Hi everyone! I’m Daria! Yup, just like that TV show from the 90s. 

As I type this, I have a toddler and a Chiweenie at my feet sharing a cheese stick (ewww), I’m sipping my third cup of coffee that’s been microwaved several times over, and there are two baskets of fresh laundry in my peripheral vision that I’m hoping will magically fold themselves. Ah, a rare glimpse into the environs of the world’s okayest homemaker. This is me, this is my life, and I absolutely love every minute! Well, most of the minutes. Okay, I love about 75% of the minutes.

I was born and raised in Vermont. It was the perfect place to grow up, but somehow I always felt a little bit trapped. I received a degree in English from the University of Vermont and then, like the carefree girl I was, packed every item I owned in my little white Dodge Neon and followed a boy to Austin, Texas. My poor parents. Well, the boy is long gone but I’m still here! Thirteen years later and I’m so glad that 23 year old me took a leap of faith (even if, in retrospect, it was rather reckless). My adorable techie husband Daniel and I are raising our two sweet kids, Madeline and Caleb, in the suburbs of this vibrant city we all love so much. If you had asked me when I was much younger if my children would be Texans, I would have looked at you funny. But now I wouldn’t have it any other way. Austin is truly our home.

I’m a laid-back mama sandwiched between a type A mother and type A daughter. How does that even happen? In high school, I had a Ben & Jerry’s bumper sticker on my ancient Saab 900 that read “If It’s Not Fun, Why Do It?”  And really, that about summed up my attitude for the first three quarters of my life. Now that I’m a bonafide grown up, I honestly can’t say that I’ve out grown that mentality, but it’s certainly shifted since having two tiny people who depend on me so completely. Although I’m not much for bumper stickers these days, if I had one it might read “Worrying doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.” Words to live by, my friends.

Daniel and I met in the wee hours at a Halloween party he was hosting in 2005. He was tall and handsome, and already in his pajamas. I threw my feathery red boa around his neck and claimed him! Okay, I didn’t do that, but I did make sure to get his number. And he did tease me about finding those red feathers all over his house for days thereafter. We started dating and never stopped; we were just meant to be. We soaked up our youth and freedom, dancing until the sun came up and traveling to far off places, before getting married and starting our family.

Madeline was born on St. Patrick’s Day 2012 and has been a spitfire since the moment she took her first breath. Lover of all things sugar and hater of all things bedtime, she is and always will be the yin to my yang. Caleb quietly and peacefully came into the world a little over two years later. That peace didn’t last long though, as he was diagnosed at two days old with a critical congenital heart defect called HLHS. Two cities, two hospitals and two open heart surgeries later, Caleb finally came home at seven months old. It was Daniel’s birthday, and what a gift that was. He is our sweet boy, our warrior, the one who showed us the strength we didn’t know we had, and who reminds us every day about what really matters in this crazy life.

When I’m not toasting frozen waffles, extracting Play Doh from my toddler’s mouth, or washing the same load of laundry for the third time (don’t tell my mom), you can find me enjoying the simple pleasures. Cozy coffee shops are my thing. Or a pretty patio with a glass of sparkling rose. It seems I like beverages. Speaking of beverages, Fredericksburg is my favorite weekend getaway. Wineries, shopping and history… I’ll never grow bored of it. I love the performing arts and I still love to travel, even if it is just to the Texas coast these days. I’m passionate about Congenital Heart Disease awareness, as well as Autism research, as Caleb was just diagnosed this past summer. This mom gig is fulfilling in so many ways, but writing is the missing piece of the puzzle. I’ve been missing it for too long, and letting life get in the way too often. I’m just thrilled to have this opportunity with Austin Moms Blog, and so happy to be momming in the ATX with y’all!

 

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