excited to be here and to gain knowledge of the world around me and be with like minded people and friends. I am appreciative for the opportunity I have been given and I am eager to get home to implement my plans for the future. I am thankful that I inherited my mother’s gift. She loved to research and go to school and share with people. She might have had a lot more tact in doing so but one day I might learn to get the fire off my tongue and say things nicely.

So here is my rant for the day as I wonder through the web during our medical review:

The pacifier is horrible, breast feeding is a KEY component to your child’s health- it can take more than a day for your milk to come in so keep trying, living through your children will only make them resent you, ALL parents have good intentions done wrong, we all make mistakes especially with children, I make mistakes everyday but I look at them and correct them. I fully believe all people having children need to have education on child development and have seen the efforts of wonderful parents with healthy children. The Montessori philosophy is not for everyone- that’s okay because if you’re not into it, I will never be able to share the information with you.  Montessori teachers are taught to meet children’s developmental, emotional and spiritual needs – not to fill children’s heads with fantasy and discords that will confuse them. Never take anyone by their word…always doubt and learn the truth on your own and never never stop trying to figure out what the truth is. If you’re mad at someone tell them, so you can solve the problem, success comes to those who put the manual labor into it, wishing and willing a positive future might keep you carefree but it will also leave you empty. Friends are precious jewels, acquaintances are costume jewelry and strangers are a dime a dozen. It’s okay to eat on your own, or charge something to your credit card if needed and if you’re not willing to hear others people’s opinions then you better keep yours to yourself! A tree is a tree but each tree has different shapes, sizes, colors, temperaments, and smells- beautiful in each way they grow, individually strong and need just as much love and care as the next.

 xoxo

L 

 

Its that time of year again. For the second time in my life, I get to do only one of two. Since I have been 16, I have worked full time and have gone to school. I wanted so many great things as a young girl, nails, clothes, etc. etc, and this meant that not working was not a choice for me. Once I finally graduated from college, I took a year off and worked full time. I thought it was going to be "easy peasy!" I thought, "only work? this will be a great change, I will have so much time on my hands!" Ha if only that were true.

After a year of only working, I decided that my degree wasn't good enough and I enrolled in school to get my AMI Montessori teacher training. This training has opened so many doors for me and has probably closed a few doors as well. With all my knew knowledge and understanding of children, I almost too eagerly shared my advice with the few mothers/ friends I knew at the time....needless to say "childless" me, apparently was not in the position to give child advice because of course I was childless and what did I know.?! Well I know a lot and I hate to break it to my haters but I am right most of the time. Back to the point at hand, I am packing up to move to California this summer and finish up my program.

I go through a purging stage every time I need to move, go on vacation or anywhere for more than a week at a time. I am in that phase now, I look through and throw away the clutter that I have been shoving in the corner and keep all the important things. As I am purging I came across the notes that children and parents have written me and it warms my heart. I also came across the pictures from my moms funeral. Most days, I do not like to rehash the horrible day that was March 1st, 2007 but something compelled me to pop in the CD of pictures and take a gander.  Again, I am not to sure what possess me to do so, maybe the comments that are growing on me such as " your mom would be so proud of you", " you look more like her every day", "You do the work just as good as she does" ---- on a side note ladies, I hate to break it to you, but one day you will turn into your mother, hopefully you will not carry the same mistakes and burdons she did, but I am sure you will continue every single thing that annoyed you about her, because I know I fancy every single annoying thing that bothered me about my mom. I even write like her.

A lot has been going on these past few months. Work has been ridiculous but the saying is true "Hard work pays off", I have gotten some good news, and some bad news, with a promise of hope, and Libby had baby Charlotte. Now I love all my nieces equally, each of them is so wonderful in their own way. They are all fantastic little ladies and will be amazing women. Each of these girls reminds me of my mom. Kadence, is the light that reminded me that with death comes life, She came to us when my mom died, and saved my sanity, Kylie looks so much like her- its weird, her facial expressions and laugh, her jovialness, Clare just 2 months old, has her determination and worth ethic, I kid you not, I have never seen an infant work so diligently at the Montessori infant materials, and Charlotte, I haven't known her that long but she is just amazing. When I went home the day she was born, I started crying because I loved her so much. The tears could have been induced my exhaustion, but one thing I know is that she is pure love.

