Monday, March 25, 2013

A Word With You :: Green

The word "green" has a lot of uses in popular expression. When thinking about what I wanted to write about this week, I was torn in all different directions...so I'm just rolling with it, and giving you snippets of my thoughts. This is my brain on "Green":

Green thumb
There are some things in life that I am just not gifted at. Ok. A lot of things. But one of them for sure is gardening. I'm bad. Like, can't keep a potted plant alive. My yard is a hot, hot mess (in a bad way) with dead bushes everywhere, and weeds overgrowing anything that might still be living. Do I want a beautiful landscape around my home? Uh....sure! But do I have any confidence in my ability to create that? Nope, not at all. But beyond that, I really don't have a desire to become a gardener. (sorry, mom!) I see beautiful gardens, trellises, and veggie patches in magazines and Pinterest, and I clip/pin them for someday. But I'm starting to realize that unless something changes (like...I all of a sudden become "outdoorsy", and "not lazy"), that someday isn't ever going to come. 

Are you at home in a green house? Or does your thumb tend to skew towards black?

Greenhorn
You'd think after 16 months with a little one, as well as another 16 months of pregnancy, I'd feel like a pretty experienced mom by now. But you...would be wrong. Sure, there are things that are second nature to me now: I can diaper a screaming, flailing Piper without batting an eye, and I can hold a newborn without panicking that I'm in danger of snapping its neck if I move wrong. But there are other areas where I'm just as green as I was before becoming a parent. New moms, or moms-to-be often ask me things and I'm shocked about how much I don't know...or at least how much I've forgotten. I genuinely have no idea how often or how much infants are supposed to eat, and I'm terrible at reciting typical ages for common milestones like sitting up or sleeping through the night. I was hoping that muddling through raising our second child wouldn't be such a mystery to me but now I worry that it's not all going to come back to me, and I'll have to spend nights scrolling through my iphone searching for tips on the wild ride that is life with a newborn. 

The one thing that gives me hope (in a strange, backwards sense) is a friend of mine with five kids. (yes, FIVE!) asks me questions about parenting. It had been a few years since her last baby (twins!) and this was her first girl, so it's understandable that some things were new. But beyond that...talking with her made me realize that no matter how much experience you have...there may always be a sense that you're still new at this. I figure if she's still asking questions, figuring things out and trying new tactics, then I shouldn't be expected to have it all the answers either. Each new stage, and new child will come with their own unique challenges, and I'll likely feel like a rookie more days than not.

Are you still a greenhorn in an area of your life? Did you think you would have mastered it by now?

Green around the gills
There aren't many things that really turn my stomach. But I do have a few quirks... 
  • One- I can't deal with seeing or hearing people throw up. I'm sure that's not a rare feeling, but it flashes in my brain every time I go in a public restroom. The odds of someone being sick while I'm in there? Probably infinitesimal. But if I even see feet facing the wrong way, I'm out of there.
  • Two- as a kid, I refused to wear velvet. I told my mom it made my stomach hurt. I wasn't great at explaining it, but looking back I think it was the feeling of rubbing the grain of the fabric the wrong way that got me. It just sort of makes my hair stand on end. I can tolerate it now, but I still don't think I'll be dressing my girls up in velvet holiday dresses anytime soon.
  • Three- floral foam. Ugh. I can barely even type the words without getting all squeamish. The sound, but mostly the feeling of something poking into a green block of foam gives me the heebie jeebies. People at work know about it (hazard of the job- I do have to deal with foam every once in a while) and if they want to get me riled up they'll rub pieces together in front of me, or poke some with pencils. Jerks, I tell ya.
What makes you green around the gills?

The grass is always greener on the other side
I have a lovely life. A lovely life. But sometimes I think about what it would be like to do it all over again, and make completely different choices. Not because I don't like the life I've been given...just because it's fun to imagine what could have been. What if I studied abroad (I always wanted to go somewhere to work on my Spanish)? What if I had majored in physical education for children with disabilities (a dream I had in high school)? What if I had taken job offers in Minnesota or New York City after graduation?

It's crazy to think that changing any choice, big or small, could alter the course of my entire life. Trying out for the cheerleading team probably wouldn't affect the rest of my existence (or would it?) but had I not gone to Young Life camp for the exact assignment I did, I would have never met my husband (and then where would I be? Somewhere decidedly less "green" I'm sure.) I suppose it's less of a feeling that the other side would be "greener" and more about the curiosity of another side in general...whatever it may look like.

Do you have any greener pastures you wish you had explored? 

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Meg and I would love to have a word with you.  
Join the link up below to share your thoughts on "Green".
Then stop by some new blogs and say hello!

And we'd be delighted to have you join us next month. Our word for April :: Same
Link up will be Monday, April 29th.
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8 comments :

  1. so, so, so much to say. I kill plants all the time (see my post) but can somehow keep herbs alive. weird

    It's amazing the things you remember when you have a new baby and the things that completely leave your mind!! I'm glad I had another new mom to walk along the newborn stages with this time. And each baby is SO different. Sophia was a whole new experience!

    I won't even get into what creeps me out but ironically, I just bought floral foam for a project. lol

    stop by to see my green!

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    1. I could maybe manage and herb garden. But actually....no I couldn't.

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  2. I take our yard as my personal responsibility and I already have plans... BIG plans. However, it is March 25th and there's 4 to 6 inches of snow in Pittsburgh so I'm going to have to wait. But TRUST me... a day of reckoning is coming to that yard... soon!

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    1. Sweet. I'll get Piper some mini hedge clippers!

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  3. Funny, I had no idea what greenhorn was. When I worked in a car dealership we used to call new salesmen who had never sold before "green peas." Same diff. When I had Caroline I thought for sure it would be no big deal because Noah had lived to see nineteen months, but whoa! I was wrong. I cried for days because I felt so lost. Lol. Always good to know we aren't alone and to have others to ask for help, advice, or just commiserate with.

    I used to wonder about what greener pastures I would have explored had I gone to college. It used to be a real issue, actually, feeling like I didn't measure up to peers who had, etc...(especially about that time when everyone was graduating from college). My silver lining now is my lack of student loans. It's the only thing I can use to make myself feel better. I wonder what I would have been...etc..

    You probably would have been great working with children, but it is so obvious you're killer in fashion and being Dustin's wife, Piper's mom, and blogger extraordinarre!

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    1. I love "green peas". So cute!
      I never realized you didn't go to college. Joke's on all of us though because you've read about 89x the average person, so you're probably smarter than us all!

      (And please don't tell me the second kid is hard....I'm banking on being older and wiser this time!!)

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  4. I love this post! Hearing/seeing people throw up and velvet make me green around the gills, too.

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    1. See? I didn't make up the velvet thing! Wish you were around when I was 5 to explain it to my mom!

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