I've been trying to sign myself up for activities and such so I'm not sitting at home moping around - even when I have the girls with me. This past weekend a friend and I headed to a food truck festival in my town, which was overwhelming but pretty neat. They had about six or seven trucks stationed in a parking lot featuring all different kinds of food. We got there pretty early and selected a truck (featuring grilled cheese!) and the line moved pretty quickly - but by the time we got ready to order we noticed all of the other trucks had tremendously long lines. So, no option of really sampling a bunch of different kinds of food. We ate our grilled cheese and cheese fries though, then headed to Walgreens and picked up a little six pack of beer (hello, high school!) and some cups and went back to the food truck festival because a band was playing that night. We just sat in the grass and talked and it was really nice just to get my mind off of things and have a good time!

Then on Saturday, I woke up early and ran a ton of errands. Hit up counseling and then went shopping for some necessities for the apartment. By the time I got back, Ex-L was headed out for the evening and didn't return home until 3 am. I tossed and turned all night until she got home. But I didn't say anything when she came in or even the next day. I can only imagine where she was or what she was doing until 3 am. But it's not my business anymore and I'm just trying to not get sucked up into something I can't change.

On Sunday I had a softball game and I was asked to bring the girls with - as everyone on the team that had kids were bringing their little ones too! It was like 90 degrees outside, but we hit up the grocery store for snacks, water and ice for our cooler and then headed out. Luckily, sunscreen, hats and a nice canopy to sit under kept the girls from over-heating or getting sunburn while I played. They had lots of fun with the other babies and meeting new people and had lots of yummy food too. They skipped their afternoon nap, though, so by the time we got back in the car around 4 pm to head back home, they both clonked out immediately. It does feel great those days when I can take them out and about with me and actually do stuff. I feel accomplished and better than sitting at home with them. And I think they enjoy getting out too.

And I think focusing on keeping myself busy, sprinkled with remembering that Ex-L treated me bad - whatever way you look at it - and I deserve to be treated better, helps keep my head above water for now. I know I can have a happy life without her, and I can be a great mom. By continuing to focus on my life, instead of hyperfocused on what she's doing and who she's doing it with is just healthier for me overall. And guess what? Only 30 days until the big move!! YESSSSS!!!

I Survived

She went out the other night - with co-workers, and one of those co-workers is the woman I caught her in my home with. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to handle it ... that I'd be caught up in the "what ifs" of the night. That I'd be upset. But I survived. Not to say this is monumental or that I won't have a freak out moment at some time in the future - but I am proud of myself for not allowing her night out overtake my night in. Or my sanity, for that matter. What miracle within me occurred to silence the crazy? I just didn't think about it. Anytime I found my thoughts going to "I wonder what she's doing, I bet they're kissing ... they're probably start talking again," I shut them down as soon as they came in. Because like I said before - it all no longer matters.

I'm trying to get to a point where I accept that we no longer have a relationship or a marriage. I think it's ok to mourn the end of our marriage and to mourn the dreams we had that are no longer able to come to fruition but I think it's bad to stay in that place. Right now, my life is not tied to that marriage. My life consists of me being a single mom of two beautiful little girls - and a wide open future. Now that's something to focus on. And whomever Ex-L decides to sleep with or date really has no physical impact on my life ... and it only hurts as much as I let it. Not to say it won't be painful when it really happens, but the more I focus on the "what ifs" the more I'm absent from my present life.

Although I've floundered at this statement before, "I do deserve better." I deserve to treat myself better, and to build a better life for myself and my girls. I deserve to be happy. I deserve to enjoy the short time I have on this Earth. And that's all stuff that's better.

Am I Whining Too Much?

Actually, I don't care, so don't answer that question. But in case you were wondering - the answer is 'yes.'  I've played the victim and have allowed myself to continue to wallow in my own self-pity and ride the victim train until I can no longer see straight. The sick thing is that I'm aware of that. And, I'm allowing myself to self-pity at least until I can move and be on my own (and even then I may continue to whine a bit longer - because, life). So, hang in there folks.

