Boston Sailing Cruise - DISCOUNT CODE FOR TICKETS!

So...school is almost out here in New England.  Holy crap, right?!

Usually, summertime in the Trenches is all about baseball for Eldest, with a few family vacays (Myrtle Beach and Cape Cod) thrown in.

Except, this summer?  Notsomuch.

We had been tiring of the hectic baseball summers and the up-in-the-airness of the All-Star schedule.  So we made the tough decision to pull the plug on our Cape Cod vacation after 7 straight years.  There were lots of tears.

(And oh, the kids cried too.)

(Our plan is to head somewhere WARM and SUNNY in November for a week's vacation after football season.)

And it was a good thing we didn't schedule anything.  Because guess who else made All-Stars this year?

So Eldest is on the U11 team (with Hubby coaching) and Middle is on the U9 team.  Which means that we'll be in two different places for the months of June and July.  Swell.

Anyway, summer can't be all about baseball, right?  (Hubby would disagree but WHATEVER.)

That's where fun family day trips are going to be KEY for us!  And since we are only a short drive from Boston, enter Boston-Sailing.

"Dedicated to providing the most impeccably luxurious and hospitable sailing experience in Boston, we here at Classic Harbor Line are looking forward to the privilege of escorting you on a breathtaking excursion aboard the most elegant sailing vessel in Boston Harbor: Schooner Adirondack III. 

Boston’s rich maritime history is best viewed from the water, so why not do it in style? While out on the water on Bostons best boat tour, you will be treated to skyline view and Boston Harbor that cannot be captured any other way. This is the best way to go sightseeing in Boston!  So come on out, kick up your feet, and let the Classic Harbor Line crew do all the heavy lifting (and drink pouring) for you. Sailing on the Adirondack III with us will provide a new perspective on the city of Boston for the first time visitor and the seasoned local alike!

Whether buying tickets for one of our Boston Day Sails, Sunset Sails, City Lights Sails, or privately chartering the schooner for a special family or corporate event, you will be amazed by the comfort and beauty of Adirondack III. Like all of Classic Harbor Line’s fleet, the unmatched Adirondack III was built and is maintained by the Scarano Boat Building Company in Albany, NY." 

Lucky for you, my readers will receive $10 OFF each ticket purchased at Boston-Sailing using the online promo code FAMILY10.

Ahoy, mateys!  See you at the ballfield on the high seas!

*Disclaimer:  I was offered complimentary tickets for my family aboard the Adirondack III in exchange for this post.

Long Time, No Blog

This here blogging thing is a double-edged sword, you see.

On the one hand, YAY! PEOPLE ARE READING!

On the other hand, CRAP.  PEOPLE ARE READING.

Way back in the way back, when I first started this site, I spent six months keeping it a secret.  Just writing to my heart's content.  Drivel, mostly.  The day-to-day goings on of being a part-time working mom and juggling three little boyz.  Venting.  Keeping a record of the boyz' milestones and silliness.

Eventually, mostly from me reading and commenting on other blogs, I grew my readership.  And made real-life friends in the process.  And soon enough, I told others about my little place on the 'net.  Hubby, my family, my friends.

And don't get me wrong, I like the attention I receive from my blog.  I like getting comments on my post.  I like people telling me they're reading.  I like going to blog conferences and women actually knowing my blog.  I like working with companies and brands.  I like getting chosen by PR firms for cool opportunities. 

I have built this space and made it what it is today.  It's mine.  My own little chaotic spot (picture a slightly stained loveseat with cute pillows and sprinkled with cookie crumbs, and a coffee table next to it with a wine glass and an open bottle of pinot). 

Except notsomuch really.  These days, it's not really a place where I can be totally honest, totally forthcoming, and totally open. Much like my real-life Trenches that are surface-clean, my blog writing at In the Trenches of Mommyhood is surface-level.  Because of my readership.

Most days, it's fine.  I've accepted the fact that a lot of people in my day-to-day life read my words.  So I try to keep it light, and I've always tried to keep it relatable.

Other days, I feel constipated.  Bound up.  Choking on words and emotions that can't be expressed (at least on here, anyways.)

The month of May has pretty much been like that.

I just feel like I need you to know.

The Surgery in 4 Photos

A Piece of Advice

Today's writing challenge stumped me a little at first.  Who am I to give advice?  About what?

And then I thought about what's facing me/us these next few days. 

As I mentioned before, Hubby is having surgery to replace a herniated disc in his neck.  It's tomorrow.

Both of us have been frantically trying to get our "ducks in a row".  Him with work, bill-paying, and general house stuff.  Me with planning ahead and making arrangements for the boyz, knowing that Hubby will be down and out for at least 2 weeks.

What I've realized through all this?

I'm happy to be living where we live.  In the community in which we live.  I can't even tell you how touching it has been to have so many people reaching out with offers to help.

