How do I find more time in the day? I feel like I have something to do every waking minute of my life. While I love my life, I would really like some extra time to get things done. I feel like I can never dig myself out of the hole of things I need to do. The last few weeks have been particularly busy with vacations and school and baseball. One week we had something to do for every single night for a week straight. We had no time to even sit down for dinner as a family. As soon as school is over I will be working and I do not think things will slow down then. I am trying to get myself to just be okay with never having EVERYTHING done at one time. I guess it is a journey, right...not just a destination?!?!
I typed this up really quickly as my handouts for my project tonight are printing...and now they are done, so, time to move on :)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Nervous mommy!
So, I took Carter to the third Dr. today to find out what this weird growth is on his head. Again, he had never seen anything quite like it. In fact, his reponse was, "interesting." I really wanted to walk in there and hear, "Oh, yeah, we see this all the time, it's nothing to worry about." He did say he did not think it was anything to worry about, but wants to remove it just to be sure. So, the surgery may be as early as tomorrow...I know I am going to be super nervous when I take him in to be put under anesthesia!
On a positive not, I once again got compliments about how well behaved my kids were at Kaiser today. A couple of weeks ago I took Kenzi to get her thumb x-rayed and ended up sitting in Radiology for about 45 minutes. The kids were so amazing and well behaved. I got a few compliments that day too. As a parent, I think that is one of the best compliments I can get. It makes me so proud when they are polite and follow directions! I think there are a lot of parents out there now-a-days with out-of-control kids that people are so amazed when my kids are so well behaved! Believe me, they are not always angels, they are just really good at making people think so :)
So tomorrow I may take one of my well behaved little angels into surgery...wish me luck!
On a positive not, I once again got compliments about how well behaved my kids were at Kaiser today. A couple of weeks ago I took Kenzi to get her thumb x-rayed and ended up sitting in Radiology for about 45 minutes. The kids were so amazing and well behaved. I got a few compliments that day too. As a parent, I think that is one of the best compliments I can get. It makes me so proud when they are polite and follow directions! I think there are a lot of parents out there now-a-days with out-of-control kids that people are so amazed when my kids are so well behaved! Believe me, they are not always angels, they are just really good at making people think so :)
So tomorrow I may take one of my well behaved little angels into surgery...wish me luck!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sick day
Carter stayed home from school sick today. That means I have been in my jammies all day doing odds and ends. Let me tell you, you can add as many odds as you want together, they never make a whole! I always think I will get a ton of stuff done on days like these, but, I end up doing a whole lot of nothing. Not one thing gets all the way accomplished. As I have mentioned previously, I think I have adult ADD, the inability to focus on one task. Today I: started a load of laundry, started organizing pictures for my scrapbooking marathon on Saturday, did the dishes (of course this is NEVER all the way done), did a pilates DVD (actually finished this task, but barely made it as the baby woke up right at the end), made the jello to make jello jigglers for the kids, started to put away the laundry that has been sitting in a basket in our room all week (I have started this many times this week), started reading with Carter to finish his reading log (just a couple more chapters and we are there), started my final project for the class I am in this session, started looking at recipes for next weeks St. Patrick's Day dinner... I started a lot today! I think the point is, I will never be finished with anything. Life is a journey, not a destination, right?!?! I would like to finish things once and awhile though...
Monday, March 8, 2010
What a difference a day makes
As beautiful as it was yesterday, it is that cold and gloomy today. This weather is mother nature's reminder to all of us that life can change daily. You never know what tomorrow will hold, so live today with joy and love! I know, cliche, but oh so true...
I love running! I actually crave it, I think I am obsessed. This morning, as most mornings are, was stressful. Getting all three kids fed, dressed and out the door seems like a monumental task, one I must conquer every single day! After finally getting Carter off to school and driving to the gym, I could not wait to get on the treadmill and run as fast as I could. Now, I feel so relaxed and my mind so much clearer. I wish I could take back the mean, stressed out mom I was this morning and replace her with the post-run, calm, collected mom. Maybe tomorrow morning I can remember the post-run clarity and get through the morning a little less stressed!
I love running! I actually crave it, I think I am obsessed. This morning, as most mornings are, was stressful. Getting all three kids fed, dressed and out the door seems like a monumental task, one I must conquer every single day! After finally getting Carter off to school and driving to the gym, I could not wait to get on the treadmill and run as fast as I could. Now, I feel so relaxed and my mind so much clearer. I wish I could take back the mean, stressed out mom I was this morning and replace her with the post-run, calm, collected mom. Maybe tomorrow morning I can remember the post-run clarity and get through the morning a little less stressed!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
What a beautiful day!
I am sitting outside watching my three little angels play in the backyard. I love it when the three of them can play together without screaming and fighting. Why does it take the sun to make my kids be civil to one another? The weather really does make me a happier person, so I guess I see where they are coming from.
