10 Things I Learned in June

At the end of each month, I write a post about things I learned. This practice has helped me pay attention to life. Some lessons are deep, some are mundane.

In no particular order, here are 10 things I learned in June:

1. Taking a 6-hour road trip solo with my two kids is possible. We survived mostly due to Starbucks coffee, a Happy Meal, and lots of good music.

2. As much as I might like to control other people's actions, I cannot.

3. I have bad posture. My expert sister-in-law pointed out that I should tuck my hips forward, and carry my shoulders farther back. I've been trying to correct my posture habits, in hopes that chronic neck and back pain will recede. 

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a good film, and an even better book. 

5. Watching a movie in the theater can be a magical experience. We took Aaron to see his first full-length movie, Monsters University in 3-D, and it was so much fun! We crammed our faces with popcorn, laughed out loud, and enjoyed the wonder of cinema with our four-year-old.

6. A new organization method can CHANGE YOUR LIFE. In this case, it was the discovery of the clothes filing system. Seriously, if you're not doing this yet, get on it.

7. Even though I am well into my thirties, insecurity still plagues me. 

8. I cook less than I would like to. Having two kids clamoring for attention in the hours before dinner makes it difficult and stressful to cook. I enjoy cooking because it is slow, precise, and engaging, and I miss those experiences. Now days, cooking feels like a chaotic frenzy where I throw together several variations of a meal for our family, and shovel my own food into my mouth while feeding the baby.

9. By 8pm every day, I am exhausted. If I'm lucky I can read a little or watch an episode of Jeopardy before crashing into bed. It's sad.

10. BBQ sauce makes everything more delicious.