Boys are in school — what now?

There's a new level of chaos in the morning routine around here. Instead of one boy to get ready, there are two. Joseph has joined Will at St. Rose, moving from his 3-day-a-week half-day preschool to a full school schedule. We expected tears in the morning but he walks in ready to start the day. It's not all smooth sailing but he's doing all right. We miss his old school and would still be there but the opportunity to have both boys in the same school was too good a decision for the whole family.

When I tell friends that both boys are in school full time this fall, the first comment is how great for Joseph. The second is, what are you going to do with all that time to yourself?!

I'll be here more. Well, that's the idea at least. But I started writing this post almost a month ago. Several weeks were the boys have been out of the house and still not much writing from me. It's not that I don't want to write and share what I see and do. I just need to schedule the time, write down my ideas, make a posting schedule. You know, do it already!

Exercise. I put on some pounds after last year's job loss. And I enjoy Christmas treats. Drink too many Cokes. I know less in + exercise works and that's the goal. Both boys did not like the babysitting room at the gym (one of the main reasons we had joined!) so no excuse now — I can go while they are at school. Guess how many times I've gone? Twice. Ugh! Must go more!

Clean house/clutter out! One reason I haven't been writing or going to the gym is I have plenty to do in the house. Laundry, dishes, ironing, mopping -- it all falls on me. And I'm not the greatest house cleaner -- I would much rather play with the boys than swish the toilet. So if I get it done while they are gone, I'll have more time for them in the afternoon. It may not always work out, but it's a good plan. Competing with the cleaning is the clutter. We have now lived here eight years and it's time to look around and see if the stuff we have accumulated really does work for us and our space. Maybe say goodbye to toys we've outgrown? And books that we want to read but haven't touched in more than 10 years? Less stuff in our small house would make everyone happier and make the house easier to clean. Now to talk the rest of the household into this ...

Get back in touch with friends. I've got some great friends scattered around the country. Facebook is good for keeping in touch but I want more. More phone calls and e-mails, maybe even letters. I want folks to know I am thinking about them and that I care.

Volunteer more. We've got some great events in town. But the hours they needed help didn't always fit around the schedule of taking care of little ones. Now I can help while the boys are at school. And I did just that recently for Artwalk, helping to set up tents and move stuff around during the day for the event that night. It was fun. I got a cool T-shirt. Now I want to do more.

Especially at school. I'm very involved at the boys' school. Yearbook editor and room mom. I love the community of parents and staff/faculty that is fostered by our principal. Happy to spend more time there. But I'm behind on my yearbook deadlines. Again, do it already!

More time with me. Also competing for attention is all the books and magazines I haven't read for the last seven years, the TV shows I'm several seasons behind, crafts that I would love to make and even sell for profit. But I'm still on the back burner until I get the house straightened out.

Here's the REALITY — by the time I get going after my caffeine, run one or two errands (so much faster without kids but still time killers) and do one or two basic home chores I look at the clock and it's time to pick up the kids. Where did the day go? It can only get worse because I am starting to look for a job. Maybe something seasonal as stores gear up for Christmas or maybe something real and related to my profession.

Overall, you can see I've got to start writing some major to-do lists and get better at managing my time. Right after I beat level 125 in Candy Crush ... well, maybe deleting games off my phone just went to the top of today's to-do list.

Random Thoughts No. 24

Oh, hi there. Still here. Well, not here on the blog but here in general. No one does a good job of explaining how adding a child, and then another to your life really can make it busier. Consider laundry — just going from a couple to a family of four doubles the amount of laundry (or more depending on how much spit up and potty accidents a child has). Each kid has their own schedule of school and events, plus the never-ending cycle of laundry and errands, plus mom or dad or both have jobs, and hey maybe mom or dad or both want to have a little bit of life beyond the kids. Life gets busy.

That's a long way of saying this blog here is not at the top of my to-do list. But I'll still check in from time to time with pictures of the boys or crafts. Now that school is out, I'll have a little more time to squeeze in some writing. Today you get some random thoughts ...

How cool is that AWESOME image there?! My mom had a small embossing label maker — it was so so fun to play with. Would love to find it. Mom and I don't throw things away so one of us has it somewhere. While I look, you can go to this site and generate your own images just like the real thing.

This nearby "yard show" is on my to-do-eventually lists! Unfortunately, it's been on my to-do-eventually list since we got to Birmingham and that's 10 years ago. One of these days ...

Like chocolate? Like pie? I made Jessie's Hot Fudge Pie and it was fight-over-the-crumbs good! No really, go make this pie then come back and thank me.

Okay, that's all I got for you.

"What did you do this summer?"

We got very close to birds at the Memphis Zoo ...

After putting it off as long as possible, we went to Chuck E. Cheese's 

with Cousin Ryder ...

We enjoyed lots of popsicles ...

We checked out the Star Wars exhibit at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center ...

We splashed and splashed ...

Overall, it was a good summer. 

(See how we did on our to-do list.)

Where does all the time go

Really? I haven't posted since Sept. 1? Dang. Not that I haven't been writing in my head (Do you do that? I've done it for the longest time, even before the blog).

The day I wrote the last post on quilts, I could barely stand up, but I could sit up. By Thursday something had a hold of me that I couldn't even sit up. Stomach flu? An viral infection that messed with my inner ear giving me vertigo? What ever it was, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The boys behaved for the most part. We literally watched TV ALL DAY that Thursday. The meds the doctor gave me made me very sleepy so I didn't move off the couch. Not sure how I fed the boys since I couldn't stand the thought of food. Nor do I remember how I got the boys ready for bed. It did involved some tears on my part; Will could not understand HOW MUCH MOMMY WAS HURTING and I just needed some cooperation. But they went to bed, I went to bed and Friday Chris was off so I could rest in the bedroom all day. By Saturday I could sit up and even take a shower. By Monday, it was like it had all been a bad dream.

Then it was back to routine ... school started, soccer started, dishes had to be washed. Life is busy again after the long summer break. Blogging got pushed to the side but it's back on the to-do list. A lot has been happening to share so this week I'll be playing catch up. You guys may not miss me, but I miss me.