New Years Irresolution

I have discovered, over and over, that it is important for me not to go above and beyond the things that make me, me.  Over the years, I've tried to change, but the results have not changed.

Once a year, I decide that I'm ready to be a real, responsible, healthy adult and it always ends terribly for me. But, I try anyway.  I sit myself down and tell myself how I'm going to do this.  Schedules are drafted.  Day-planners are purchased.  I stock up on fancy food because I'm planning on converting my entire family into healthier eating habits. I put away my daily yoga pants and pull out my nice jeans, skirts, heels and button down shirts. Yes, I prepare for my new life like some people prepare for the apocalypse.

The first day or two of my plans usually goes okay.

For a little while, I actually feel all grown-up and healthy!  I strut around with my ‘dressy’ clothes, looking everyone in the eye with that  glance that says "look at ME, I’m dressed up and responsible….just look at all my fancy groceries.”

At some point, I start feeling self-congratulatory.

This is a mistake.  

I begin to feel like I've accomplished my goals. I lose a few pounds, my nails are done, my hair is perfect, and I feel really good about myself. It's like I think a lifestyle change is something that can be earned like a trophy in one epic burst of effort and then coveted for the rest of my life.  

What usually ends up happening is that I completely wear myself out. Thinking that I've earned it, I give myself permission to slack off for a while. My fancy shoes, give m blisters (oh, how I miss my flip flops). I break out from wearing make-up everyday, and I get really tired of cooking every night!

Is it really that bad, if I wear my holed jeans while I run my errands? I’ll make sure to flat iron my hair and put on some lip gloss, this is acceptable, right? 

Well, I end up needing to take more recovery time than usual and this is when it all starts….

The longer I procrastinate, put on my yoga pants, and allow myself to drive thru Chic-fil-a for dinner, only leads to more and more irresolution.  

At some point in this endlessly spiraling disaster, I am forced to throw all of my energy into starting over again, just to dig myself out of the pit I've fallen into. The problem is that I start over, already burnt out from the last round. I won’t allow myself to fail. But,I do because it always ends the same way.  

And then I rebel.  

yummmm!

So, I’ve come to a new yearly resolution…..Do more of what makes me happy, fly by the seat of my pants, and laugh more! I’ll never fail at this one. 

Happy New Year, family and friends! 

Adventures in Painting....

I do not like to paint.

Now repeat another 100 times and you may be a bit closer to understanding the depths that I will go to NOT paint anything, especially furniture.

I have had bad experiences with painting in the past. Don't get me wrong, I love a good paint job but, those paint swatches that you choose from are not so accurate once they are painted on the wall, and in the right lighting can be very scary!!! I’m still having nightmares from a purple bedroom I had growing up :(

Now with that being said, I have also painted furniture before. I had an old wood farmhouse table that (three kids later) was in dire need of a good re-staining or paint job. I decided that I would just paint it because re-staining it would be much harder, or so I thought.

Oh Em Gee!!! Was I wrong! I had only started sanding it to find that what seemed like such a great idea, was more work than I had anticipated (remember I had three little ones and NO time for this). So it was then that I stopped the sanding and just started painting (mistake# 1). When it was finished, I loved it!!! It's rich black color gave the entire room a whole new look. And I was so proud that we did this ourselves.

Forward less than two years ahead….that poor un-sanded, unsealed paint job was still beautiful over-all but started to look like a hot mess. It had been used for many dinners, crafts, and kids coloring & painting and was showing its use. For a long time I just threw a table cloth over it and tried to ignore the horrible scratched up, worn paint that was hiding underneath (obviously, from a bad paint job). 

After much controversy, we decided to get rid of it and replace it with a beautiful glass top large round elegantly carved table with leather seats (mistake #2). It was beautiful and had the most comfortable chairs I've ever sat in. I loved it…..as long as I spent every waking minute wiping off the glass! Table cloths became my purchase of choice once again.....ughhhh!

A new home and money saved to redecorate, I realized it was time to let go of the glass top once and for all and do this breakfast room right.

It was then that I remembered how much I loved my solid sturdy farmhouse table that suffered the bad, rushed paint job.

