Making a Special Anniversary

We just had our anniversary, and let me tell you, it was a great day. Daniel ended up having to work for part of the day (it's the busy season at work), and while he was gone in the morning, I set up a little surprise for him. I'm not one much for fancy printed paper or well-executed scavenger hunts, but I combined those two ideas for a quick game of Hide and Seek.

I made up these little cards out of yellow cardstock that I had kicking around a closet. They said things like, "I love you!", "You're the best dad in the whole world, you know that?", "Sometimes I think I'm the luckiest girl in the world, then I think, 'Well, duh!'", and "Shh! The baby's sleeping!"

I left them strategically about the house (bathroom counter, hanging off of a canvas in the hall, coffee table, foot of the bed) and then left a larger invitation card in front of the door he would enter after he got home. The front said "Hide and Seek" and the inside said, "Come find me!" And I put a picture on the computer desktop just to make sure he didn't miss it.

When I heard the garage door opening for the car, I hurried to my hiding place and waited for him to find me.

It turns out my hiding place was a little too good (I was on the back step) because he didn't find me in five minutes. After letting him hunt inside for a bit, I came in and we got to go on the day trip we had planned together.

The park we went to was a 40 minute drive from our house, but we packed water and the stroller. When we got there, we got to see peacocks! The park is a 1000+ acre ranch that was donated to the county a few decades back. Parts of it still function as ranch land, and the whole thing is open to the public to hike through and explore. And did I mention there were peacocks by the old farmhouse?! We trekked through pastures, horse/bike trails, streams, cattle, and barns. What a fabulous way to spend a Friday.

When we'd had enough fresh air, we came back to town and had Mexican food. We both love it, it's generally inexpensive, and we can often share a dinner plate. But even if we don't share, we can eat for less than $20. That's my kind of dining out. 

It was a simple, easy way to put a little more fun in the day and he really appreciated it. You don't have to go crazy with cutesy things to be nice to your spouse! Just do with what you have.

Don't Say the D-word.

Here I was, sitting bored, when the thought occurred to me: I’m not really interested in my blogs anymore. It was surprisingly startling to me, especially given the recent weeks in which I’ve been reading only to keep the unread count manageable. Sure, they’re interesting still. My favorite writers haven’t changed very much; I have.

I thought on this news with a small inking of hope. Maybe this means I’m at the threshold of a new phase, one marked by productivity and prolific blogging and fabulous mothering. Then I thought again. That sounds like a lot of work. Tired all the time? Check (though unnoticed, what with the three-month-old who doesn’t nap long enough for me to fall asleep). Unmotivated? Check. Uninterested in things that used to interest me? Check. Irritable? Holy cow, check-check-check. Irrationally anxious? Check. Hopeless? Not quite there yet. At least not all the time.

I really don’t want to be dealing with life and the many challenges it presents. And yet, life goes on.

Enough about the symptoms. How do I fix this case of the doldrums?

Step number one: exercise. I know that. I may hate the fact that that’s the best first step, but I know it. After that, I’m not sure. I don’t want to go out and join new, fun groups (being with people and making conversation can be stressful. I don’t even answer the phone if I can). I don’t have the money to join the Y or something like that. But mostly, I just don’t want to put out effort. I am tired. Uncomfortable things, though good for my health, are still uncomfortable. Any thoughts, internet?