Eternal Optimism

Somewhere back in Junior High or High School my best friend dubbed me an "eternal optimist." She said, "You always expect the absolute best out of everything, and that's why you're so disappointed when things don't turn out as they should."

There have been numerous times throughout my life that I have realized how true her statement was. And just tonight, I found it yet again.

For at least 18 months I had been thinking how fun it would be to plan a date night for Andrew and I and not let him know about it. I would just whisk the kiddos off somewhere and be all ready for a fun night on the town when he arrived home. How surprised he would be that the kids weren't here! How delighted he would be that we had the evening to ourselves! How awesome of a time we would have!

Yeah... well... it didn't exactly pan out the way I had hoped. This morning I realized that because of our schedules, this evening could actually maybe work for this plan I had plotted for 2 years. So I called our neighbors who owed us a baby sitter trade and started considering how awesome it would be if I could get the whole house clean as part of the surprise. About 15 minutes after securing the babysitter, Andrew called to tell me he had a late meeting at work. Then he called back to tell me he wanted to run an errand after that and the kids and I should meet him. OH SHEESH! So I sort of ruined the surprise by saying "Wait... kids with us or without... I COULD get a babysitter.."

Anyhoo... after lots of hem-hawing I finally had to tell him I already HAD a babysitter and that I was a little bummed that our special date night was going to turn into yet another "errand running excursion." As the afternoon wore on, the house did NOT get clean, the boys were being bananas and I was pretty sure I should just cancel the babysitter.

It ended up that Andrew did not need to run the errand, so he only had the meeting that would keep him a little late, so I decided I would take the kids over anyways. So for the next 30 minutes I scrambled to spic and span the house and myself so I could still SORT OF surprise him.

And here's where the disappointment part comes in. First, Andrew's meeting ends up going like 45 minutes longer than usual, which left me kidless and waiting for my husband in a very quiet house FOREVER. (Normally a quiet house is a really really nice blessing... but today the silence just annoyed me.) And then, when he finally called to tell me his meeting was over, I was totally not nice on the phone having been so annoyed that half of surprise date was being used up by a dumb meeting.

To top it off, when my dear husband finally gets home and walks in the door, he did not react with the "Oh Wow! You and the House Look Great!" that my eternal-optimist-self was expecting. It was more of a blank stare and a "are we doing something tonight?" look. Good grief!

I'm happy to report that after a good cry (on my part) and a bit of apologizing (on Andrew's part) that the rest of date night was sensational. It included one of the best dinners I've ever tasted at my favorite restaurant and some laughter and fun and ice cream to boot. But, seriously, I'm starting to believe I should just take my husband's advice and have low expectations of everything. Then, more often than not, I'd be delighted when things weren't as awful as I expected them to be. Could I ever really live like that though?

Things you should know about me if we're gonna be BFF.

So I was at a loss for blog topics, and I stumbled across this one when googling "blog topic ideas." Not sure anyone will care to read it, but it sounded like a fun introspective writing exercise so here goes nothing...

Things you need to know about me if we're gonna be BFF (in no particular order):

1.) I do not like cooked fruit. (pie, jelly, jam, fig newtons - yuck).

2.) I am passionate about natural birth.

3.) I am passionate about SAVING THE BABIES.

4.) I am passionate about being truly and wholly Catholic. Mother Church knows her stuff, and if you disagree with something she says, then you need to go find out why she says what she says.

5.) I am introverted until I get to know you... which is super hard for me to do because I'm introverted.

6.) But once I get to know you, I'm a really goofy extrovert -- go figure.

7.) My parents are the Shiz-nit! And if I turn out to be the kind of people that they are, I would feel blessed beyond measure.

8.) Even though I'm 31, I still pretty much idolize my big brothers.

9.) I used to want a sister really really badly, but when I started young adulthood, I began to realize that girls=drama and that I was blessed to only have brothers. I was enough drama for our family.

10.) I miss stage acting.

11.) I would LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to be in a musical.

12.) Please don't lie to me. I would rather hear a hurtful truth than a sugar coated lie.

13.) I frequently lament losing connections with old friends and always wonder what exactly happened to end the friendship.

14.) I hate, loathe and am repulsed by Calculus.

15.) I question the medical establishment - a lot.

16.) I don't like talking on the phone.

17.) If you have a problem with something I've said or done, I think it's really dumb if you won't just come talk to me about it.

18.) Don't belittle me.

19.) I never feel like I'm doing enough with everything God has blessed me with.

20.) Andrew and I are considering foster parenting.

21.) I bought a guitar for my 30th birthday and vowed to learn it by 31. It's still in my closet and I'm almost 32. BOO TO ME.

22.) Related to that, I'd love to be a part of "the U family singers" - Kind of like the Von Trapps.

23.) My favorite word is "GROWL."

24.) My husband is terribly quirky and I delight in him every day... even when he annoys the heck out of me.

25.) I love chocolate and cheese and therefore chocolate cheesecake is high on my list of "AWESOMELY DELICIOUS FOODS THAT I SHOULD NOT EAT"

....to be continued...