Well folks, I did decide to attempt this painting furniture thing again. I sold my glass top table (thank goodness) on craigslist and bought an old strong and sturdy farmhouse table and chairs that need some TLC in the painting area. I’m not sure if I am keeping the chairs but if I find ones I like, they will most likely have to be painted, too.

All I keep hearing about is this chalk paint stuff that is supposed to be fool proof and can be used on anything, including furniture. And there are many different versions of it. I am very nervous about messing this up again so I am taking my chances with the good stuff, the expensive Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White (possibly mistake # 3). I am hoping it is as easy as everyone says.

Wish me luck…I will keep you posted :)

Please follow my adventures in painting as I am sure it will be, if anything, a funny story.

I can do this!!!!

I have been blessed with the ability to juggle the things in life that matter to me. Yes, it is possible to be a working mother, soccer mom, PTA mom, domestic housewife (yes, I clean my own house) and still have a social life. One of the things I struggle with most, is guilt. I think that having a job outside the home adds another layer to the guilt that every mom feels.
 I have really struggled with is finding a true mentor in my current work place - someone who I look at and think that I want to be exactly like her. In the field of nursing, that can be quite challenging but, at least I do know the type of woman that I want to be...she's not perfect, but she works hard. She is a good nurse, wife and mother. She honors the Lord in all she does and raises her kids with dignity and love. All of this comes with sacrifice.
I find it quite comical that people often approach me and ask me ‘how I do it all?’ I find it funny because a lot of people see the ‘calm, cool, collected’ me that has it all together when it comes to balancing motherhood and being a somewhat workaholic. How can people think that I do this so easily? Only my husband sees some of the frantic episodes that occur more frequently than you think. So I'm going to burst your bubble...I can’t always ‘do it all’, but instead I have found what works for me. Fulfilling my dreams to become a nurse came with many sacrifices. Some sacrifices were not a big deal and others were painful.
 How did I become OK with that you might ask? A lot of prayer! I am the first to admit that I can be one of the world's worst about taking things into my own hands instead of waiting for God's direction. I recently had one of these times...I leaned heavily on my own abilities and ended up frustrated. I did finally come to a point where I came on my knees to God, asking for his path for my life. I'll admit that the answer I got wasn't exactly what I expected, but God granted me with a true peace about it.
So when you see me working double shifts, getting up for boot camp at 0500am, volunteering at the kids school and rushing home to have dinner with my family…know that I am grateful for every minute of it.

How To Be Cool In A Minivan

It wasn’t until I traded in my minivan for the big SUV that I kept hearing people say….they will never, ever drive a minivan. Secretly, it was the single best decision we’ve made since the birth of our three children. Well crap, after 10 minivan driving years, I felt the same way and upgraded to a large SUV but, sad to say that I miss it.
Before the big SUV: there I was, lined up in the school parking lot, alarms going off, automatic doors opening … anything I could do to locate my silver dodge caravan in a line of 20 others just like it. But I loved it. The convenience, the leg room and all the ‘happy’ kid features.

When I had my van, it’s true…I felt like such a “MOM” but I was proud of that. My kiddos needed the room for all their sports equipment, folding chairs, and many different toys. I can’t even tell you how much I miss the trunk that keeps groceries from rolling all over the back seat. It could be the next best thing to sleeping in late or getting all the laundry done.

I realized that it is NOT the minivan itself rather than some of us mommy-van drivers that have given it such a bad name.
So, in honor of my minivan and other minivan mommys out there, I have come up with some things, that can help the ‘coolness’ of the minivan come back.
1. Get a sunroof, if you can. They automatically make the van more appealing….at least for the driver. 2. A van, car, SUV…whatever….please stop putting stickers on the car, including “My kid is an honor roll student,” the acronym stickers with black letters on the white oval to indicate your favorite beach or school, or the sport stickers—including, but not limited to the ones that look like a ball has broken your window and you chose to leave it there.
3. Keep your van clean, nothing is worse than opening that sliding door and having juice cups, snacks and toys fall out…yep I’m guilty of that one.
4. Under no circumstances is it ok to sing and dance to loud music in the van…so not cool. I’m guilty of that one too! Heehee
5. Do anything you can to have date night with your husband, or a girls’ night with friends, and NOT drive the van. Your cool factor goes right out the window when you step out of the minivan with your new hairdo and high heels.

