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.

To camp and back

Sunday morning, I was up bright and early. I had prepared myself to send biggirl off to gymnastics camp for months and the day had come! After much frustration, her (5 ton) suitcase was packed and her list had been checked, rechecked, and overchecked!

It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get there. We were given the chance to take a look around and meet the coaches and staff. Everything looked fantastic, especially biggirl's smile when she spotted her BFF, the one for whom she had frantically reserved the bunk above hers.

Finally, after a long presentation proving to all parents that the camp was beyond doubt worthy and capable of taking care of their offspring for a whole week, we were given 10 minutes to say our goodbyes. I had been warned: she did not want me to cry when it was time to leave (who me?)... Thank God for my oversized sunglasses!

On the way home, we decided to take another route which included a ferry crossing. Of course, just as we reached the ferry, it was full. That meant waiting for the next ferry... I'm all for road trips, but I couldn't wait to get back home! Who would've thought that this would be a 10-hour day? Not me!

Anyways, when we finally did get home, I made babygirl (who came along for the ride) dinner and sat on the porch with her while she was eating...

Me: I am pooped!

Babygirl (puzzled yet attempting to pursue the conversation) stated: I peed when we got home.

At first, I didn't get it, but then I realized that she just didn't know what "pooped" means. I thought this was really cute. So now, babygirl has a new expression she can use whenever she gets sleepy, which is still around 7 p.m. every night!

Can't wait to see how pooped biggirl will be when she gets home!

Easy way to feel forever young

It probably has a whole lot to do with being a mom, and a little to do with the fact that I now work from home so the only driving I do is to the rink for skating, to gymnastics, or for local errands, but I've become a highly prudent (meaning much slower) driver over the last few years. The radio, which used to play the latest dance hits very loudly, is now turned off most of the time since there is always this little voice chatting me up from the back seat! There is however an exception to this cautious mommy driving and it surfaces in hot summer weather when the roof is off our Jeep. Then, it's just me, my shades, and the latest downloads on my forever young husband's playlists (lucky for me, he has a knack for picking cool car music). For some reason, having the wind in my hair makes me forget about everything and look forward to picking the girls up here and there. I just slap on some sunscreen (fair skin and the top off don't mix that well) and hit the road... it almost makes me wish we lived in a bigger city so the ride would last longer aha!