A November Saturday

My 3 early risers.  Parker Bear was still hibernating.

The Bear has emerged from his cave

 Football with Daddy

 

Absolute perfection

Listening

Was reading a post today by fat mum slim.  In the post she wonders why her mother doesn't read her blog.  At the end of the post, she asked if your parents read your blog or are on facebook.  The responses were sadly revealing. 

Most people responded that if they do have a blog that their parents, friends and/or spouses don't read it.  Most expressed that they wished these important people did read what they write.  And a few told how much it meant to them when their loved ones let them know they were reading.

How sad that most of us who are writing in blogs or jotting in journals are doing so and not being heard by the people that matter most to us.  If you write, you write to be heard, yes?  You have something to say... don't we all?  Who is listening?  Who is paying attention?  And, even if you have a blog, are you able to openly express your feelings or do you feel prohibited from approaching certain topics, expressing your emotions, giving your opinion?  And how sad is it that we feel a need to send our thoughts out into the World Wide Web because we can't do so at home?  Looking for feedback, encouragement, like-minded individuals, acceptance, recognition, someone who is really listening without interrupting, ...._____________.  Fill in your blank.

We're all so terribly, terribly busy.  We don't stop to pay attention...to hear.  

Stop. 

Listen. 

Who is talking to you today?

I Need Structure

Today, on Facebook, I said, "I'm wearing my new daily schedule like Spanx!  It's helping me slim down and manage my minutes like a corset would suck in my lumps!"   I had several friends ask me to share my schedule and, at the risk of boring you all to pieces, I'll go ahead and do it.

In the past I've tried making kind of a general schedule for myself that looked something like this:

Monday - laundry

Tuesday - bathrooms

Wednesday - bedrooms

Thursday - kitchen/living room/dining room

Friday - floors

But that wasn't enough for me.  Instead I would end up wasting hours on end playing on the computer.  I've said many times that I felt like when I spend time on myself doing something like exercising that I didn't have enough time to clean house.  And when I spent time cleaning house that somehow I didn't have time for exercise.  And I was always leaving a daily time of Bible reading out.

I've had very sweet friends say that your devotional time should be the very first thing you do when you wake up and that you just have to suck it up and wake up long before the kids are up to get it done.  I am not a morning person.  Not that I'm making excuses because "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength", ... right?  Well, it just never happened.  But spending time with my God is important enough for me to make sure that it gets done.  And, for me, that means making a realistic schedule for myself and prioritizing that time with Him.  I also need to make sure I'm taking time to exercise and to clean house and well,... read my Goals post for more of what I want to accomplish.  So, here's what I came up with last week and it's working like a charm!

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays look roughly the same:

6-7a - Get kids ready for school
7-7:30 - Quiet Time/Bible reading
7:30 - 8 - exercise
8 - 8:30 - shower/get dressed
8:30 - 9 - eat breakfast/facebook (yes!  I'm scheduling in facebook.  If I don't limit my time it will take over)
9 - 10:30 - laundry/clean bedrooms/clean floors (depending on the day)
10:30 - 12 - work on a project from my list
12 - 1p - lunch
1 - 1:30 - time with Landon
1:30 - 2:30 - computer (blog reading or whatever - again this way I'm limiting my time)
2:30 - 3 - time with Parker (homework/talking about his day)
3 - 3:30 - time with Cameron (homework/talking about his day)
3:30 - 4 - time with Anna (homework/talking about her day/play)
4 - 5:30 - read/quilt/edit pictures (just whatever I feel like doing - the other day it was playing video games with the kids)
5:30 - 7 - making/eating dinner
7 - 7:30 - time as a family
7:30 - 8 - get kids ready for bed
8 - 10p - relax with Brian (T.V., game, computer, finish folding laundry, etc)

Tuesdays and Thursdays look very different because Landon goes to school and Brian is off in the mornings on those days and Anna has dance class on Thursday afternoons.  So each of those days have their own schedules too with some Free Time built in on Thursday mornings for Brian and I to go have breakfast or run errands and bathtime for the kids in the evening.  I've given every minute a name like I should be doing with my dollars (Dave Ramsey).

I haven't been extremely strict with myself about the schedule this week since there were lots of changes (i.e. a belated preschool Christmas party and the kids were off school on Monday and I helped in Anna's class today) but just having some structure built in helped tremendously!  I worked out 3 times this week, I got all the rooms cleaned except bathrooms, I started quilting and I got some reading done!  That's more than I am used to getting done in a month!  lol

And just as important...I've scheduled this weekend off for myself!  Brian and I will go out tonight, I will go to a hotel and he will go home.  Tomorrow, I get to do whatever my little heart desires and stay a 2nd night at the hotel!  I read this very timely post this morning during my devotional time!  I'm excited to see what I can get done in 2011!

Virtual Coffee - 10/19/10

Like Corinne, I didn't feel like blogging today.  But, like I told her, I feel like I need to or I've let myself down.

So, tonight we're having "Virtual Coffee".  Only it's not quite as good as real coffee because you can actually taste real coffee and when you're with friends having real coffee that means you're actually together in the same room. But "virtual coffee" will have to do tonight.  'Cause, quite frankly, I'd be too tired to actually get in my car and meet you somewhere for the real thing.  And you don't want to come here to my house because the upstairs hallway smells of dog pee.  (keepin' it real, folks.  REALLY need to rent a carpet cleaner this week.  dumb dog)

If we were together, you'd ask me how I'm feeling ('cause you're sweet like that) and because you'd notice that my brow is furrowed and I look a little tense.  You'd notice these things because my shoulders and my back are tight from working hard in this house today.   

