Time

You may not believe my post since it has taken me three days to sit down and write it, but I really gained an hour over the weekend... Let me explain.

We all knew that we were supposed to turn back the clocks before going to bed on Saturday night but, somehow, we totally forgot. Sunday morning, babygirl came into our room to check the clock as usual because the TV is not to go on before 8 a.m. on weekends. A little while later, I got up, made our famous Sunday morning pancakes, got dressed, and went for a jog.

I love Sunday morning jogs. Everything is quiet. There is barely any traffic to worry about... and I can extend my run if I'm feeling up to it, and was I ever! Upon returning, I wondered why hubby wasn't watching his usual Sunday morning show, but never did I think I was an hour too fast!

After my shower, I started nagging the girls to get dressed so we could get some homework done... hated doing that since they were playing soooo well together, but heck, I thought it was almost time for lunch by then!

That's when I saw hubby walking around the house changing clocks. I must have looked like someone who had just won the lottery... I was ecstatic! I had just won a whole hour in my day. For the first time in like forever, I was precisely one full hour ahead of schedule. Love it!

So what did I do with my hour once the girls' homework was done?

I cleaned. Sounds boring right? I emptied the kitchen cabinets, washed the shelves, threw things away, reorganized... and that felt good. Sure, it's not a bubble bath, it's not watching a great television show, it's not a good glass of wine, but having the chance to clean something that's been bugging me for a while felt darn good!

Then, I moved on to babygirl's room. We filled 5, yes 5, garbage bags with junk. I mean papers, stickers, catalogues, crafts, and so much more. Ahhhhhhhhhh, it just felt fantastic, liberating!

Next weekend, we will be thinking pink since hubby will be painting her ever so clean room in her chosen "exotic pink"... she even convinced him to paint all four walls... pictures to come! Guess who'll be wishing for an extra hour this weekend???

I hate to admit it but...

I really, really don't like Halloween. Therefore, I am soooo glad it's a thing of the past for another year (other than the dreaded candy management I now face).

Biggirl, who quite ironically dressed up like a baby this year, decided she was too old to be trick or treating from here on in. Of course, I had told her this prior to the dreaded evening but the lure of candy was just too strong. She told me I was wrong. Only to tell me I was correct as she felt just a tad uncomfortable walking down the street wearing her oversized bib and her pj's. Did I say "I told you so"? No. As a mature mother who has recently discovered the satisfaction and joy of natural consequences, I simply smiled. Of course, it is quite possible that my smile said "I told you so" though...

I do however find Halloween adorable for the little ones. Seeing the disbelief in their eyes as they realize that all they have to do to get loads of candy is ring doorbells is priceless. Every little skunk, princess, and superhero (and all those with unidentifiable costumes too) made me smile.

Babygirl put our homemade fairy wings to the test. I am pleased to announce that they survived an evening of trick or treating, glitter and all. Yes, this is me patting myself on the back. She may not have been the only fairy out there, but she was the only one in our neighbourhood with homemade wings! Check them out...



Cool right?

Of course, wearing your coat for trick or treating kind of spoils any costume... it must be so cool to go trick or treating where it's warmer! Halloween in Florida, that would surely make me enjoy it all much more!

So now, anyone care to place a bet on just how long it will take me to throw the Halloween candy in the trash this year? Since I'm in this natural consequences state of mind, I'm thinking a few more days is all it will take. As soon as they start fighting over the sweet stuff, it's outa here!

The last (silent) word

Okay so anyone who's not me will most likely chuckle when reading this post. With biggirl's very full gymnastics schedule, we made a deal before school started that she is to be in bed by 8:30 p.m. every night except Saturday. I know this may seem harsh for an 11 year old, but she is on the bus by 7:30 on weekdays and at the gym at 8:00 on Saturday mornings. We feel that in order to function properly at school, gymnastics, and at home, that is the most appropriate bedtime. On evenings when she has gymnastics, she is normally in the door by 7:50 p.m., which leaves her 40 minutes to shower, brush her teeth, and get to bed. Any mother out there knows that 40 minutes to do that is a luxurious span of time, heck need I make a list of everything I can get done in 40 minutes? Actually, that might make for a good blog entry!
Anyways, tonight, biggirl was sluggish when she got home. She suddenly had many things she wanted to tell me. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for talking, just not when it's late and we have a schedule to respect. So, once again, I found myself constantly reminding her that the clock was ticking and she tells me that she's sick of me bugging her to get things done all the time. Soooooooo... what do you think I did? I backed off. Way, way, off.
It is now 9:05 p.m. and she is not in bed. She is practicing Mary had a little lamb for the 50th time on her recorder (homework states she is to practice for 5 minutes). Plus, she is laughing loudly, talking, and making noise in every way she can think of. I know she is just waiting, longing for me to go down and get upset. But no way.
I have backed off.
I will let her deal with the natural consequence of being tired.
There.
I will have the last (silent) word tonight.