Sometimes I am talking to someone and I hear myself. Have you ever done that? Really listened to yourself talk? It's not very often that we do. But lately, I'm super aware of the messages that come out of my mouth and what I've been communicating to (quite a few) people. Word vomit, my friends. It's alive and well. Honestly, there are times where I internally eye-roll myself. "Get over it already - grow a pair!" "Quit whining!" But the thing is - I can't. This is my story and my feelings and it's sometimes great to get it all out there. Every crazy theory I have or every time I super sad - unfortunately, some people have just been my life line. And it's good to know when I'm going through a sh*t time, that I'm not alone out there - someone actually does care for me! Or at least finds entertainment in my situation. Either one I'm ok with.

If you were to tell your story today - what would it say? Would people want to listen? Is it worth changing up that story if we're not having a particularly good day, week, month ... year? Should we cater to what people think they want to hear?

It'll Just Be Something You Did ...

Since people have found out that I'm going through a divorce, I've received a ton of advice and snippets of "hope". Little nuggets aimed at helping me feel better. And it's interesting because at this point - not much really helps but I know in the long run that ALL of these people are right. I'm just not in the place to actually feel their revelations yet.

I've heard a lot about time healing wounds, and that this journey I'm on - the farther away I get from it - the less it'll hurt my heart. "It'll just be something you did once ..." It's funny because I know they're right. I've gone through a really bad break-up before (bad for me and not a divorce) and at that time I thought I couldn't live without the other person ... let's just say when I fall, I fall hard. But after I picked up the pieces, and focused on myself ... after time I was able to get over that person and that relationship and move on. It took a while but today, when I think of that person, I think of a friendship and there are no loving/romantic feelings at all. That was something I couldn't fathom to be possible at the time. There was no way I'd ever not love that person! But I was wrong, and I was able to move on. So I know that although it will take time and a lot of pain on my heart - that this will be something similar ... eventually.

Another phrase I hear a lot is "You deserve better." And that's a phrase that I feel guilty for acknowledging. This was someone that I loved, that I married, that I poured my heart and soul into. I never felt like she wasn't good enough for me. But when I think "you deserve better," I feel that's telling myself that she's not worthy of my love. And, after everything she might not be. And the smart part of me knows that I do deserve someone that will treat me better and love me the way that I deserve to be loved. That will fight for me and communicate with me. But, is that a "deserving" feeling? I'm not sure.

"You need to let go." Let go of the person, the marriage, the past. My heart is hanging on super tight. So tight that many times I feel like I can't breathe because all of my energy is thrust into emotionally hanging on. I want to let go. I want to shut my feelings off and just move on. But it's just not that easy. I don't even know how to "let go." How do you do that?

And one of my faves - "You need to focus on you, now." Focus. That's the word that I have trouble with. Because with everything swirling around in my life - my marriage ending, preparing to move, my kids, etc. it's hard to focus on myself at the given moment. There are so many other things that demand my attention. Or, maybe that I willingly hand over my attention to. For a long time I was in a partnership where we were navigating the waters together. We had a plan and we were on that plan together. Now, I have to shift gears massively and figure out what I want to do with my life. That's a big task. Where do you even begin?

What the Hell Am I Doing?

I went out and got an apartment - all ready to move out in September, which is the quickest get-away that I could schedule. It's in a nice complex, in an ideal neighborhood and near work. It was the first place I looked at. And honestly, I couldn't continue the search for an apartment because it was f*cking depressing. We were planning to buy a house next year, and here I am telling some random leasing agent that I'm going through a divorce and it'll just be me and my girls. 

She tried to sell me the big 2 bedroom apartment. It was awesome. Vaulted ceilings, enormous bedrooms, two balconies/patios with lots and lots of light! What a dream! But then several other thoughts crept in - for one, the kitchen was a galley kitchen so that meant if I was cooking, I wouldn't be able to see the girls in the living room. Then honestly, I didn't want to pay to heat and cool the larger apartment. And lastly, those days/nights when the girls would be with their other mom, I didn't want to be in this big ole apartment by myself. 