I'd tell you how I've kind of taken the last couple weeks off, so to speak.  I only got the bare minimum done; barely scraping by when it comes to chores.    The laundry got done and the bathrooms were cleaned but that was about all; so, I've turned it up 10 notches over the last two days and I'm physically exhausted.  But I had a great day yesterday and today and it's, in large part, due to the fact that I got so much accomplished.   You'd ask me what I got done and I'd recount the harrowing details of cleaning up Anna's pig sty (a.k.a. her room, her closet and her hallway) and how, in order to do those things, I had to first rearrange the 3 storage/attic spaces next to her room.  But now everything is in it's new place and it should be easier to find things.  It was well worth it.  And about time; we've only lived here for 4 years!  What took me so long?

And I'd show you the evidence from my phone that it was a complete disaster!  I would lament that these were the only pictures I took today and they were with my lousy phone.

 Then I'd show you when I was finally done with that daunting task ...at 6:00 p.m....that I took another picture of me crashed out on the bed and how the animals crashed next to me.  And we'd laugh about how freakishly big and kind of twisted my arm looks!

I'd take another long sip of my cafe mocha and then tell you how I'm looking forward to seeing a friend tomorrow.  I'd talk of my plans for next week which include helping in Anna's class, helping in the school library and going on two field trips and how it's really best not to think about these things too far ahead of time or I will develop an eye twitch.  (And then my eye might begin to twitch a little.) (But you'll pretend not to notice.)  

I'd ask you about how your day went and what your plans are for the next week and yours might look a lot like mine.  

So?  How was your day?

A Vacation Up Close

I love playing with the macro setting on my camera. This lousy camera really takes pretty good pictures up close; it's the rest that it doesn't seem to handle well. That's alright, it's days are numbered; I'm going to save every penny until I can buy a super camera. Until then, I'm going to try to capture my life up close and personal.

Oh well.

Well, I went and said I would post "every day" and let you know I made progress on my quilting projects.

And then the cat chewed a tiny hole in the computer cord and I wasn't able to post anything until we replaced it. But the cord is replaced with one that might last a little longer than the last 2 cords we've had and, since it's late, I'll post pictures tomorrow. And then we'll be off and running.

In the meantime, I did accomplish the second part of my goal which was to spend less time on the computer! Ha! I played "princesses camping out" with Lady Bug, cars and trains with Baby Bug, napped with them both, snuggled with Cuddle Bug and once the cord was replaced watched June Bug play Restaurant City! We had a wonderful weekend.

Hope you did too!

Lazy Days

What a glorious week it's been! "Relax. Breathe. Play.", I've been telling myself. "Go outside and blow bubbles with the kids. Don't mind if they spill it all over themselves; it's only soap after all. Don't forget to take pictures. Before you know it, they will be "too cool" or "too mature" for such things."

Tuesdays Unwrapped

This is what my Tuesday looks like right now. I wanted to get some sweet pictures of the boys and their friend "J" from across the street. But six and eight year old boys aren't exactly into being sweet. As soon as they saw me with the camera they took off running and hiding from me.

Oh well, when they ask me why there are so few pictures of them at this age at least I'll have evidence to show them why.

And one of the best parts of my day I unfortunately didn't get a picture of. Hashbrown casserole and biscuits and gravy at Cracker Barrell!!!! Next time I'll be sure to have my camera with me!

Crab Pie

Is it 11:00 already?! And it's only Wednesday, right? You're certain it's not Thursday or Friday?

Landon has been incredibly crabby this week. Crying over the smallest things and most of the time I can't determine what has set him off. Two-year old angst, I suppose.

This morning it was this game that upset him; though, I still don't know why. Since he's been like this so often lately I took a picture of it. And then I sat with his squishy little self in my lap and took pictures of his sweet little hands caressing his blankie. Now he's downstairs content (for the moment) with a bag of fruit snacks, a chocolate egg and watching Nemo.

Reality Check

Self-image,... Messy house,... Chilly Spring Break Weather,... My Hair... These have been my complaints lately. What are they in comparison to what my friends the Creeches and Howards are going through in their new homes thousands of miles away from what they are accustomed to?! PIDDLY!! PITIFUL!! So, you'll hear no belly-aching from me this week.

I love you, B and S! The song "More Than You'll Ever Know" is for you. Kisses and hugs from all of us to all of you!!!

Thankful for...

Today I'm starting a series of blogs on things I'm thankful for. The first things that came to mind were all pretty silly and I thought about talking about the people and things that are most important first. But...I might not remember to mention these things later, so I'm starting here first; hope noone minds.

-Coffee! No more needs to be said. Oh! except that I'm also thankful for Vanilla Caramel creamer and the GREAT BIG coffee mug from Laynie Jones (thanks, chica).

-Spongebob Squarepants. Yes, you read that right. And Patrick too! I need to laugh at something other than myself sometimes.









-Facebook. I've lost touch with alot of friends from school and beyond and I'm not sure I would have had any other (free) way to catch up with them again.

-Cold weather. And only for the fact that it makes me appreciate warm weather more. The first 12 years of my life were spent in the cold and I have no desire to live that way again. If I were picking my ideal location to live it might be Miami or Puerto Rico simply for the climate and beaches.









So, there you have it. Just a few random things I'm thankful for this morning. If you were hoping for something more serious then just wait a couple days and I'll have something for you then.