Carter started little league practices this weekend. He is on the Angels (notice the hat in the picture). I think this is a very fitting name for my little guys baseball team as he is my little Angel (at least about 30% of the time). Nate is the coach which makes it extra fun to watch. What a great weekend, baseball and sun...spring is indeed in the air!
I have two vegetarian recipes picked out to try this week, stay tuned for reviews!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Healthy(ish) meal #1
So, I have made this before, but it is so good I am using it as the first healthy(ish) recipe I am writing about. I made these Asian Lettuce Wraps from Allrecipes.com. I love that site. Whenever I am in the mood to try something I log on and find a great recipe. My husband is gluten intolerant so this is a good meal for him. First of all, I used ground turkey instead of beef to cut some fat. I also added a packet of frozen organic brown rice from Trader Joe's to make the meal a little more hearty. They were delicious. The kids even loved them!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Laundry
This morning in bed I was contemplating the enormous task looming over my head for today...laundry! It's not like I have not done plenty of laundry this week, it's a constant battle. I broke done the process into these 10 simple steps:
1. Gather laundry (includes gym clothes, work clothes, play clothes, pajamas, underwear, socks, towels, wash clothes, etc...from 5 people) from all three bedrooms.
2. Sort on my bathroom floor.
3. Lug one basket at a time down the stairs (praises to home builders who went the extra mile to put the laundry upstairs...ours apparently didn't think of this!).
4. Start the washer, add soap and dirty laundry.
5. 45 minutes later, take the clothes out of the washer and put in the dryer.
6. Another 45 minutes later take the clothes out of the dryer and take to the couch to fold.
7. Fold all clothes, towels, sort socks (carefully deciding which ones belong to whom), set aside clothes to hang in all three different closets.
8. Place clean clothes back in the laundry basket and lug back up the stairs (why oh why is our washer and dryer not upstairs?).
9. Sort and put away everything in all three bedrooms.
10. Hang all hanging clothes in appropriate closets.
*Repeat above 10 steps about 10 times per week.
When you looking at laundry as the daunting task that it really is, you can appreciate why most women have precious little free time to do anything else, like cooking, cleaning bathrooms, dressing, undressing, feeding, bathing and hopefully occasionally loving their children!
This is why we need to take a step back and focus on the specific task at hand. Life should be lived taking baby steps. Right now I am just thinking about going upstairs and collecting one load of dark clothes. If I thought about the 9 other steps involved in that job I would probably just give up right now! Just don't forget to make time for the really important steps, like snuggling your kids on your lap and reading them a book. This step often gets lost in the constant footrace of life! Take each step in your race carefully and with love.
1. Gather laundry (includes gym clothes, work clothes, play clothes, pajamas, underwear, socks, towels, wash clothes, etc...from 5 people) from all three bedrooms.
2. Sort on my bathroom floor.
3. Lug one basket at a time down the stairs (praises to home builders who went the extra mile to put the laundry upstairs...ours apparently didn't think of this!).
4. Start the washer, add soap and dirty laundry.
5. 45 minutes later, take the clothes out of the washer and put in the dryer.
6. Another 45 minutes later take the clothes out of the dryer and take to the couch to fold.
7. Fold all clothes, towels, sort socks (carefully deciding which ones belong to whom), set aside clothes to hang in all three different closets.
8. Place clean clothes back in the laundry basket and lug back up the stairs (why oh why is our washer and dryer not upstairs?).
9. Sort and put away everything in all three bedrooms.
10. Hang all hanging clothes in appropriate closets.
*Repeat above 10 steps about 10 times per week.
When you looking at laundry as the daunting task that it really is, you can appreciate why most women have precious little free time to do anything else, like cooking, cleaning bathrooms, dressing, undressing, feeding, bathing and hopefully occasionally loving their children!
This is why we need to take a step back and focus on the specific task at hand. Life should be lived taking baby steps. Right now I am just thinking about going upstairs and collecting one load of dark clothes. If I thought about the 9 other steps involved in that job I would probably just give up right now! Just don't forget to make time for the really important steps, like snuggling your kids on your lap and reading them a book. This step often gets lost in the constant footrace of life! Take each step in your race carefully and with love.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Art of Healthy(ish) cooking
I recently watched "Julie and Julia" for the first time. I think the idea of committing to cook my way through an entire cookbook and blog about it sounds fabulous. I just have three things holding me back from making that commitment. Their names are Carter, Maddi, and Kenzi! Like Julie in the movie, I am also approaching my 30th birthday (I still have 10 months and 2 days!). This movie prompted me to think of something meaningful I can commit to that will help me bring in a new decade in style.
