The Sunny Side

When we lived in Wallingford (a Seattle neighborhood) I caught the bus to school on Sunnyside Ave. It would always make me sing that song.. "Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side. Keep on the sunny side of life." Anyway, I feel like I've moved on to Sunnyside Avenue in the last week. Really, I feel renewed.

First, I've been letting my jobs at Kick end without taking new jobs. I'm down to less than an hour a day, and it's wonderful, really. I really didn't realize how much being so busy was making me feel. I just felt so stretched, like I had no time in which I was just me during the day. Awake time was with the children, as mother (plus errant housewife/driver/cook), and their sleep time was my work time. I was falling in to bed, too exhausted to even take 20 minutes for a crossword puzzle or Sudoku or a little reading. Besides catching the weekly episode of Survivor (GREAT season, btw!), I hadn't watched anything that wasn't children's programming in some time, 2 months maybe.

Here's the real big news: Ali FINISHED HIS DISSERTATION!!! I'm so proud of him. He defends next Thursday, I have faith in him that his committee will be happy with it. I'm also amazed how much stress that was bringing in to our family. When he turned it in I felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders; I can't imagine how Ali was/is feeling. Sure makes you realize why not everyone has a PhD. It's no easy process!

Furthermore, since he finished, we went on a date ALONE (first since before Elyas was born), and we've stayed up at night and caught up on Lost; and just spent time together. It's amazing how that little time rekindles a marriage. And how far that goes for personal happiness.