Frivolous Indecision

Current Mood: Cool

Let me first say I am more than likely not going to bore the 2 people that come to my blog with weekly updates of my latest ambition to be more organized this school year. But I do have to report on my progress….one week in, you know things are just starting to get interesting. LOL I think we have a pretty good handle on activities…so far. But Jo’s dance classes haven’t started yet nor have the piano lessons. I’ll probably want to curl up into the fetal position in my closet once i get those going. EEP! But the after school is going pretty good. I am trying to keep them on schedule but there have been a few days it just seems like there is NO time at all. Some days Jo has karate at 4pm. That means she goes straight from school to the studio. I still have to remember to have her take her karate clothes with her. That’s an issue right now. Mine, not hers. Then cubs started this week. Since I don’t have Jo doing anything on Tuesday except for her dance lessons I think this will be less hectic once we get that day down. The real wrench-in-the-engine is the fact that Mallea is in a play this year. Last year she wanted to be in it, but being at the junior high where information wasn’t always “right there” she just didn’t get it. This year, however….this is going to be interest. Partly because the teacher in charge is a little agro (read: pretty intense) about her show. Not that it shouldn’t be done well but…well, last year when Mallea missed a couple of rehearsals because of vacation she was bumped. And we never really got all the rehearsal information at the beginning. Weird. I mean I “get” that the kids need to be responsible for communication and making the effort to be there but we are talking about a kid with Asperger’s who can barely remember to wash her hair when she is IN the shower, let alone all the different times they practice and exactly when she should and should not be there. I think, however, this year she will be able to be there when they need her and she can perform. She is in the chorus but she is excited none-the-less. I am so not a “stage mom” that while I am excited for her…yeah…not really into it. Oh well, it is something she really wants to do, so I can get on bored…wait, I think that was a Freudian slip. Anyway, what is extra fun about all these rehearsals is that they aren’t at the same time every day. And, some days the chorus is needed and some days they aren’t. This ought to be interesting trying to stay one step ahead of what is expected of her. And, the feeling I get from the teacher in charge is that it really isn’t something she feels she should have to alert us for. Okay, but if she misses it will kind of frustrate me. Well, this is turning into a beef about this whole situation which is not really what this is about…I don’t think anyway. lol

So now, we missed on karate lesson but the reading and homework is getting done. Horray for us! LOL But next week is a whole new ball game because I leave for a cruise and then we have a week to get ready for our family vacation to Orlando. Now I have to be all proactive AND organized. This should be fun! BAH!

Gratitude: 1. Early morning workouts with my friend! 2. my miche bags…both of them…they make me smile. 3. calm days 4. my food journal 5. gala apples – they are yummy.

picture this!

AYE Matey!

Sing Along!

Current Mood: Esctatic

Haha. No really I WON a contest! Check it out HERE!!!! Oh and check out Anne Bradshaw. I love her writing.

Current Mood: Esctatic

I love Anne Bradshaw’s blog posts and entries that I see on Facebook. This week she is having a wonderful give away. You definitely need to go check it out!

Current Mood: Happy

Part of my “beginning of school and I want to do things and expand myself” motivation has been on reading. I used to be an AVID reader. I LOVED it. I would get engrossed in the story and I would enjoy every second of it. I mean, come on, I have read Pride and Prejudice at least a dozen times in the last 20 years. Sounds pretty bad, I know. Anyway, a while back I asked via my facebook page some recommendations from my friends there. I got a plethora of suggestions. I promptly took myself to Amazon.com and bought about 12 books. TWELVE! And if I were ambitious enough I was at Target the other day (I am NEVER at Target people – it isn’t that I don’t like the place, I just don’t find myself needing to go there) and bought another two books. So here I sit with literally a mountain of books and the pressure to get them all read. Not, like, TODAY mind you, but they are all sitting on my dresser begging to be read. Reading more books and branching out from my usual reading favorites will be a fun journey, I think. Or, I will be obsessed with reading and never pay attention to my kids. Either way, it’s got to be an avenue of relaxation and decompressing from the stress of life, right? Haha.

There are more things that I want to do or do again but I have to take this one step at a time. Not to mention I need to actually decorate my library (read: formal dining room) get some good furniture and move the piano. This is a definite goal for this fall.

