Lessons From A Fourteen-Year Old

Her name is Allanah.  Her birth certificate says that she was born in 1999.  But, some days I'm convinced that she is much older than facts dictate.

As her mother, I am keenly aware of what our roles should be and that I am the one who should be teaching her lessons.  And, I believe that I do.

I've nurtured this beautiful gem of a daughter for almost fifteen years.  I rocked her as a newborn against my chest.  I taught her the alphabet and patience as a toddler.  I kissed her cheek goodbye on her first day of kindergarten and promised her that everything would be okay.  I guided her through the purchase of her first bra.  I helped her pick her dress for her very first middle school formal dance.  I taught her to apply makeup and reminded her of just how beautiful she is - inside and out.  And, I have kissed her boo-boos - helping to soothe both the physical ones and those inevitable emotional ones.

Always Anjelah - The Maiden Voyage Post

Allow me to introduce myself.  I am the Angela of Always Anjelah.

Yes, I am aware that the name spellings do not match.  There is a pretty wacky logical explanation.  My given name at birth was Angela.  Legally, my name is Angela.  However, my three daughters' names all end in "-ah"  (Marah, Allanah and Ayvah).  And, even though the sound at the end of all of our names is the same, I've always felt a little left out.

(Cue the violins.)

Also, let's face it - I relish being a little odd unique.  I've never been drawn to common names or common spellings of names.  (My youngest son's name is Zayne.)  For years, I've secretly wanted to change the spelling of my first name to Anjelah.  And, since I have heard that it can be a lengthy and costly undertaking to legally do so, deciding on a blog name gave me the opportunity to embrace my quirkiness.

Always Anjelah it is.

Moving on ...

This isn't my first rodeo (thank you very much, Dr. Phil) when it comes to blogging.  I've been a blogger over at Joyously Domestic for a little over a year and a half.  I focus on family-friendly recipes over there with some DIY, party and craft ideas thrown in for shits and giggles.  But, I wanted a place where I could branch out.  A place where I could post about a variety of topics.  And, I place where I could open up and unleash a little more of my self.  (I could never say shits and giggles over on JD since it's a family-friendly site, but here?  It's allowed.)

I am a thirty-eight year old mother of three, step-mother of two and wife to one.  I do like pina coladas (but only if they're served with those tiny umbrella things) and getting caught in the rain (but only if I have an actual umbrella).  I live in Michigan.  (P.S. I hate living in Michigan.)

My life pretty much consists of the following:

Playing taxi driver to our three kids still at home

Being a domestic goddess C.E.O

Blogging

Trying to manage my yet-undiagnosed OCD (well, my hubby and kids have certainly diagnosed me as such - I'm pretty sure that counts)

Yearning for the day when I can move back to the city that holds my heart (Nashville)

Watching too many Law & Order: SVU marathons

Trying to overcome my habit of complaining too much

Drinking insane amounts of iced tea

Pondering how the laundry in our clothes hamper keeps reproducing

Dreaming of my dream home

Wondering how my children became smarter, wiser and more-sarcastic than their mother

I plan to write here on Always Anjelah about a little bit of everything, but mostly you can expect to find posts centered around my life as a wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, blogger, writer, cook, crafter and all-around (self-professed) quirky, control-freak of a human being.  I plan to offer up glimpses into my journey through marriage, parenthood, blogging and other aspects of my life.

If you want to come along on this crazy journey here on Always Anjelah, hop on the Facebook bandwagon with us or sign up to receive new post updates via email.