That being said, it doesn’t matter what you drive. Any car can be cool if you want it to be. A minivan is a minivan no matter how often they change the body style or come out with new colors….and if you ever have the chance to own one, you would see why they are sooo cool!

Decaffeinated

I had a long list of things that I was giving up for Lent this year. Amongst those few things were coffee, coke, and wine. With the headaches that I suffered in the beginning and those everlasting days, I somehow managed to wean myself off of caffeine.....for good.

I never thought the day existed that I would ever pass up a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

Are you kidding me??? This is ridiculous.

Mike has been off of caffeine for almost two years now and he says that it is the best thing that he has ever done. He was my biggest support during this time, he kept me well supplied with headache medication, massages, and would not let me give in.

So, after I discovered that coffee was no longer a yummy drink, I went out and bought myself a Starbucks latte (because we all know that those lattes are irresistible) and still, YUCK!

I am amazed that this has happened. But, in a way, I am impressed that I have been able to do without it for all this time and that I feel good, very healthy. wow, and just think of the money that I will save by not going to Starbucks all the time.

No meat, no problem

Over the years of celebrating the Lenten season, I have found ways to be creative with Friday night dinners.
At first, the thought of not eating meat was crazy.....how was I supposed to make dinner without meat? let alone all meals of the day and keep my kids satisfied.
But, I think I have mastered it.
My kids have remembered not to eat meat all on their own and they look forward to some creative but, very common meals such as pancakes, vegetable lasagna, and shrimp kabobs.
One of our favorite Friday night dinners is plain ole' cheese pizza. Although, pizza is already a Friday night tradition it is nice to see my family happily give up pepperoni and sausage. The kids have even picked it off their pizza at school.
Pinterest has been wonderful this year with helping me plan some of these meals that it has become a regular Friday occurrence.

Something that I thought was so difficult has become a great experience.

Big House......Clean House

I was always one of those people that said "the bigger the house, the more to clean" but, I was wrong.
A year and a half ago, our family moved, again. I never would have imagined having a 3,000+ square foot house for half the price of what we sold our 1,700sf, 15 year old fixer upper in Fla. so, six years ago, we jumped at the opportunity to get the biggest house we could find. HUGE mistake.
So, we moved……but, somehow I managed to gain two extra bathrooms, an extra bedroom, and an enormous yard. Although, the neighborhood, schools, yard, and front porch was just what we were looking for, one problem still remained…..How am I going to keep this house clean?
While I love the idea of a clean house, I’d rather spend the day sewing, chatting on Facebook or searching Pinterst than start cleaning my bathrooms……all five of them!
So, how did I do it???

I made myself a schedule.....Daily, Weekly, and Monthly.

Daily:
Morning:
Laundry
Make beds
Dishes
Vacuum

Evening:
Wipe down counters/toilets in bathrooms
Dishes/Counters/Kitchen table/Stove
Vacuum/sweep & mop floors
Put away toys, mail, etc.
Dining room table cleared and cleaned

Weekly (i try to spend less than an hour on these)
Monday: living room/play room clean and dust
Tuesday: run errands/grocery shopping, de clutter pantry
Wednesday: Kitchen: clean oven, microwave, fridge
Thursday: clean bathrooms/ showers/bedrooms/closets
Fridays: Catch up on any chores not done
Saturday: Clean out purse and car/plan my coupon and grocery lists

Monthly:
Dust blinds
Wash windows
Yard work
Baseboards
Reorganize closets

I am somewhat of a natural housekeeper anyway, but I have three active children and a nursing career, and I refuse to spend my days cleaning. There are lots of great advice out there and I was determined to be one of those moms that could keep a clean house in less than an hour a day. I’ve read books and taken suggestions from Pinterest to get myself to a happy medium and decided to see how much I could get done in 60 min. It was a struggle in the beginning. I was so happy today, to be getting it done before the timer went off.
I do have to give credit where credit is due: I say a prayer daily to keep me focused on being a good mom and housekeeper. And I can’t do it without the constant help from my wonderful husband and children for helping me daily by picking up after themselves.

