Busy Building a Village

Hello, out there in blogland!  I haven't updated the blog in 2.5 months.  And I don't feel even a tiny bit guilty about this.  I've been busy!  I've been busy getting settled back here in Oklahoma.  I've been busy shopping and making and listing and selling for my Etsy shops.  There was October curb shopping (though somewhat toned down), which has so far resulted in a gross profit of $200, a toddler slide and Harry Potter books for my friends, and a backup digital camera for myself.  (Seriously, people -- I love free things, but the Goodwill truck will pick up if you just call them!)

 [And of course, return of the Commode!]

And I've been busy trying to build my mom village.  It took me 3 years to figure out that moms of tiny people must have a village.  You must have someone who will help you when they can, no questions asked.  Some women are blessed with family who can fill this role.  I am not.  (Between my parents living out of state, and my husband's family having a major health crisis, it just wasn't happening.)  I didn't know how much help I needed when Lucy was young.  The answer was "a lot", and I didn't get most of it.  Some of that was my fault.  Now that Lucy is 3.5, way more chill, and solidly preschool-aged, I feel like I have the time and the energy (and just the general sense of awareness) to help others.  So I've been working on becoming better friends with some like-minded moms-of-young-ones that I know.  I mean, beyond helping with physical needs, we just need people to talk to, don't we?  People who won't judge, people we can be open and honest with.  If I need it, then I know others need it, too.

[Gratuitous pumpkin patch photo!]

Turns out I'm still not awesome at it.  I pretty much suck at staying friends with people I don't see all the time.  I'm an introvert, and I've never made myself practice.  So, to the moms in my self-constructed village -- Sorry! I'm trying.  And to anyone who doesn't have a village -- It's probably because you're too busy changing diapers, feeding, and trying to find time to fit in enough sleep.  That's why the rest of us need to pick up the slack.  I want to be the slack-picker-upper.  I think that's one of my divinely-appointed jobs right now.

And also keeping my house in order, feeding myself and my family good food, playing with my daughter, and running two Etsy shops.  But now that my daughter mostly takes care of her own bodily functions, gets her own snacks, entertains herself, and usually sleeps all night, that is seeming a lot more doable.

[Oh yeah, and half of my hair is blue now. ::maniacal laugh::]