Back to the past few months, we met Clare and Charlotte, I have grown professionally and more. With every step I take, I receive more reminders of my mother. I have learned of friends who are ill. I have prayed to her and know she will watch over them as they get better. I have seen people from the past who send their love, I have a new sense of pride in what I am doing and I know she will be with me this summer too.

There has been a lot of joy. and with that a realization that life does go on. Some might think "Duh" but when you go through death, you go through something different. It's like your an orange and your peel is torn from you and your naked, and devoured by a human. Humans can be thoughtless and cruel, argumentative, and rude. I have come to know this too well. I have probably shelled some of it out. With this knowledge brings sadness. I think with some people, you do not want to realize that the world will continue spinning. As we sat in the hospital room to meet Charlotte, Libby's parents were there, her little girls, Nana, brother and the rest of the family, smiling, happy, and all marveling at this new little life. For a split second, I started to cry because I knew I would never have my mother there, physically with me when I have children. It will be an empty hole there, a spot waiting to be filled but never able too.  My happiness from the situation was not diminished by any means but a solid tear ran down my face.

I think my purpose of this all is to help the people, friends, strangers, etc., who have not yet experienced the death of their mother, which they eventually will, is to give a sense of hope or understanding, or just a reinforcement, that when it happens, you are not alone in your thoughts. I once had a friend tell me "we need to fix you" My response was, "I am playing with the hand I was dealt and I can't change my cards in." There will be no need to fix you as you grieve, and as you learn to put your life back together. It is not a short lived process, but one that goes on forever. Now I am only 4 years deep and my wounds are still fresh. Sometimes I think that most of the people in my life have moved on quickly- too quickly but we all grieve differently. A traumatic experience can make you or break you and even though I certainly have my breaking points, I will be damned if this breaks me.

One tearful night, my youngest brother told me "Lauren, we have lost the most important thing in our life, so live life for what it is and enjoy it." What I took away from that is that we have seen the worst for us, therefore, the stuff that seems in the moment, isn't so bad in retrospect.

We are all going to have crappy days, bad friends, weirdo family, absolutely aggravating experiences, however, from a chapter in my moms own book, you have to  "let it go."



Life will only stand still if you allow it too. To be able to "let it go" whatever it may be can be easier than you think, it can also be a horrible gut wrenching, and debilitating as yo go through it. But if I know one thing for sure, is that you will succeed at it, if you let yourself.

 

The Seven Deadly sins.

The seven deadly sins. Vanity, Gluttony, Avarice (Greed), Sloth, Envy, Wrath, and lust. Every single person fights with these sins.

I decided to take a break from scathing myself with my deep dark feelings about my moms death and think about these sins...which have possibly taken over the better part of my free mind. I have dealt with all of these in the past few weeks.

Vanity: Continuously looking at my ever moving forehead and wondering when the soonest appointment is to see the plastic surgeon for more dysart injections, and pinching my ever growing wasteline and wondering where the hell all this extra jiggle is coming from.

Gluttony: I have been fighting this one for sometime now. Like today, it wasnt IF I was going to buy some candy at CVS pharmacy, it was am I going to get the peanut butter cups, which I recently found out that I am probably highly allergic to peanut butter or the gummy bears BUT if I should get both and the chocolate covered marshmallow too. Needless to say, I bought all three.

sloth: On my very few and far between weekend free time, I spend the better half of my day lately looking around my room and my house and wondering if my fat ass is going to get up to clean the house, then I fall asleep and wakeup to clothes that were sitting on the floor days and days ago.