My advice?

Reach out to others.  Get to know the people in your community.  Make friends.  

Yes, it may take awhile.  Yes, it may be hard.  Yes, it may not be your natural inclination.

It certainly wasn't mine.  I fought it for a long time.  My attitude was that of "I already have friends.  I don't need any new ones."  And I acted like that.  For a long time.  Meanwhile, my husband knew everyone and everyone knew him.

But certainly having children helps.  It makes it easier to get out there.  To mingle.  To connect.

I can't even tell you how far I've come.  From being that mom with the kindergartener and 2 babies in the jog stroller, who didn't know anyone or even care to know anyone on the sidelines of the football field, to now having actual close girlfriends in town, with whom I've laughed, cried, drank, and bitched....sometimes all at once.

Neighborhood friends; football friends; baseball friends; crossfit friends; soccer friends.  All these relationships started by chance meetings and lighthearted conversations, and have become so.much.more.

I'm happy I chose to reach out.  I can't imagine not knowing the kind, hilarious, sarcastic, witty and wonderful women whom I've made friends with in the past 6 years.

It does take a village.  I'm thankful for all of you.

The Things I'm Most Afraid Of

1.  My children dying.

2.  My husband dying.

3.  Anyone in my family dying.

4.  Terrorists.

5.  Nuclear war.

6.  Kidnappers.

7.  Heights.

8.  Scary movies.

9. Clowns. (They're so creepy!)

10.  Failure.

11.  The unknown. (I like to know what to expect.)

12.  Tofu.  (Yes, really.)

Ewwww.

What I Do

Silly me.  Thinking I could blog every.single.day this month!

Soooo not happening, apparently.

Oh well.  I go from Day 1 to Day 6 of the challenge.  No biggie.

May 6:  "If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?"

This is a pretty easy challenge.  Probably best done in list form.  In thinking about my day, from the time I wake up until the time I hit the pillow at night:

1.  I  exercise.

2.  I pack 3 lunches.

3.  I do laundry.

4.  I constantly flush unflushed toilets.

5.  I feed the dog.

6.  I ask, then nag, repeated requests that fall on deaf ears.

7.  I commute.

8.  I help with homework.

9.  I (sometimes) make dinner. 

10.  I (mostly) am a short-order cook on sports nights.

11.  I cheer and encourage and bitch at sporting events.

12.  I clean ears and clip fingernails and toenails.

13.  I snuggle.

14.  I give kisses goodnight.

15.  I read (currently, Reconstructing Amelia) and/or play Candy Crush (currently, stuck on Level 65). 

16.  I worry about my husband's health and upcoming surgery.

17.  I stress about the hectic sports schedules.

18.  I think about where we should go on a family vacation.

19.  And finally, I sleep.

Blog Every Day in May Challenge

The writing wheels (in my head) are becoming dusty.  Used to be, back in the days of yore when "blogging" was much more storytelling, much less commercialized, and much more interactive through blog comments, I had manymanymany ideas buzzing in my brain about what to write about.  And I ALWAYS got my best ideas while blow-drying my hair.  True story.

But these days?  Notsomuch.  It's so much easier to type a quick Facebook blurb (and then see that friends have "liked" that blurb within 3 seconds of my posting it) or a 140 character tweet.

Thus, the dusty (and rusty) writing skillz of mine. 

SO, I'm going to try to commit to this Blog Every Day in May Writing Challenge.

*wipes cobwebs off keyboard, throws shoulders back and takes a deep breath*

May 1, 2013:  The Story of My Life in 250 Words or Less

My name is Sarah Elizabeth. I was named for my father's grandmother Sarah, which means "princess."  (It fits.)  I grew up in rural southwest NY state, the oldest of 4 children, and graduated valedictorian from a class of 80 students.  I attended 4 years of liberal arts college on one of the NY Finger Lakes and graduated with a B.A. in psychology, which basically qualified me to ask, "Do you want fries with that?"  After spending the winter trimester of my senior year in Australia, I knew I NEVER wanted to live in a cold climate again, so I moved down south to Charlotte, NC during the fall after I graduated.  With my college boyfriend.  At that time, I was working as a secretary/receptionist for a law firm during the day and attending paralegal classes at night (while my then-fiancé was cheating on me).  So obviously that relationship didn't work out.  I moved on with my love life, but stayed put with my career, and have been a corporate paralegal since 1997.  In the fall of 1998, I met my then-husband, a transplanted Bostonian who was working for a bank down south.  (He's still in banking.)  We met in Charlotte, NC; he got transferred to Charleston, SC; we got engaged after 1-year of dating; got married in NC; then after the wedding I moved in with him in SC; and 3 months later we ended up in MA. Confusing, right?  We've been in MA ever since, and are now raising 3 boys with humor, chaos and sarcasm.

252 words.  So close.