Cleaning Tips You Haven't Heard Before

• The best way to dust blinds: Close them, then wipe up and down with an old dryer sheet. It'll create an antistatic barrier that helps prevent dust from building up again.Vinegar and water is a great deodorizer for a musty bathroom. Spray your shower down as you're getting out. It really absorbs the odors, and the smell of vinegar goes away in an hour.
• The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is your friend. It will cut your cleaning time in half for bathtubs, sinks, countertops, and dirty walls.
• To clean glass and mirrors, use coffee filters, not paper towels. They leave no streaks or lint — and they're cheap.
• Vacuuming bathroom mats is a nightmare. Toss them in the wash every week or two instead.
• A wet pumice stone will clean a dirty oven faster than any spray-on product.
• To damp-mop wood floors, use plain water or a water-based floor cleaner like Bona. Don't use vinegar. The acid in it will pit your polyurethane finish, can void your warranty, and may reduce shine over time.
• Seventh Generation dish liquid diluted with water is a great nontoxic all-purpose cleanser. Just put two squirts in a spray bottle and fill it with water.
• Our biggest secret weapon? A powdered product called Bar Keepers Friend. Use it on everything. Its active ingredient is rhubarb powder, which really cuts through grit and grime. It cleans glass-top stoves, counters, toilets, porcelain and more. Your sink will never be shinier.
• To clean your microwave oven, microwave a cup of water with some baking soda in it until it's boiling. That eliminates odors and makes it super easy to wipe away all that stuck-on stuff.
• Clean cobwebs with a yardstick covered by a tube sock. That also works for cleaning under stoves and refrigerators.
• Shine your bathroom tiles with lemon oil. It also helps prevent mold and mildew.
• To eliminate that ring in your toilet, drop in a bubbling denture tablet, and leave it for at least 30 minutes or overnight. The stain will come off with just a few swishes of the brush.

Sources: Torrey Shannon, former maid service owner in Westcliffe, Colorado; Lynette Haugen, owner of True Blue Maids of Pasadena; Tangela Ekhoff, a housecleaner in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Theresa Peterson, owner of Quality Cleaning "Maid to Order" in Fremont, California; Dee Strickland, owner of A Zing Zap Cleaning Service in Minneola, Florida.

Getting My Craft On

Although, I started planning Valentines Day projects in January….here I am procrastinating on the night before the big Valentines party at school.
I spent numerous trips to the craft store and many hours on Pinterest looking for cool ideas.
Here is a recap of my crafty valentine’s.

Here, I made a custom wrapper, using Stampin' Up Unfrogettable stamp set, to cover a teachers favorite candy bar:

I used a blender pen with old olive, pixie pink, and chocolate chip Stampin' Up ink to decorate the frog. When I was finished, I cut out each item and glued googly eyes to add character.

For another teacher, a fellow Starbucks addict (like myself) I got a Starbucks gift card and a 'buy one get one free' coupon that the baristas were handing out. She also loves junior mints so, I filled a valentines treat bag with junior mints and included an 'I Dig You' valentine tag.

I found these cute magnet guitar valentines at the store and picked up some small pop rocks candy at the party store. I think they look so cute!

My biggest challenge was making Ethan's valentine box.

He wanted a Florida Gator football themed one and I hunted down all these items to make it for him. I found mod podge, football beads, alligators, UF fabric, football field and grass scrapbook paper at Joanne's fabric store. I found football the cake toppers at Party City to make this box.

Here is his completed Valentine box and he loves it.

TGIF

Every Friday, no matter how hectic or stressful the week has been, my family has a tradition to celebrate the weekend’s start. I crack open a bottle of wine and we all roll up our sleeves in the kitchen. Everyone likes homemade pizza: I make/buy fresh dough for the pizza crust, and my husband chops, sautés, and grates the toppings and, the kids have fun making their own special pizzas.
On good weeks I’d make home-made sauce and we have fresh mozzarella. But, over the last year it went from rolling dough to buying premade pizza dough to getting the entire pizza delivered, hot n’ ready. But, when we then sit down to eat, either at the dining table, or on the porch, it’s our family time that matters. So, none the less, our tradition is still alive. It’s a great start to the weekend.
This little tradition of ours isn’t complex or costly, and it takes no advanced planning. It's just something we all look forward to, and it’s become a little something that says “home” to us.

