Fast Forward to the Here and Now.

My first post.  Should I hear bells ringing or fireworks launching? Shouldn't this be momentous? I am moments away from clicking on "publish" and I don't hear anything except sassy daughter #6 asking for dessert again- for the 87th time in 9 minutes. She clearly does not know what I am embarking on. Although, even if she did know, it wouldn't stop her in her quest for something sweet. 

So, pretty much, the right here, right now is what fuels this blog, so, things up to this point aren’t of much importance. But just to catch you up- Got married eighteen years ago, (I don't claim to be young.) had three kids, got divorced six years ago, got married to now husband one year ago, now have six (not a typo) kids. I work. I write. I love. I balance. I weave. I dodge. I frolic.  

Here's a story...

The Same Day Every Year.

My husband and I have known each other for close to 13 years.  It so happened that on September 23^rd, 13 years ago, we met, of all places, at a Sports bar…on their birthday.  Most people love their birthday, but we seem to have somewhat of an unusual excitement and attachment to our birthday, more so especially because we have the same birthday. Yes, our birthday is on September 23rd; the same day, but different years, (At this juncture, the story becomes a little inconsistent, depending who is telling it-me, or my Husband...) and I am younger.  So, we toasted a cheer to each other, not knowing this would become our annual tradition, nor be the beginning of our journey of friendship…a friendship of many parallels that would later lead to a lifetime together.

Game of pool? 

Soon after our memorable birthday meeting, we discovered another passion we shared- playing the game of pool. My husband having been playing pool for many, many years was a respectable winner who held the admiration of die-hard pool players. He was always the one to beat. I was still learning the facets of the game, and always intrigued by Shain's game- and a little intimidated and apprehensive to play him. One Saturday evening, our quarters met. (At this juncture, the story becomes a little inconsistent, depending who is telling it-me, or my husband...) I won the game, and from there, we became regular opponents. Shain would often seek me out to play this game that we both loved so much when they were at the same place at the same time near a pool table. Both competitive in nature, we shared a mutual desire to beat one another, and respected each other's passion for the game. Our friendship was lively, good-humored, and light-natured. 

Throughout the first 10 years of our pool playing friendship, we were both married to others, and both had young kids. We were unknowingly walking through life separately while experiencing many of the same milestones- birth of sons, teething, 1st birthdays, baseball games, soccer games, 1st day of Kindergarten, school functions, birth of daughters, and so on....Our paths would cross occasionally at the grocery store or at the park- with kids in tow, we would exchange quick hellos.  Separation and Divorce were eventually events we both experienced. Our friendship remained contained to our occasional pool playing game, which had now reached the betting stage- $1, a beer, next game, etc., and of course, I usually won those games on those infrequent Saturday nights.  And then there was the annual birthday bump into each other where we exchanged birthday well wishes and a celebratory drink.

At the right place, At the right time- is that Fate?

September 2nd, 2012 was the night the game- of pool and life, changed... We hadn't seen each other in a well over two years.  We both had been through a few difficult years dealing with divorce and separation, and helping kids cope during these hardships. We were forging new paths in life as single parents learning what was in store for them in this new chapter of life. 

Shain finally won his first game ever on this night. I remember the feeling between us as being different from usual- a stubborn, undeniable chemistry was doggedly making itself known. Our banter was more informal, our interaction was flirty, and our demeanor with each other was intimate and magnetic. We spent the entire night talking, smiling, and laughing, taking in each other's nuances, stealing glances and sweet touches. The night ended with a kiss- THE Kiss that ignited our journey to today. 

Of Course...

The next few months were a whirlwind as we fell deeply in love and began sharing our lives together. We discovered that not only do we have the same birthday and zodiac sign, we share a passion for football, (-although I am a Bears Fan, and he a NY Giants fan-) and for sports in general.  We both swear by cheeseburgers, chocolate, and Mexican food. We both insist that autumn is the best season of the year, and that rainy weather is by far the most superior of all the weather elements. We share the fervor of cooking. Although he a “comfort food” cook, and I a “seasonal haute cuisine” gal, we love sharing the kitchen together, and summer grilling, and outdoor backyard BBQ’s are a staple for us. We relish in taking day trips and getting excited creating new memories by finding their way around all the things to do in a new place for day or night- pubs, sightseeing, tourist attractions, stadiums, arenas, beaches, family fun, restaurants… When at home, we are tuned into the same TV shows, and have not once yet disagreed on a movie preference, or the quality of the movie. Carrying the most weight of all interests is music. We are both die-hard music junkies, and both profess our devotion to Led Zeppelin as our favorite band. Most importantly; however, we became aware of the fact that we shared the same values and had the same priorities in life- raising a close-knit family, spending time with our kids, having fun and not letting life get too serious- traveling, and sharing good times with close friends and family. We both possess a sense of humor and quick wit, and use humor and playfulness as guiding principles to navigate through this life. With each new thing we discovered was a mutual interest, we would grin at each other, smile, and say "Of course" in unison. Being cusp babies- on the cusp of the zodiac of both Virgo and Libra- we found in each other an innate and intense understanding, appreciation, and respect of one another. We were home. 

The Test.

We knew the "test" of our relationship was looming. It was time to meet The Kids. Shain had to meet my kids, and I had to meet Shain's kids. Shain has 2 sons and 1 daughter, and I have 2 sons and 1 daughter. (Of course.) With special needs kids, I was a bit more worried about the introduction. But, so it went... Shain met my kids over a dinner of spaghetti tacos, and I met Shain's kids over a lunch of J's (Shain's oldest son) ramen noodles. It didn't take long for "approval" from both sides.  Next up: kids meet kids. So, Shain and his kids; J-then 12, J-then 10, and H-then 5, and me and my kids; C-then 11, S-then 9, and I-then 4 got together for a game of renegade Dodgeball one Thursday evening behind Lowe's, and we never looked back... The kids have formed lifelong bonds, and now, we and the #sixbunch are a real life Brady Bunch- minus Alice, a painstakingly missing part of the family. 

Eight really IS Enough.

Today, life is anything but ordinary, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Of course.  We still carve out our pool playing dates, (At this juncture, the story becomes a little inconsistent depending on who is telling it- me, or Shain…) and I win most of our matches.