Lust: I recently saw Thor with my brother and all I could think of was " that guy is SO hot" and crap, I need to have a baby soon!!

Greed: These days in these "economic hard times" I think more and more people are becoming greedy. We are all less caring and compassionate and if we aren't trying to save a buck, we are trying to find ways to make an extra one.

Wrath: There have been more than a handful in my life who have had to see the "wrath of Lauren". I have become more mild mannered in my wise old age here, but there are still a few that pull out my inner 5 year old and have to hear the fits and screams when I get pissed off.

And lastly Envy. I save this one for last because I do not really consider myself and envious person. If I see something I want then I reach out and take it, like a thief in the night. But I can't help feeling that others have become little green envious giants in the night. I have been struggling with this lately because she seems to be the biggest bitch out of the 7 sins. Placed in the middle, I really believe she feeds the other 6. When people become envious, they tend to become jealous, angry, bitter, and rejected...and probably if you are an emotional eater...FAT or Fatter...which ever one comes first.

In the past four years of grieving, yes four years...which seems like a lifetime to some who have not yet lost a parent, but seems like not too long for those who have, I have concluded that the stages of grief have  a lot to do with these "deadly sins". Denial and Isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Because these steps like the interactions of these sins, can be muddy, its hard to pin point where you are at. Some days one might be in anger and then back to isolation, then to depression, then to isolation. Once death comes knocking on the door, denial can be a pretty hard one to go back too.

explosive reality check - November

I sometimes think that overly happy or always "chill, unbothered"  people have serious issues. They are too happy and do not deal with their crap until one day... KA- BOOM, you are getting screamed at because the socks were left in the kitchen or because there are q tips on the bathroom floor. Most of the time I am irritated with something. When everything is not perfect, in its place, or running smoothly much to my control, I will flip. The past few months however, I found myself much more lax with certain things. For instance, strangers coming in and out of my house, the kitchen always a disgusting mess, going to work in my pajamas. Just not me. Soon enough though my little world shattered. and I went KA - BOOM.

By this time, it had been about 9 months since my mom died. The funeral was done, her resting place was set, the headstone was in place, her clothes were packed, and most of the world, was running just as it should. I acquired a puppy around this time too - Darla. Life was going on track, work, school, work. I started the semester off strong but as it progressed, my grades dropped - I shouldn't have been surprised, I never really went to class. Well I was there physically but not mentally.

I don't really know how my friends and acquaintances were perceiving me...I didn't really care. I was stuck in my own world. I was blind to what was going around me mostly. There were a few instances when I had to snap out of it and return to "momma Lauren" but I didn't feel it most often. During my free time from school and work, I was either sleeping, had friends over, or out and about. Each of these had its own evil, all in which I was perfectly fine with. When I was sleeping, I was riddled with nightmares and would wake up crying or screaming most times, When I was with my friends I was either probably really detached or messed up, and when I was out and about I was doing what every other 23 year old was doing...Drinking. Only by now, once I hit that brick wall, I would somehow slip out of a comma and start to think about everything. My anger and rage would be turned towards someone else...I would call everyone and cry or yell. All I wanted was attention, or love, or just to "be normal", to be happy, not to have to smile in front of everyone. I would sit there and think to myself, "All these people have a freaking perfect world, well it may not be perfect, but they are not going through what I am." It made me angry at the rest of the world at my friends. Even though I was angry, I never wanted them to feel what I was feeling, even though I knew one day some sooner than others would feel it and THEN they would understand, I really wished and hoped that they wouldn't have too.

With a precursor here, This is my version. What others around me might say, is a completely different story. But this is a blog titled "All about me"

I suppose when you are just regularly drunk, piss poor decisions and crappy behavior is acceptable because you can claim black out or "I was drunk, I don't remember ha ha ha" But when your are grieving, your behavior is cause for scare, detachment, or straight up people being mean to you, or even worse your bad behavior is encouraged by others who use you to get their way. You are misunderstood on every level, and I found myself in that predicament. I didn't mind much because I felt that if I could hide what I really was feeling - EVEN THOUGH IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEAR AS DAY  to everyone, I didn't care. I figured it was much easier to be judged for a lie, rather than to be judged on the truth. Mainly because people make up lies all the time, if I knew it wasn't true then who gave an "F", it didn't really matter what other people thought.