So…a little gratitude: 1. books 2. home grown tomatoes 3. warm pool water 4. soft cool breezes 5. my sun catchers

A picture:

Baobob Tree

And some music:

Current Mood: Happy

The kids started school this week. Well, the three did. Payne doesn’t go back till Monday which has rendered me a recluse at home. You would think with not being able to go anywhere till 2:30 I would have been more into blogging and getting things done around the house. Well, I kind of was. But I have also been focusing on getting organized. Now I know it really isn’t THAT big of a deal to be organized and for the most part I have been able to keep up on things that need to be done and events coming up in my head which has been enough to keep us moving fairly accurately, until this year. This is THE year. The year when my kids are in multiple activities. The year where the need for a family calendar for everyone to see is more important since there are many events which happen at the same time. The year where we are going to have to get creative to let the kids do what they want to do and still have care or “coverage” for Payne. I always knew this year would come. I actually tried to delay it a bit. But here we are…that next phase. I do have to say I am grateful that they are all in that phase together rather than being split half and half. I think I would go insane if that were the case. However, we still kind of have that to deal with since we have Payne. On top of that I have been dealing with something that has decided to invade my energy levels and suck them dry. But I think I am on the mend. At least, I am confident that today will be better. So the kids have started the year with a bang…or at least a shout and I am so happy and excited that they are happy and excited. I know I hear from many mothers who lament and hate the beginning of school. Something about them not wanting their kids to leave. Or missing them so much. Or how they don’t want them to grow up. Is it bad that I love these milestones? Is it bad that I love to see them embrace a new stage of their life? I don’t know. Maybe.

So I have relented and let the kids do more this year. They want to do more and their interests are starting to broaden and I want to help foster that. So we have 2 dance classes, karate, school play, Jiu Jitsu, scouts, church, and that is just for right now. Yikes! How did I ever get myself into this? My life saver has been the google calendar. I can sync it to my phone and visa versa. EVERYTHING shows up and I have email alerts that go to Graigg as well. Not that he actually READS them but, hey, they are there! LOL My goal this year is to be able to find that balance so we can still get in those things that we need to do on top of letting the kids do some things that they want to do. Add in church obligations and it will be quite the test. We will see. I have also been branching out myself and have a few other personal goals on the horizon. Hopefully, I will be able to accomplish a few of them before the end of the year.

So a couple of pictures….

Frik and Frak - first day of school

The Sophmore!

…And some gratitude… 1. electricity 2. a good book, in the sunshine, on my chair looking out at my backyard. 3. school 4. sharpies 5. indestructible CPUs.

…And, of course, some music….I just love this arrangement. =)

Yesterday we had some good friends over. This meant that we had to get the house cleaned up and looking presentable before they came over. The advantage? I haven’t had to clean anything up all day and we have a small party tonight! Yay! I got to relax today. Like REALLY R E L A X! I found some old friends and their blogs which made me extra happy! It is deathly hot today. Like saptheenergyrightouttayou hot. G took the kids school shopping today. Not really for much more than school supplies. We have never been a “buy all new clothes” for school kind of family. Mainly because school starts in August here and they still wear shorts and capris till October. So we have a bazillion pens, pencils, markers, spiral notebooks, glue sticks, etc. Haha.

And now a picture…

A thrill

Some Gratitude…. 1. helpful, hard-working children 2. quiet home. 3. pedicures 4. new purses 5. husbands who like to shop. LOL

And now a song…

Okay so every morning at 6 I am at the gym on my treadmill. I am kind of a creature of habit. I walk in with my water, keys, my ipod and my cell….well, and lately a jacket has been in the mix as well. I walk over to the 3rd treadmill from the window. Why? Because that is the only treadmill that has closed caption active on the TV. This way I can listen to my ipod and watch Fox and Friends. I kind of like them that early. They are goofy and funny and don’t take themselves too seriously. I didn’t like the blond at first but she is starting to grow on me. She still takes herself too seriously from time to time…but I digress.

One of the reasons why I like this show is because they frequently have Glen Beck and Dave Ramsey on. Glen is just so funny and his wit is wonderfully quick!