Candy Corn Cookies

I found this recipe for these super cute cookies.
I'm planning on making them for our Halloween party.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
Orange paste food color
2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted, cooled

1. Line 8x4-inch loaf pan with waxed paper, extending paper over sides of pan. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On work surface, place 3/4 cup dough. Knead desired amount of food color into dough until color is uniform. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan.
3. Divide remaining dough in half. Gently press one half of remaining dough into pan on top of orange dough. On work surface, knead chocolate into remaining dough until color is uniform. Press over plain dough in pan, pressing gently to edge of pan. Refrigerate 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until firm.
4. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from pan. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into 5 wedges. On ungreased cookie sheet, place wedges 1 inch apart.
5. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set and edges are very light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container.
Makes About 9 1/2 dozen cookies

A letter for my kids: an apology

Dear Sydney, Naty, & Ethan,
Yes, I could have continued to just ‘stay at home’ but this family has one thing that many families don't: the eagerness to accomplish anything we set our minds to. When I got accepted into nursing school, love & support is the very least that I received from you all. This last year has been full of sacrifices from everyone around me, mostly you. At times I felt as though I was the only one going through the rocky times so, I just want you to know that I take full responsibility for the bumps in the road and promise to get things back t normal (if there is such a thing!)
I’m sorry for the mornings I wasn’t there to make your lunch and kiss you goodbye in front of the school. I’m sorry for the dinner plans that rotated around McDonalds or Chik-fil-a. I’m sorry for the mornings you woke me up instead of the other way around. I’m sorry for the last-minute book reports and projects that were forgotten. I’m sorry for the field trips and competitions and sports days that I wasn’t there to be a part of and to cheer you on. I’m sorry for the cupcakes I couldn’t bring, the cookies I didn’t bake and the class parties I couldn’t make. I’m sorry for the times I bought gifts to keep you busy instead of spending the time with you that I should have. I’m sorry for the times I yelled or snapped at you for minor things. I’m sorry that I projected my anger and frustration onto you way too many times. I’m sorry I couldn’t be the mother I should have been over these past months, that I had to focus so much of my attention school and exams. I hope you know that although it might have felt differently, I love you all more than anything in the world. I am thankful every day for the privilege of being your mother and I could not have gotten more perfect children. I pray that someday you will understand what happened during this time and that you will be forgiving of the many upsets and mistakes that were made. Mostly, I just pray that you always know how much you are loved.
I will make it up to you, that I can promise you.
Love,
Mommy, RN

Moving Along

Four years ago my husband, kids, and I left Florida for the suburbs. But it took four years of living here to scope out the perfect neighborhood.

The moment I drove up the driveway of this cozy home, I was charmed. This house is nine years old and the families that owned this house before us had a dog, a cat, raised children here and gave it lots of love. But, it desperately needed some attention, my husband and I knew it was a diamond in the rough and a house we could be happy in for the next chapter of our life.  We made an offer the same day we walked through and thus embarked on plans to remodel.

Three weeks later, we started the renovation and last week we moved out of the rental and into the house.  The contractor probably could have used another three to four weeks before I brought my three kids and all of our belongings into the house.  On moving day we only had one fully functional bathroom, about 75% of the light fixtures installed, and several other random projects still to be completed.  However, the lease was up at the rental and we decided to move, finished or not, rather than pay for another months rent.  

Every time someone asks me how I like the new house, I just smile and have to admit that I do love it, although I can’t wait to get rid of the smell of fresh paint! I don't complain about the dust or the unpacked boxes that I can’t seem to make time for. And I don't mention the three to four workmen I spend my days with from 8:30am to 5pm.    

You see, having several people who come in and out of my house every day has it's benefits.  Seriously. Not knowing who is going to show up at what time of day forces me to get up early in the morning before my children wake up and take a shower.  Before I leave to drop off the kids at school I do a sweep of the house and make sure all the randomly strewn pajama tops, legos, stuffed animals and books are picked up and out of the way.  I'm not usually bothered by a little dust, but we live in a construction site and I find myself picking up the vacuum much more often than usual.  My house has not been this clean and organized in a long time.

