Is to save every day

Ok, so the next chapter in the thrilling life adventure of Lori Ann!!!

Grab your popcorn as we delve into...

The early childhood years!

So, the years I don't remember?

 Birth to 5?

Apparently they were fairly chaotic years. 

We moved a lot. 

Lived in some motels, apartments, and various houses. 

My parents still tell the stories of 'the yellow house' or 'that one house in Jersey' or wherever. 

Places I have no memory of. 

I think it was a hard time for my parents.

 They didn't really have support of any kind from their families. 

In part because we lived far from my dad's family (and they were never super close anyway) and in part because my mom's sisters (the ones who weren't 6 and 4 years old) were all having kids at the exact same time.

 Literally.

 I think the first 10 grand kids on my mom's side were born in the span of about 5 years. 

So, my parents had 4 kids, aged 3 and under, and were pretty much on their own. 

Both of my parents worked on and off.

 I know my mom wanted and tried to be a stay at home mom, but she sometimes had to work and my dad's work has always been seasonal.

So, those were the early years. 

As a therapist I have learned that ages birth to 6 are some of the most important years in a person's life. 

"The wonder years" they are called. 

They affect your sense of self, your relationship with others, how you see the world. 

It's odd to know that I have been deeply affected by years that I don't even remember. 

There aren't even that many pictures.

 I think I have maybe 5 pictures of me before the age of 5. 

Maybe that's why I have always taken a million pictures of my sister's kids.

 I want them to see their lives from every age. 

My favorite stories that my mom tells about those years are the following two:

She said I used to just go around and open drawers and look at things but I would never get anything out.

 It's not so much the story but how she tells it that I love.

She said that I would never let her brush the back of my hair and it would be nice and combed in the front and a 'birds nest' in the back. 

Apparently I had a strong sense of style from a young age as well.

 (I lost that somewhere along the way)

And I may or may not have buried a doll that everyone called "big foot". 

That's three stories. 

I know these entries are kind of boring.

 But the unexamined life is not worth living, right?

And we're about to head into the crazy Dublin, elementary school years.

 The years of the awesome biker dudes, the good and plenty trade, trips to Disney World, and taking bowling lessons. 

So, there is that to look forward to :) 

Lori Ann

p.s.- I've now lost a total of 169 lbs. Only 31 lbs to the 200 lbs lost mark! I am going to have a GIANT party when that happens. But just no cake because on April 1st I am giving up sugar for one year. It's time to break the addiction.

p.p.s.- Less than a week until my half marathon. Yikes. It's starting to get really, really scary.
 (but awesome!)