28 things to do before 29

So whilst perusing blogs today, I came across one (silly me forgot to save it) posting about so many things to do before her next birthday and naturally I was inspired. there are so many things I want to do, things I suspect I will never do because I lack the motivation to do them.

Don't get me wrong, I get things done, but they are the simple tasks, the things I must do in order for life to function. I do a lot of things for everyone else, but rarely do I do something for me. So I'm doing this for me, because, really, if I'm not happy then what was it all for?

I know that sounds selfish, and partly because it is, but its true. I work 50+ hours at a job, that while I love it, I spend more time with other people's kids than I do my own, that pays me no where near enough for said sacrifice, and I do it because I have a child to raise and rent to pay and a stupid car payment to make every month.

Basically I do it because I have to, because its what comes with the territory, you know, that land mine that they call adulthood. I work and I pay the bills and make sure my daughter has skinny jeans and justin bieber tee shirts and sneakers and food, I do it all for her, so this is for me for once.

so without further ado, 28 things to do before my 29th birthday.

1. See the Jaguars play a home game.
2. See John Mayer in concert
3. If John Mayer is not a possibility, I'd like to see Michael Buble
4. I want to write a really, really, really good book.
5. I want to lose 20 more pounds
6. Take a vacation to somewhere beautiful and not in the state of Florida
7. Go camping
8. Build a dollhouse
9. Learn to cable knit
10. Get a great haircut
11. Learn to ride a motorcycle
12. See my parents
13. Get a dog
14. buy a vintage typewriter
15. Read more books
16. Make something beautiful
17. Visit New England
18. Go to Seattle
19. Buy a dslr camera...a really, really, really good one
20. Take a ballroom dancing class
21. Learn to cook better
22. Run a marathon
23. Plant a rose bush (or ten) and not kill them
24. buy a record player
25. find every album the Beatles ever made on vinyl, then play it really, really loudly while singing the words at top volume
26. learn a foreign language
27. create more
28. be happy

8 Years Later

August 23, 2002, 1:18 (or sometime relatively close to then) a tiny, perfect life was brought into this hugely imperfect world. Sometimes I wonder what in God's name I was thinking when I decided it would be a good idea to introduce a child to the world.

Then I see things, hear things, do things that remind me of the innocence that still exists. Yes, the moments are fleeting and excedingly rare, but they do however still exist. Today, my daughter is eight years old. Eight. I still cannot believe it.

I mean, I look at pictures of her like this:

and then I look at pictures of her like this:

and I try to remember where the last eight years went. I wonder how they disappeared so quickly, I wonder if I even saw them passing, or if I truly did go to bed one night, the mother of a newborn baby, and wake up the mother of an eight year old.

I'm sitting here right now getting choked up, seriously trying to figure out exactly where the time has gone. Kenny Chesney sure hit the nail on the head when he said don't blink. Don't, because you literally might miss it all.

Happy 8th Birthday Breesy. I love you!