Slowly emerging, the individual

in me. Little by little, I can feel the fog lift from being a slave to two toddlers, of wanting to reinvent myself and rise out of the ashes. It's been four long years since my pregnancy, the birth, infant care-giving, toddler containing, only to go back to the transition point of infant to toddler with the adoption of our 9.5 month old son and now both are equally mobile, able to understand language, seems perceptive to my moods, etc. Yes, they are interacting with the human race.

As I approach my 38th birthday, I'm craving something more than being coccooned with children and housekeeping. I need to establish a tangible, meaningful project that gives back to society, or even the community that ideally would generate an additional income but that's not the priority. We've been fortunate to be able to live on Mike's salary while I've been mommying for the last 4 years so I imagine we should be okay until the kids are ready for school.

In my mind, I've been toying with the idea of opening a shop. I imagine this shop being visited by moms and their children who love to read and listen to stories. A bookstore maybe...but more than that. I'd like it to be a place where one can spend 30 minutes to an hour browsing, and leave with a peace of mind as well as a piece of purchased merchandise.

Sounds kinda like the Shop Around the Corner from You've Got Mail. Maybe it only happens in the movies.