On a random Saturday night, we got dressed up, plastered our face with makeup and bright blue eyeliner, and went to the normal Casey Moores. The night was fun, until I got yelled at. I remember being told "Lauren don't you cry on me, don't you start crying...keep it together" For all I knew and my friend knew I was crying because I got yelled at. The tears wouldn't stop, then the yelping started. IN public with probably 200 people around. It wouldn't stop. I started  yelling, screaming crying. The hot tears were rushing out of my eyes, I couldn't collect them in my hands fast enough. My face was wet, my chest was wet and I didn't know what the hell was going on. I was in a complete belligerent full on panic, freak out, watch out world here I come, melt down.   I laid on the curb outside of Casey's while my friends hailed a cab. My poor friends had people coming up to them asking them what the hell they had done to me. I must have really freaked them out. We got in the cab and Kelly sat and held my head. It was pressed so hard into her chest that she still had my eye lash marks on her the next morning.  I cried and cried and cried so hard, "She wasn't supposed to die, she wasn't supposed to die!" "Why, why, why??" When I got home, my friends carried me in, I started to throw up everywhere. Sobbing, sobbing, It felt so good to cry and sob to let it out and in front of someone. My friend asked me for one of my Valiums, I thought "I must really be freaking the shit out of her if she wants a Valium, I need to pull it together" I finished crying and throwing up and I crawled into bed. I know these two women were freaked out and didn't know what to do with me. It was probably as scary to them as it was to me. That or they were just fed up with the shit of it all. I don't really know and I am not sure I really want too.

The next day I woke up, my eyes swollen, my body ached and I was embarrassed. Really embarrassed. I had a sit down talk with my friend. "Lauren, I don't know how to help you anymore, I don't know what to do, you need to talk to someone, I will go with you, I will sit with you...I just don't know what to do" My original thoughts were this "All of you wanted me to be happy, all of you told me to go out, I became the party house, You don't know how to help me? I don't know how to help myself!, I sit here every freaking day and figure it out one foot at a time- YOU don't know how to help me?" Then my logical mind kicked in and I knew she was right. I knew what I was doing was not benefiting me or anyone else around me and it wasn't fair to do this to myself or my mom. She would be very very disappointed in me and she was probably aching for me, for us all.

The next day, I went to Hospice of the Valley, where my mom died. I told them I needed to talk to someone that I was NOT okay. The nurse there, said" I remember you, its been 6 months?" I said, "Its been nine" he said, "It took you 9 months to have a breakdown, wow?!" I said, "well a public breakdown." He set me up with a grievance counselor and that is where I started.

 My little love- The reason I believed in life again. She was born just before my mom died and turned 4 this year.

 Surrounded by men. The only girl..2 of my brothers and two cousins.

 My aunts uncles and grandparents

For the next few weeks, I knew I had to keep it low key. My family and I went to Mexico for Thanksgiving. Now that I decided partying it up every weekend was not the best choice, I decided to do something else. Sleep. When we arrived to Mexico, we got out of the cars and a group of people were on the beach. Intrigued we went down there. It was a shark. A big ole shark. Of course my brothers, went straight for it. I sat there and screamed and went crazy, went back up to the house, filled my red cup and said "I wanna touch it" I went down to the beach and held the tail. After the sharked died, my brother chopped it up for the meat. I slept through Thanksgiving....maybe I was up 6 or 7 hours during the whole weekend. I rested and rested maybe because I was scared knowing that I had to come home and talk about everything that had transpired over the past year. My birthday was coming up. I had to spend 24 alone. With out a mom to make it special, with out a mom to make a cake or at the very least give me a card. I slept.