I have done 3 half marathons now and would love to commit to a full before my 30th birthday. 26.2 miles sounds like a great way to prove to myself that 30 is not so old! Thats the first goal I have to accomplish in the next 10 months.
I really like the idea of trying new recipes in the kitchen, however, I do not want to gain 10 pounds before the big birthday comes. I work too hard training for marathons to eat a pound of butter a day (like Julie in the movie seemed to)! So, my goal is to experiment with more healthy cooking. I have thought about going vegetarian, cutting out all sweets, lowering my carbs, blah, blah, blah. But, when it comes down to it, I do not have the will power to make changes that are too drastic. Nor do I have the time or money to travel to specialty grocery stores to buy a bunch of crazy ingredients. Trader Joes is my idea of specialty. So, I am setting a reasonable goal: try one new healthy recipe each week for the rest of the year. I will try to post the recipes and results...that may be slightly harder to accomplish than actually cooking them! I will call it, The Art of Healthy(ish) Cooking! Goal # 2 set!
Goal # 3 is to stick with the goals I have set. This is something I am still learning how to do. I am very ADD. I love to try new things and start new projects, but I loose interest easily unless I am being held accountable by someone. I am NOT good at being my own boss. Maybe I will be enlightened in my 30's??
I have done 3 half marathons now and would love to commit to a full before my 30th birthday. 26.2 miles sounds like a great way to prove to myself that 30 is not so old! Thats the first goal I have to accomplish in the next 10 months.
I really like the idea of trying new recipes in the kitchen, however, I do not want to gain 10 pounds before the big birthday comes. I work too hard training for marathons to eat a pound of butter a day (like Julie in the movie seemed to)! So, my goal is to experiment with more healthy cooking. I have thought about going vegetarian, cutting out all sweets, lowering my carbs, blah, blah, blah. But, when it comes down to it, I do not have the will power to make changes that are too drastic. Nor do I have the time or money to travel to specialty grocery stores to buy a bunch of crazy ingredients. Trader Joes is my idea of specialty. So, I am setting a reasonable goal: try one new healthy recipe each week for the rest of the year. I will try to post the recipes and results...that may be slightly harder to accomplish than actually cooking them! I will call it, The Art of Healthy(ish) Cooking! Goal # 2 set!
Goal # 3 is to stick with the goals I have set. This is something I am still learning how to do. I am very ADD. I love to try new things and start new projects, but I loose interest easily unless I am being held accountable by someone. I am NOT good at being my own boss. Maybe I will be enlightened in my 30's??
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
What I am too chicken to say on Facebook!
I need somewhere to vent my frustration with people without actually attacking them directly. I like having friends…even if they have very different political opinions than my own. One of my friends posted on facebook how she was upset because her son said President Obama was his idol. The comments that followed talk about the demacrats and their “economic redistribution.” One poster wrote:
“Drive him to the North Highlands and tell him that this is where the current administration will give all of Mommy and Daddy's money, then we will have to live here to. Then make him get out of the car and pretend to drive away. That oughta do it.”
This is the response I was too chicken to give:
"I think taking your kids to North Highlands to see were all of your money is going is a great idea. Those human beings live a pretty cush life with their shiney public schools and well maintained streets and beautiful public parks! Then, you can take them to their new, state-of-the art public school in EDH and explain to them that the money to fund their school (and brand new local public park and perfectly maintained streets) just falls from thin air. Besides, they deserve it more than those kids in North Highlands anyway!"
I am not claiming that Barack Obama has been our savior (at least not yet, some of us still have a little hope!). I do not even claim to follow it (politics) all very closely. To tell you the truth the whole situation with the constant fighting between parties just frustrates me. I have too many other things in my life to worry about (like the three year old who just woke up from nap and is4 crying on my lap!). Someday I hope I can take action on all of my very strong political opinions and not be too chicken to state what I believe.
“Drive him to the North Highlands and tell him that this is where the current administration will give all of Mommy and Daddy's money, then we will have to live here to. Then make him get out of the car and pretend to drive away. That oughta do it.”
This is the response I was too chicken to give:
"I think taking your kids to North Highlands to see were all of your money is going is a great idea. Those human beings live a pretty cush life with their shiney public schools and well maintained streets and beautiful public parks! Then, you can take them to their new, state-of-the art public school in EDH and explain to them that the money to fund their school (and brand new local public park and perfectly maintained streets) just falls from thin air. Besides, they deserve it more than those kids in North Highlands anyway!"
I am not claiming that Barack Obama has been our savior (at least not yet, some of us still have a little hope!). I do not even claim to follow it (politics) all very closely. To tell you the truth the whole situation with the constant fighting between parties just frustrates me. I have too many other things in my life to worry about (like the three year old who just woke up from nap and is4 crying on my lap!). Someday I hope I can take action on all of my very strong political opinions and not be too chicken to state what I believe.
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