Ten Years in the Making

After the year we've had I didn't think we would make it this far but we did it! *Victory lap and high fives for all* H and I celebrate our ten year anniversary today. Ten years ago at 7 p.m. PST we said, "I do" in front of friends, family and a minister we met just ten minutes before. A half hour before the ceremony I had a bit of a freak out and had to have E get everyone out of my face for a moment and just let me breathe. The girl is still one of the only people I have ever met who can calm one of my panic attacks. From desert living, skulls with eyebrows still attached, war and a few moves we made it through the first five years of our marriage largely unscathed. The next five years proved to be the real challenge. Three pregnancies, three births, three first years and no sleep. … [Read more...]

What No One Tells You About Parenting

I don't know what I thought it would be when we decided to take TD to a psychiatrist. At first, I was just relieved that we would have someone to talk to about the tantrums and massive highs and lows.  Then, I became totally freaked out that they would say it was all about our horrific parenting (those free rangers man, you just can't let them breed!) and suddenly we would be watched constantly because why on earth else would these terrible tantrums be happening?!  Deep breaths. Breathe, Vicky.  Just breathe. Instead I found a tall thin, kind-faced man who spoke in a happy voice that reminded me a lot of TD's own pediatrician.  It eased my fears and enabled me to take those deep breaths and feel that while last week we might have been at the bottom of a mountain looking up, today we … [Read more...]