Saturday Update

It’s back, the Saturday update! In our somewhat patchy sort of infinite wisdom, we have decided to check in on Saturdays, to give a snapshot of where we are in the current challenge – the I Dare You Challenge.

And what a week for an update! Am I the only one hearing the Rocky theme song around here? There is such hope and excitement and a little white-knuckled fear, which is a heady sort of mix. So how are doing?

Lydia dared herself to take band pictures and did. See http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Virginia-Janes/110267689005722 for proof. This week’s challenge is to write and record an original song. And share with the world. Something that has not happened for fifteen years. We’ll see! 

Joshilyn says: It has long been my stance that, as far as the internet is concerned, I have neither a digestive nor reproductive system. I am smooth plastic inside, just like Barbie. I prefer to believe that you are the same. We eat food and we talk about the eating of it because, YUM, but after that, the angels come and carry it away. We talk about our children, but not about the mechanics or biological details of how we spawned them. SO, this week’s dare, to talk about my MOST PERSONAL PIECES in order to encourage people to give blood, was really hard for me. Your generous and amazing comments and they way you were SO CAREFUL not embarrass for oversharing made me feel less squicky about it and I can’t thank you guys enough for your warmth and humor and general grooviness.

Even so, I do not think after completing this sentence, I can ever force myself to refer directly in public to my uterus again. I have decided to rename it “Mellisa” and to simply be glad that it is gone. Mellisa was a bad friend. Mellisa tried to kill me.  I do not miss that raging bitch, Mellisa. Like that. This also means that I need a NEW DARE for the rest of the challenge, and I do not have it yet. I am feeling stronger every day, but another week or two away from a fitness challenge, so I may think in terms of another small dare I can take and tell you what it is on Tuesday…

And from Gray: Thanks for the kind words in your comments this week, and WOW many of our readers have extra big helpings of life on their plates this week. I pick LivingDonor101 to win the Get Out of Jail Free excuse contest because there really is no competing with actual organ donation. Shooting you an email LD101.

This week I slept and dreamed and planned. Like Kira, I will write the remainder of this challenge. I wont have to move or anything, which is a plus. I WILL, however, have to keep awake. Afk nap.

And Mir: Good lord, saying yes all the time is EXHAUSTING. But in a good way. This week I am continuing to research and talk to people and try really hard to tune in to what my kids need right now. The biggest change I’m noticing is that I’m actively encouraging my children to come at things from this same “place of yes” and it’s yielding some interesting results. Instead of breaking up squabbles with a lot of “you can’t do this, you can’t do that” I’m probably completely freaking them out with a lot of “What if you…” instead. We are reframing some family dynamics, and it feels like good preparation for what’s next. I like.

As for me, well. Mainly I am gobsmacked by all the amazingness around here. Lydia is a rock star! Who knew? Joshilyn – well, far be it from me to accuse her of growing as a human being, but what a woman, to take something so difficult and turn it into a humanitarian effort! Gray, soldering on in the face of such pain and exhaustion! It makes me want to take a nap in her honor (I am a giver). And Mir, to crack open her worldview like that and let in all those yeses. I am humbled. Brava, all of you.

I am working on carving out time for writing. I cannot for the life of me figure out when that’s going to work, because the only un-used slot of time in my day is the 12-2AM slot, and that’s not exactly dependably free either. It’s a knotty sort of puzzle, but it’s also interesting and exciting and fraught with all sorts of possibility. I was also blown away by all your kind comments. You are an encouraging lot, and I thank you.

Now let’s hear from you! If you’ve been considering joining us in this challenge, this is your nudge. Thrilling things are happening around here, and trust me when I tell you that you want to catch this wave. So ‘fess up in the comments! What are you doing and why? I know it’s scary, but consider this the line in the sand, and what you’re secretly longing for is on the other side. Go on.

I dare you.