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Monday, May 18, 2015

Just Life on a Monday Morning

I am convinced that this blog got me through times when my brain was on overload--raising kids while going to school....Once I graduated, I found that I didn't need it that much. It was nice to have it to empty my brain a bit at times when it seemed to be overly full, but for the most part, life was pleasantly busy but not over the top.

Lately, I've been feeling the need to return. There are things to write and share and more than any of that, there are things I need to unload. I also need to feel some accountability, and that is for sure one of the major needs this blog has filled for me.

For today, I just need to dump a huge amount of debris from my brain. This will probably be a long post, and I really don't expect anyone to read it. This post will be just for me....To clear some much needed space.

I missed #2's email this morning. Typically, I've learned that he doesn't write until noon-ish, but this morning, I checked email at about 6:45, and he'd already written. DARN! I was supposed to sit down and write last night, but I took the risk that I had a good three hours this morning in which to write. He beat me to the punch, so I missed him already. The kids all wrote yesterday, so at least he had their words.


THINGS LEARNED RECENTLY:

  • When writing to my missionary, I always send him a "pictures of the week" email. I post many of the photos I've taken in the past week and attach captions to them to describe the week's activities. Makes writing so easy....Most of the explanation takes care of itself--"a picture paints a thousand words."
  • When you've got the finances all figured out, NEVER give that job away. 
  • Don't blog in a series---I'm just too darned random in my way of thinking. Blogging in a straight line is just too difficult. It'll keep a person like me from ever blogging again--too much pressure.


THINGS TO BLOG ABOUT:

  • Finish what I started with last year's Portland to Coast.
  • Finish the series on picking up missionaries.
  • Jamberry nails--love 'em.
  • Started WW again. I have less than 20 lbs to lose, but it HAD to be done.
  • Vitamins


THINGS ON MY MIND:

  • The girl stuck in Idaho with the broken down car....How wonderful not to worry about this young woman who knew how to work her way around a foreign country. She can definitely handle this. LOVE what the mission experience did for her and does for me on a daily basis with reassurance of her maturity level.
  • The young man in Texas who gets a new companion this week. His first was AWESOME! They had some very interesting experiences together. Makes me wonder what lies ahead. I'm really blown away by how hand-picked mission experiences seem to be for each young man/young woman.
  • Nursery toys that I'm working on shipping to the Philippines. Boxes are sitting in my family room. There are many, but there need to be more.
  • Christmas for missionaries is starting up....working on getting reps for each mission. Next will be a letter to the Mission Presidents to see who wants to participate.
  • Dying dryer, dying car, dying dishwasher. I've heard of this kind of stuff happening to others. No question we'll get through it, but I guess we can go back up to point #2 listed under the "Things Learned Recently" section.

WHAT'S COMING UP:
  • End of school. Always a busy time for our family because of my husband's job.
  • Jury duty. I've never had this opportunity. With so much going on, I really hope I don't make the cut, but if I do, I guess we just roll with it.
  • Taking #3 to Utah to live and work with her sister. Jury duty could really screw this one up.
  • A cruise to celebrate my parents-by-marriage's 50th anniversary. Never been on a cruise before--so EXCITED!
  • Christmas packages.

THINGS I WANT TO LEARN/DO:
  • How to have enough energy and not get overwhelmed by the upkeep of a house.
  • Plan summer.
  • Create a summertime menu so that things are easy, breezy.

The big thing I'm trying to wrap my brain around is that I'll be down to entertaining four kids this summer. FOUR! These four are easy....Anything makes them happy. They're all, for the most part, go with the flow. I guess that's what happens when you're used to being dragged around to older siblings' activities your entire life.

With issues I am currently dealing with and those I can see on the horizon, there are things I MUST implement into our summer plan. We HAVE to have reading and math practice. Chores are a VITAL part of this plan as well. I hate that it will probably mean that I'll be nagging and urging them throughout their "vacation" time, so I'm going to have to come up with some kind of system of consequences--If this, then this.


FOR TODAY:
#7 is home sick today. As soon as she threw up last night, she said, "Does this mean I get to stay home with you tomorrow?" When the answer was "yes," she cheered. I love having her here too, but for me, it means getting less done, and heaven knows that Monday morning seems to be when the pile up needs to be dealt with....Thus this blog post this morning, I guess--an attempt to clear up confusion about what takes top priority.

Life is funny....When #7 started kindergarten, I pictured that I'd have ALL of this wonderful free time to get everything done that had been growing on that list I'd been keeping for so many years. Two and a half hours just weren't enough to get much done--darned half-day kindergarten (full day kindy will start at my kids' school next year...figures). When #7 needed extra reading help, they increased her time by another hour and a half. She got the help she needed, and I got a little more time to conquer life--definitely a win-win. BUT as soon as she started this increased school time, #2 broke his ankle and needed surgery. He ended up on my couch for six weeks and lost his job. That kept him home until he left.

Since he's been gone, there has not been one day go by when one child or another hasn't said, "Mom, I'm sick" or had some excuse for staying home from school. Had I caved, I would've had a little (or big) buddy every single day since February 25th. I guess I'm just one of those people who is meant to have an unfinished list until the day she dies, but I will never be lonely.



I've got to get my house in order (an on-going battle). I'm going to set up a plan for the day. Laundry's gotta get done so I can get it to the laundromat to dry tomorrow. That's become part of my reality. My husband can fix the dryer, but well, it's May. His life is crazy busy. Do I dare fix it?...Umm....No. I haven't a CLUE what I'm doing. I really don't mind the laundromat either. Everything gets done in one trip. NICE!

I've got to sit down and write to #2, and there's an air shipment that I sent to the Philippines that has un-updated tracking....Frustrating. Of the hundreds of packages I've sent, every single one of them has made it. There are 11 packages that they say have made it to Manila, but the tracking remains the same. I just keep waiting and hoping for the tracking to change, but so far, no. Ugh! I don't want to give up hope....They WILL arrive. I'm sure of it. So, #1's going to get on the horn and call the Philippines for me today. I love it when she does it. When I do, they start rattling off in Tagalog, and I can catch an English word here and there, but otherwise, I'm completely lost.

Waiting to hear if #1's car is fixed so she can get back on the road. #3 leaves for California on Thursday for the school choir trip to Disneyland--so much has gone into this.

Okay, enough stalling....I'm off to get my house straightened up....Cleaning up the Sunday aftermath.


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