But the biggest benefit of having a houseful of plumbers and electricians has been quite unexpected. I've had to find other ways to deal with the sibling smack-down that seems to always happen when we're late for school and no one has combed their hair yet or they can't find their homework.  

Honestly, it's been a wake up call for me.  I can solve problems without yelling and guess what?  When I am not so quick to anger, the tantrums don't last as long and arguments actually get resolved faster. While surrounded by power drills, hammers and chaos all day my family has become calmer.  Hopefully we can maintain the peace after all the knobs have been put on the cabinets and all the rooms are finally put together.

 

Fall Back

I love Fall. For me, it is the BEST time of the year. I love it when the summer heat is finally gone, the nights are cool, and the leaves start turning colors.

Every year I torture my family into taking family photos, I make us go out when the lighting is at its best (either early in the am or early evening.....and it's neither is convenient), we have to match, and it usually takes us a few tries to get it right) Each year we pull out previous years photos and compare, it is so funny, I love to hear the kids giggle over their own photos.

With all that, I stumbled across some old Fall photos from years ago:

Tears filled my eyes when I look back at those days. My kids are growing way too fast. It's more the reason that I will continue this tradition of torturous photo taking.....it's just too precious.

Truly A Pampered Chef

Today has sure been a rough one! I don't understand why Thursdays have to be so crazy. Yes, all the kids have overlapping soccer practice on Thursday evenings but between two parents, we can sure juggle it. Somehow Thursdays have become my domesticated day as well. The whole house needs to be spotless and all the laundry needs to be washed and folded. I have to have the kids packed for practice and all uniforms for Saturday games have to be clean and ready to go. I sure need a little help on Thurdays and am not afraid to admit it.

Now with that being said, I want to share this great recipe that the pampered chef has introduced me to. I bought the deep dish baker last year and my family has had many meals prepared by this awesome stone baking dish. It works like a crock pot but you can use it in the microwave and have home cooked meals in less than half an hour, including prep time. I love it!!!!

It’s the Easy Tortellini Toss made with cheese tortellini, spinach, and ham. Yes, spinach!!!! And my kids always ask for seconds. Tonights Thursday dinner was delicious, fast, and not picked up from a drive thru window. It's the little things on Thursday evenings that really help!!!

Happy Wife, Happy Life

The keys to domestic bliss may include commitment, compromise, and communication, but if you want to keep this little wife really happy it’s the little things that I suggest!

I could easily give you a list of things NOT to do, but that’s just common sense. So, my dear husband, instead I thought I would just give you a list of the to do’s that will make me a happy little wife.

-Please pick your laundry up off the bathroom floor.

-Speaking of the bathroom….the last thing I want to come home to, at the end of a busy shift (with a full bladder) is the toilet seat up and an empty toilet paper roll. Very. Frustrating.

- Take the garbage out. There should not be bad odors in the same room that I prepare our meals. Seriously.

-Write your gorgeous wife a love letter once in a while. Texts and e-mails are totally appreciated, but not nearly as romantic.

-Kiss me hello and goodbye every time you see me! Every. Single. Time. You know, like you used to.

-Turn the television off, sometimes. I gladly appreciate the Jets, Yankees, & Gators but, I think our TV needs some rest every now and then. Just sayin.

-Remember that Golf may be fun, but those clubs won’t keep you warm at night.

-And sometimes take a turn being the bad guy with the kids.

Sigh….. It’s been almost 12 years so you must be doing something right…but it’s the little things that will get us through the next 50 years.

Love Ya!

Must Not Stress

Today I was lost in thought about the hundred little things that had to be done before Monday!

The ever-growing list of "must do items" was overwhelming.

The laundry. It looks like a small bomb went off in the laundry room. The pantry is overflowing with all of my recent coupon deals and needs some serious organization, it's Labor Day weekend and I must get a list together for a BBQ we are going to, I have items waiting for me at the dry cleaners and I have two overdue movies from blockbuster that seriously need to be returned, and don't even get me started on the garage.

This year I volunteered to help out at the kids school, made myself available to work 2 days a week, and joined a mom group. It’s crazy, every time my iPhone goes ping ping new message I jump! ughhhh

As these thoughts seemed to take over when, I told myself to consider the things that I did today that really matter.

