Monday, June 16, 2014

Summer Break Week One

Whew!!  I got a bunch done this first week of summer.  Senior pictures for child #1, ortho consult and commitment ($1,000 less than anticipated--whoo! whoo!) as well as driving school for child #2, dentist for child #3, and a voluntary/required training for me.  The in-laws came to visit on Friday and left Sunday morning.  I looked at our side yard--which was embarrassingly overgrown.

Since the entire weekend was picture perfect weather, I talked the kids into helping me for thirty minutes.  Daddy even came out to help (on Father's Day!).  Below is the productive "after" the help.  So much better.


Heat and humidity have now entered the picture--so much for more productive days outdoors.

Monday, June 9, 2014

First Day of Summer Vacation!

Today is the first day of summer vacation.  It is a time to relax, sip drinks with umbrellas, prop up my perfectly manicured toes, eat bonbons, and read books.  Oh wait . . . that is only in the movies.  I did take the weekend off of some of the normal cooking and cleaning duties to pick up today.


Actually summer is my catch-up time, and a time to give my husband (who does not get time off) a break.  This summer I am so excited because I do not have to run child 1 & child 2 to sports practice.  Child 1 has her driver's liscence; Child 2 will be working on hers. Child 3 has "running club" two nights a week--but 1 & 2 are doing community service by helping.  I may even get out of driving to some of those!  I have a day-long training on Friday, but them I am taking a week or two off of anything school related.  It will be mindless reading and cleaning.

It takes me most of June to get the house back into order.  I gut every room, reorganize, donate, throw away, etc.  Then the family spends August to May trashing it again--ha! ha!

We need to find time to visit family six hours away.  Is that going to be one trip?  Two?  Do we drop the kid(s) off and come back?  I still need to figure this out.

Then there are the appointments:  senior pictures (WOW!), four dentists, four physicals, one gynie, and the beginning of child 2 and orthodontics.  This, of course, may require a pit stop to the oral surgeon to remove wisdom teeth.  Driving school and on-road appointments.  Babysitting commitments.  Tutoring.  OK--so much for the umbrella drinks.  Playdates?  What are those?

I do love the summer with my kids.  It is the time where they are the priority.  I get to reconnect with them during walks, rainy day movies, etc.  I know these days are numbered.

After reviewing summer plans, I think I need to nap . . . nap time IS the biggest perk of summer after all.  I would choose a nap over an umbrella drink any day!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

One Good Thing About Snow

We are expecting Snowmagedeon #8,274 for the season today.  I am not a snow person--except that two-inch covering when you wake up Christmas morning and one day for a snow day at school.  We have had SEVEN snow days this year (in all fairness--one or two because of extreme cold and not snow).  I have finally found something wonderful about winter.

Yesterday at 3:00 in the afternoon, I was finishing up cleaning the house and getting ready to jump in the shower.  I was still wearing pajamas--soft yoga pants, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt.  Now, if a neighbor or salesperson stopped by, I could pull them off as regular "cleaning" clothes instead of "oooh--you are still in your pajamas in the middle of the afternoon" clothes.  See--there IS a perk to winter!

Saturday, February 15, 2014

I Am A Genius!!!!

I just read an NPR article that stated one in four Americans believes the sun rotates around the earth (see HERE for link).  This statistic is based on a study done by the National Science Foundation.


I would like to add to the above caption that only one in four Americans believe this--Ha! Ha!  I LOVE to read things like this.  I feel like a genius!!!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

2013 To-Do List Revamped

I created a list of 100 things to do in 2013, and I am proud to say I accomplished half of them.  I am rather impressed.  Like any year, there were those ups and downs and surprises and predictable events.  In the whole scheme of things, they shape us into the people we want to be.

I am not even going to try to do a 2014 list--I'll just bump over the items I didn't accomplish last year that would still be relevant.  In the whole scheme of things, the fact that I did not purchase new living room lamps or an immersion blender will not drastically alter my future.  But . . . they would still be nice to acquire . . .

I'll dedicate this year to paring down, organizing (who ever thought of making organization a goal for the year--ha! ha!), and simplifying.  This would include more frugal living (I've got an airconditioner unit to replace and child #2 braces--yikes!).  I would also like to continue to control my stress level.  All of these are interrelated.  Cheers!