I'm a lil askerred...

Hope I'm not jinxing my entire day by putting it in writing, but the kids, who are ALL home thanks to a windchill of -20 and some brutal ice on the roads, are.... behaving. SHHHHHH.....

I am finishing my second cup of chocolate silk coffee before I begin to assemble the winter gear required for me and my brood to brave the elements on our absolutely necessary trip to the grocery store. Heaven help me, please let them remain as happy as they are right now!!

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I am trying to decide if having a picture of myself from 11 years ago is beneficial or detrimental to my well-being. I found what is, quite probably, the only picture of me in a bikini, while hunting for high school pictures in a box of photos. Instead, I found pictures from a trip to Hawaii in 1997 that my family and I made for my sister's wedding. Patrick and I had the unique opportunity to have this luxurious pre-honeymoon as our own wedding was a mere 3 months after my sister's (though we got engaged FIRST. Little brat had to try and upstage me. :) phhhbbbtt!!! )

So I am sitting here, positively FROZEN, remembering those warm and lazy days. Pat and I would wake up to a light tropical drizzle, and head over to the cafe across the street to have coffee and pancakes. We would spend an hour doing nothing but eat in peace with lovely conversation as the rain abated, leaving a haze of mist as the sun quickly evaporated the steamy puddles. And then? The real day would begin! We spent every day (even the wedding day!) in the ocean, snorkeling over the most gorgeous reefs... He convinced me that I would NOT have a panic attack by breathing through a tube in my mouth. Miraculously, my soon-to-be-husband taught me to control my claustrophobia enough so that I could experience some of the best days of my life.

Sigh...

Is it ridiculous of me to have this picture on my computer desk? My disaster of a computer desk, covered in wrappers, crumbs, notes from the school, and Cub Scout paraphernalia? I will never look like that again. I have aged 11 years and had 3 kids and my skin, sadly, will never be that taut again...

You know what IS ridiculous, though? That I thought I was anything but skinny in those days! I was a freaking size 4/6. I hadn't a stretch mark or dimple on my thighs. Nor a single beginning of a line on my face. And I was SURE that I wasn't very attractive in a swimsuit.

Freaking youth. It really IS wasted on the young...