Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you? (Bloganuary 2024 – Day 2)

To me, playing is living in the moment and being present, not thinking about what’s going on in other areas of your life. My daily life consists of my job at an office typing words on a computer for a majority of the day. I don’t consider that “playing,” unless you count the music I play to help pass the time. When I get home, I cook dinner and then either go hang with friends, take a fitness class or relax depending on the evening.

Fortunately for me, I have a toddler nephew to help me add play to my life. He is a very active little boy, so I have to be present to make sure he doesn’t throw the ball too hard or trip over stuff when running around. I absolutely adore him, and quickly forget about any stresses I have in my life when I spend time with him.

Happiest Day of My Life (Bloganuary 2023 Day 17)

In the spring of 2021, my nephew was born, making me an aunt for the first time. The first time I got to meet him was also the first time that my family was under one roof in over a year due to quarantine and COVID. I felt a range of emotions that day – relief, desperation, disbelief, but overall, happiness. Excitement that there was this tiny person in the world that I would get to watch grow up and learn about the world, and someone that I could be a role model to. There was more to that day than happiness though. Meeting my nephew for the first time gave me outside perspective that I needed to take a look at who I had become as a person. I realized that I wasn’t happy at all in my current situation. Obviously COVID and quarantine had taken its toll on me, but I was neglecting self-care because of outside stressors. I needed to make a change, and that was the start of it. Now, almost two years later, I’ve made drastic changes in my life that’s made it better and has me happier. There are still some rough days once in awhile, but reminding myself of my happy little nephew helps me.

What brings me joy in life? (Bloganuary 2023 Day 5)

Being an aunt is something that brings me joy in life. I became one for the first time almost two years ago when my nephew came into this world. As the youngest in my family, I’ve never really had the chance to watch someone grow up and hit their milestones like I get to watch him. His curiosity and ability to get excited at the simplest things offers perspective for me, constantly reminding me how my hectic adult life has affected my childhood curiosity, or how I shouldn’t hold back on things I want to do. It also helps to get a glimpse into parenthood…

Bloganuary Day 7 – What Makes You Laugh?

What makes you laugh?

My family makes me laugh.

While my dad is the one with the sense of humor, more recently my baby nephew makes me laugh. Getting to see the world through the eyes of a baby can be very amusing because everything is new to them. He’s started to crawl and explore, and everything unfamiliar to him prompts a quizzical expression on his face that I can’t help but giggle at. A few times he’s crawled up to me and put his small hands on my socked feet, trying to figure them out, and ticklish me can’t help but laugh. He himself loves to smile and laugh, and I’m so excited to watch him grow up.