So, I settled for the smaller 2 bedroom apartment that was actually $20 more and 100 square feet less. It has less light and only 1 bathroom compared to the other unit's two. And in this one, I'm giving the girls the master bedroom and I'll take the smaller second bedroom. The good things are thought that it'll be cheaper to heat/cool, and the kitchen is open to the dining room and living room so I can watch the girls and be in the same area. Plus, since it feels smaller - I'm confident that I won't feel like I'm stuck in a big empty place when the girls aren't home. 

So, now my life is about organizing my finances, ordering cable/internet (and deciding if I really need it), looking into moving companies, filtering through my belongings to prepare for a garage sale, looking at divorce paperwork and speaking with attorneys, buying extra cribs, etc. I might not know what the heck I'm doing most of the time - and also am constantly asking myself how my life is where it is now, but I'm moving forward and trying to get my act together for the next chapter in my life. 

What helped you navigate through the pre-divorce stage? Anything that was a great pick-me-up that you did for yourself when you were "free"? 

A Library of Self-Help

I've found myself semi-desperate for answers to what is happening right now. I think on some level ... some really super smart, college-educated level ... I'm completely aware of my situation. But I still feel a strong need to understand what my ex-spouse (we'll call her L, so we can call her Ex-L) is thinking and feeling because I'm basically super confused. So even though there are really concrete things coming out of her mouth - I still need answers. And, I'm not hearing what I want to hear. (Hello, Denial!)

Anyways, I've found that I've been basically eating up self-help books. Literally, putting them away in about 2 days time. So, if you're like me and looking for something to at least take your mind off the shit-show your life is going through right now, check out some of these books:

You Are a Badass - Jen Sincero

     Sincero is a self-help, motivational speaker that aims at getting you to see what a freaking spectacular piece of the human race that you are. A lot of what she refers to is the Law of Attraction ... basically, if you think about good, good will come to you. But it's also about realizing your potential and quit wallowing your your own cesspool and getting out there to take charge of your life. This is a book that I plan to re-read very soon. 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling

      I'm a huge Mindy Kaling fan. I was literally 1 of 200 people that watched the Mindy Project - which is now a Hulu original series! It's not really divorce-advice material but it's an easy read, with a quick laugh told in that Mindy-style of speak. If you're looking for a good "girl book" or beach read (ala Eat, Pray, Love) style ... grab this book today!

Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert

     Speaking of Eat, Pray, Love ... this is seriously one of the best books. The movie is even better. And Elizabeth Gilbert is so quotable, she'll quickly become your divorce guru. No joke. EPL is a snapshot into Gilbert's past and how she dealt with her own divorce, aftermath and re-emergence. It's totally about a woman taking life by the balls and showing it who's boss. She discovers not only new lands and experiences, but runs into many awesome people. Eventually, she finds love again ... and we all can use a glimmer of hope that we can too. 

Crazy Time - Abigail Trafford

      Ok, so this book is based in the 90s but the material is *so* relatable. It has been my God-send in terms of me looking for answers to my own marriage's demise. It helps you understand the mindset of the Divorce Seeker and the Divorce Opposer and then how people navigate through these situations. It's relatable content and I've time and time again found myself going "Aha!" and folding over page corners. 

The Total Money Makeover - Dave Ramsey

     Let's be real ... I didn't do the finances in my relationship, even though I was the primary breadwinner for quite a while. I'm not good with money. But now, I'm going to have to be ... especially if I eventually want to buy a home in a kickass school district so that my kids can have a super awesome education. It's time I grow up and become financially smart. It's not just me anymore so there's no excuse. With Dave's book, you learn how to efficiently and quickly manage your debt ... and also plan for your future. Plus he has a bunch of neat online resources to help get your act together. 

So, that's what's holding my life together for the moment. Or at least my sanity. What reads have helped you during this process?