The worst thing is... getting to bed on time is actually considered a paying chore in our house. That is how important we think getting to bed on time really is for her. Unfortunately, we rarely have to pay for that one!

If only I could figure out how to get paid for getting to bed on time... any ideas anyone????

Frazzled...

Yeah, tonight I'm pretty darn sure that this word must have work-at-home-mom in its definition in any respectable dictionary. Anyone out there who isn't frazzled can look it up and get back to me, personally, I just don't have the time! Of course, the frazzled WAHM feeling is present any day of the year, but when back to school time hits, frazzled is a word which paints such an accurate picture of what I'm feeling inside all the time!
As a bonus, I kind of think it's a funny word, not the feeling, the word. Just saying it somehow seems to make me smile. Heck, you have to smile about it...the only other option is going completely insane!
So the next time, you're feeling overwhelmed, declare yourself frazzled and break out a smile!

Summer chips

This is what, on any given day, I have been reaping from my garden lately. I like to call them our summer chips because as soon as they are washed and deposited on the table, they disappear just as quickly as a bowl of greasy chips. Who am I to complain? It seems it took planting these babies in the garden to get babygirl to eat tomatoes. So worth it!

Notice that I haven't included pics of the garden itself... that's because I have somewhat mistreated it and the weeds are unfortunately just as bountiful as the tomatoes and herbs!

Luckily, it doesn't seem to hold a grudge because day after day it's rewarding me with a bowl of tomatoes... I've invented and tried so many types of salads this summer, I just love these little red candies sooo much! Makes me sad to think that in a few weeks I'll have to fork out over 15$/week to purchase only a fraction of the tomatoes we are currently eating and, naturally, they won't come close to tasting as good!

I'm loving it

Mission accomplished once more! Not sure if I had written my goal of running 30 continuous minutes by the end of the summer on this blog, but it's been in the back of my mind for exactly eight weeks now (along with that never-ending to-do list)... Today, I can declare it's a done deal! Hooray for me!
The biggest surprise in all of this is just how much I'm loving it! I ran under thundering skies, during tornado watches, and, best of all, under blissful sunshine, my personal favorite! I am feeling sooooo good physically, and that, is something I hadn't felt for quite some time.
I have also been trying to eat vegan meals here and there and I've realized that nutrition=energy. Running after eating sugary cereal and chocolate spread for breakfast is much more difficult (painful) than after eating fresh fruit and whole grains for breakfast.
My newest try from http://ohsheglows.com/ is her Creamy Avocado Pasta. Delicious... and it pairs beautifully with a glass of wine... divine for date night on the patio!
I have been nicknamed Psycho Mom by my husband and kids, which, strangely enough I take as a compliment. They think I'm crazy for running in bad weather, early in the morning, or while vacationing at a campground... I have another name for it, determination!
I really feel I am setting an example for the girls... while doing something for myself!

Guilty feelings please be gone

I am hoping that putting my guilty feelings in writing will make them disappear like magic...
One thing I just haven't figured out yet is how to not feel guilty about working when the girls are home. Summer vacation is winding down and I feel as if I didn't do enough laughing, didn't have enough patience, didn't have enough time to enjoy it with them. This is not me feeling sorry for myself,this is me feeling guilty.
Time.
That is what I need.
Time.
This week, I came across an article which mentioned that giving just 15 minutes, that is 15 actual minutes of undivided attention to your child can make a world of difference. Sounds simple right? But it's the undivided attention part that I must work on.
Don't get me wrong,I am with the girls all the time, but I always feel like I am rushing them or that I am thinking of the never-ending to-do list which haunts me day and night.
What if this 15-minute thing is the magic I've been searching for? Heck, it's definitely worth a try right?
I'll keep you posted.