I did it, I'm dressed for Mass with 10 mins to spare

I pushed myself to get into the shower lest I get bogged down arguing with the kids about their little messes and their whining. If I get out of the house first thing I'll have a good start and some momentum. I had to go down the hall to the linen closet for fresh towels and peeked into the bedrooms of the older kids and both look like a bomb went off in them. Since the 4 year old does a better job of keeping her room neat and knows that when she's told to pick everything up off of the floor that doesn't mean just put it all on top of a piece of furniture (or under) we're going to have a little contest to see which of the older two does the better job of picking up their room and the little one will be the judge. This contest is in lieu of my going downstairs and screaming at them about the mess while they're enjoying their Sunday breakfast...how nice of me, huh?

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, er, sort of

My child is screaming bloody murder. She's had the freshest mouth for weeks now and she's been warned. Daddy finally had it and put her in her room for a time out. That's didn't go over well...more screaming. Brother is at a friend's playing so what should be a quiet afternoon with the girls watching a movie and daddy and me web surfing has turned into a battle zone. Suddenly it's quiet. And it's dark today too, because it's rainy. I want to put down this laptop and roll over and have a snooze but it's 4:30 and I cooked a roast so now have to go make my potatoes and another veggie and finish off the dinner. Then I'll have the evening but unless I get a 2nd wind I don't think I'll be downstairs in my scrap nook working on anything. The mind is willing but the body wants to stay right here and watch Law&Order later - maybe play a little wordscraper on FB...at least I got out to pick up my prescription and get groceries so I can cook this weekend. This new work schedule leaves no time to plan, shop for, and cook a meal or any combination of the above, during the week. Tonight is a little roast beef with mashed potatoes and asparagus, tomorrow I'm planning to make chicken soup and also a pot of tomato sauce with Italian sausage in it to have over pasta for dinner one night this week. I need a 2nd wind, I need a 2nd wind...forcing myself to get up so I can put the potatoes on to boil and rotate the laundry out of the washer and into the dryer and then fold some.
Jeff cleaned today - thoroughly mopped the tile floors in the kitchen and family room - had to change the water in the middle...I need to call the cleaning lady this week and have the little chat about not being able to afford to pay her to come and half-ass clean my house when I'm capable of half-ass cleaning it myself....It's taken me a few weeks to get to the point of being ready to have this conversation because I was so irritated about having to have it in the first place. I'm not as irritated now. I'll walk through the dry mopping under all of the furniture in the family room, wiping down the baseboard/tiles in the bathroom where water drips from hand drying and it gets gungy, and the use of the sponge mop vs. the stick and rags on the floors.....one more time....and this will be the last time. During the three weeks my thoughts ran the gamut of - just stopping the service and doing myself, hiring someone else, having the talk but then worrying that there will be resentment, etc. It's only fair to have the talk. These are bad times economically and no one can afford to lose income. I'd want to know the real deal. These are conversations that are difficult for me to have....I just want everyone to do what they're supposed to do and then everybody's happy. It doesn't work that way, does it?
I have to finish off this dinner-making because Jackson needs to be picked up in about 40 mins.....If anyone needs lessons in how to waste time please drop me a line - I am sooooo good at it!!!

back to what was i thinking

Ok, I had my hands really full before but this week started commuting into DC (planes, trains, buses) and I have to just wake up in action mode, get ready and leave to catch the bus. No time to think, help, eat, etc. Unless I get up earlier... I know this is a new thing and will settle into a routine but last night I fell asleep putting Jackson to bed and slept in his twin bed all night with him. I mean straight through. Meaning I didn't hear the 6:00 alarm and got up at 7 so no 7:14 bus for me today. So I'm on this bus and I need a tissue but used them all yesterday because I have this headcold. It seems I need to create a master plan here around meals, activity schedules, homework, laundry (to make sure everyone's activity uniforms are clean and ready). So yes Miss Smarty pants who was conducting it all like Leonard Slatkin with the Washington Symphony, well yes she's stumped boys and girls.
Now I'm back on the bus after a day of sitting in front of my computer doing an online orientation. When I opted to leave iknew there was a tight window to make the 5:45 bus. What I didn't expect was that both the bus and the train would shut their doors in my face and pull away. If it had,it happened on the metro I would have been on the earlier bus. How on earth am I going to do this? I'm thinking cook meals ahead of time on the weekend...yeah right. Everyone's clothes are getting laid out the night before. Lunches made. Breakfast thought out. I definitely need that 2nd dose of Adderall each day to keepfoused on all that needs to get done. I knew this was coming all the while I was underemployed all summer. My new adventure...YIKES!!