Today, I have a son that has developed a love for sports and always keeps me on my toes, a daughter who is adjusting very well to middle school and making tons of friends, another daughter who is almost out of her braces and a great asset to her soccer team and, a hot Starbucks in my hand and a new found addiction to Twitter.

Laundry, lists, party planning, PTA, will eventually get done. It always does.

So, tonight I will turn my phone off, make some hot chocolate and have a game of scrabble while my Hubby's is distracted by Football. I confess it is the only way I can beat him.

I must be getting old because this kind of day, it thrills me to no end.

So not a Stepford wife

Even though I have lots of days where I might not feel like it, this is the best time of my life. I have really hard days though. Days were the morning starts too early and I stumble around in my pjs all morning long. Days where I want to take that smiling housewife with pearls and heels and stab her with her unscratched stilettos. Cause that is not me. My floors are sticky my sink is full of dishes. Reality is I would much rather take the kids to the park and the library or play dress up and make cookies then wash dishes and sweep the floor. I do this and little by little the housework piles up.

I am not a ‘full time’ mom, but I am home 5 days a week with the kids. In essence I am a stay at home mom most of the time. For some reason, I have come up with this ridiculous ideal stay-at-home-mom in my head that I strive to be like. I love the idea of being the perfect mom and wife, like in Stepford, but who am I kidding???? They were robots!!!! I did notice that my entire demeanor and attitude change when I am not in scrubs and my hair all fixed versus if I just stay in my greasy hair and ratty clothes to run errands.

We all have frumpy days. Days where our energy levels are zapped, the house is atrocious and you feel overwhelmed. I call these frozen dinner days because you just want to stay home and do as little as possible. But this should NOT be the norm. More stressed? Certainly! Sleep deprived? Undoubtedly! I am plan Jane but, if I just wash my hair and wear something other than workout clothes (2 very easy goals to achieve) I think my household moral will improve! But as I said earlier, these are the best years of my life!!!!!

Just Another Manic Monday

I had everything ready for our first day back to school from winter break. The kids clothes was layed out and snacks were packed. The sound of coffee brewing was my morning sountrack. Everything went according to my plan, until it was time to head out the door. Ofcourse, at that time, I realize that someone hasn't brushed their teeth, someone could't find a shoe, and another someone couldn't find their library book.
So instead of being as organized as I so desperatley want to be, today turned out to be another normal chaotic morning.
Lately I feel like it is a crazy chaotic mess, offset by small clusters I have organized in an attempt to regain control. Like a pair of old shoes, it is scuffed. I find myself continually frustrated as I once again step on a Lego, and gather up stray shoes, cups, and make repeated pleas to the girls to pick up after themselves.
But..... it is home.
Finally I get the kids out the door being only a few minutes off schedule, and I sigh in relief.
Today was my busy, manic Monday. Yoga in the morning, followed by grocery shopping, lunch with a friend, and (hopefully) an afternoon nap. Running late was not ann option!
My life is an unpredictable series of comedies in error, incidents of unknown origin, and fly by the seat of my pants parenting.
I am slowly learning to embrace the chaos because it means I have a house full of life, love, and not to mention dirty laundry:)

A New Change

This year is not going to be easy.
After Christmas I start making a list of the things that I need to get done, things I need to change, and things I need to appreciate.

This is what 2010 will be like for us:
Sydney will be entering middle school and I am nervous for her. I am not ready for the middle school drama, hormones, and boys. She is still my little girl.
Naty will get glasses and braces. This year she will go through a dramatic transformation and I don't look forward to her changing smile.
Ethan is starting to lose teeth, this year he will also go through changing face, height, and weight. He will still play sports but, he will start hockey soon!
Mike will become a fireman. He will work long hours and we will miss having him home every night. I am proud of him for making the career change in order to support his family but, it also makes me scared.
This year I will become a nurse. The lives of many will rest in my hands and depend on my knowledge. I will have finally reached the goal I have worked so hard for.

I have realized that I have so much to get done, appreciate, and change.With every new year I set new goals, new dreams, leave the anger, hope for better, lose the drama, and cherish my loved ones but, I have made it my priority to make sure this BUSY year will bea great one!!!!
Happy New Year!