Rainy Days at least it's not Monday

Well I made the dinner and it was a recipe I got via email from Kraft.com – it was onions and pork chops pan fried with some Worcestershire sauce and package of stovetop stuffing added after the chops were cooked – and a cup of mozzarella cheese to top it off – 1 pan, 10 mins prep, 30 to cook, all done…I wasn’t hungry but will go down and eat some now.  Jeff said it was good but didn’t rave.  Never made it to basement – to scrap nook – once I boot up the laptop and lie down on my bed I’m a goner – really tired and blah myself….and I didn’t even have any wine.  The dogs hopped on the bed with me and we’re nice and cozy except Rocket is chewing a bone in the vicinity of my rear and now my pj bottoms are slightly damp in that area….good, he’s gone now and he took his bone.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Assume soccer will be canceled tomorrow but we have dance class at 10:30, I have a 1 yr old baby birthday party to go to and on the way will stop at the Invisible Fence place to get the transmitters we have put onto new collars for the new beasties so I can kick them outdoors when they get on my nerves…Jackson has baseball team pics at 7:30 a.m.  and Jeff’s on deck for that job…then he takes Rocket to puppy school unless that’s canceled and assume Jackson’s game will also be canceled…..perhaps I’ll get my scrap on tomorrow night….

 

I’m having a Southern Living At Home party tomorrow afternoon (what was I thinking when I agreed to that?  Oh right, I was thinking that I’d get a ton of stuff at 50% off because that’s what I did last time I had a party a few years ago) so I have to pick up the house, clean the powder room, strew the SLAH items I already have about the house, sweep the front porch, buy two big mums to put on the front steps, buy snacks and wine – oy, what was I THINKING?

 

And it’s raining and unlike L the rain doesn’t bum me out but it makes me want to go to the library to pick up a Robert Ludlam book I haven’t read yet, stock up on Chex Mix (preferable the dark chocolate variety) and hide in my room….but I have all that other crap to do….oh yeah, the other crap is my life J

My new passion - Animal Rescue

The times they are a changin'

Wow, what has happened in the economy and I'm keeping my head down, working, with one eyeball on the news.  I could honestly get laid off in the coming month or so and I've been looking for a new role both inside my current company and outside for other employers.  I cannot afford to be without a job at this time.  What has kept me from being a nervous wreck?   You have to ask?  Having read Eckhart Tolle's books "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth" has kept me from being a basket case in these uncertain times - because there are things I'm certain of - I have a great family and great kids and I love being their mother, placing my trust in God and my life in His hands has served me very well in the past so there is no reason to mess with that formula, I have finally gotten out of my lazy rut and have been exercising, I've also been networking my brains out, as well as, throwing myself into the kids' lives and their activities - which I'm enjoying to no end....so I've added a few "hats" to my hatrack - CCD Catechist, Soccer Coach, Kickboxer.  And I've gotten back into the routine of hanging out in my scrapbooking and craft nook giving me better odds of actually working on things vs. just thinking about it.

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_1

What do Do Today on a beautiful day off

I’m sitting on the patio on Monday listening to the birds talk to one another and to the neighborhood waking up.  The backyard is relatively quiet – no chipmunks or bunny rabbits darting around as of yet.  I’m on a fine line between enjoying a tranquil few moments and the million thoughts chasing around in my head – things I want to do, things I could do, things I should do – and the desire to crawl back into bed and let the day decide for me.  I woke up feeling like a blob this morning but not really sorry that I had that big bowl of ice cream with strawberry sauce (sugar free) last night.  I had an ok sleep but toward morning was in one of those dreams where I’m excited about going someplace special and I have to get ready but can’t seem to get started and so I’m scurrying around the house and everywhere getting more and more agitated and anxious (in the dream).  <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

I finally went to see my mother and realized it’s been nearly a year.  She looked a lot better than I’d expected and the visit was great.  She really enjoyed Kate and Kate really enjoyed her.  I just made the mistake, though, of asking her if she’d come here for a visit next time and she said yes but with that hitch in her voice that tells me that she will never get here.  I can’t dwell on that and let it ruin my whole day. 

So the things I absolutely have to get done today – well there aren’t any.  The things I’d like to get done are, in no particular order,

·        get the laundry down to the basement and washed so Debbie can fold it if I don’t get to it

·        get the herbs and veggies into the ground

·        get my nails done

·        take a walk or go to the gym

·        scrapbook some and get my stuff organized for the next couple of times I go to crop

 

First, I’m going to shake this feeling that’s making me furrow by brow.  Then, I’m going to take ten deep yoga breaths, then I’m going to call Aunt Dee and thank her for the lovely visit and ask her if she’ll come see us before too long.  I know I’ll have to work around the days they have scheduled to go to Cape May.  Next week may be the first little visit and there are 3 days in July – probably a few more in August.

Ok, I almost forgot, I’m a little bummed out that Val never made it over even for a drive by.  She didn’t call or anything else and I’m working on not reading anything into it but my sense is that running into me is ok but making a special trip – well she’s just not ready for that or just not ready to run that one past Jim. 

 

I think I hit all the high points and feel a bit better!!

I