So, back to why I am excited.

But no! The excitement doesn’t end there!!! Guess who his first guest is going to be!!!

So set your TV’s boys and girls! This is gonna be GOOD!

THis is so cute…

My wonderful sister, Carol, posted about her betty. She is starting this health train wreck. I mean weekly post. I must say that I have been a little motivated since I actually lost weight during the month of December. Isn’t that like impossible? I actually measured myself as well this morning for the first time in over a month. I was a little disappointed that it was only 4 inches total. But between Carol and my trainer I am motivated and I really want to get into better shape this year. He is suggesting I maybe do a half marathon. I’m not sure. I do know that Disneyland is doing a half marathon in Sept. Maybe I can work up to that! You see, I don’t run. I can walk, but I just can’t run. It hurts my knees and “other” parts as well. Running has never been something I have enjoyed even a little. I do like to walk and I can power walk like crazy. haha.

My first goal is to loose 10 pounds by then end of January. I have to do this by first bumping up my cardio to at least a full hour and change my eating. I have done this before and I can do it again. I’m just rather upset that I didn’t stay on this before. Ugh!

Anyway, so I am trying to decide whether to post privately, create a blog just for my workouts and healthier choices. I’m not quite sure which I want to do. I guess if you don’t see anything here you will know I took it elsewhere.

Anyway, thank you to Carol for getting me excited about my motivation! Thanks!!!

Okay I couldn’t help it…I thought this was funny.

Some of the best things ever are things that help me keep my house clean. Of course, all of us who try to balance home, work, and family are constantly trying to find an easier, less time consuming way of keeping things in order. And even when I didn’t have work in the mix I was always on the look out. So, I thought I would share two things which save me in keeping up on my home. Until I get one of those houses that clean themselves, children who clean because they think it is fun, or can justify having a weekly house cleaner; it’s me and boy do I need all the help I can get!

The first cleaner love I have is this:

Now I do have the regular oil soap so I can mix and dust but this is the BEST thing when I mop. I use it on both my tile and wood floors and I like how it cleans, how it gentle it is, and how is smells. I love murphy. He is good to my wood and to me.

The next best thing is this: I guess I share Ali’s love of bald men…haha…only she takes it a step further than I.

This little guy is a wonderful asset to my cleaning supplies. He cleans my glass shower doors like nobody’s business! Before I shut off the water I get him wet, ring him out and then wipe down the glass and the tile. Then I turn the water off and wipe down with whatever damp towel is due to go into the laundry next. I have no soap scum issues. NONE! And I get it done just a few minutes and I don’t have to worry about. I also use him in my tub after the tub is still went from a bath (anyone’s really) I wipe down the tub and voila! No more soap scum! I have to admit I also wipe out my sinks almost daily since every seems to want to brush their teeth in my sink.

I am sure someday my kids or I will have some disease from using these cleaning products but for now at least I can keep up on some necessary cleaning in a time frame that is realistic to my life right now.

So for me…they are the best thing ever!

Haha:

Current Mood:

Some of you know I have a sort of love for the Chinese People. while I have never been able to serve a mission foreign or abroad I have always loved reading stories of those across the world and what they have had to endure or what they have experienced. For some reason stories of trials and victories have always touched me deep within my soul.

I have watched with anticipation and excitement for the Olympics this summer. More so than Athens, Barcelona or even back when it was in Atlanta. Not because I did not care but because, I think, I have seen and been touched by the Chinese. I have watched my parents as they have tirelessly served in a visionary program to help relations between East and West. I have heard of their stories and the stories of their students (which they really need to chronicle somehow – like maybe on their blog!!) for others to see just how gentle and giving the Chinese people are. When we see the political aspect we miss those who live in that vast nation. A nation that endured invasion after invasion and finally just closed off probably due to fear of it happening again. A nation that swung that pendulum so far to the other end in order to protect itself and it’s boarders which is just now truly beginning to take bigger and bigger steps toward giving their people more freedoms. There is still a long way to go but I rejoice in my heart for the glory which is theirs for being able to host this international act of goodwill.

I was so greatly touched by the opening ceremony! I loved every minute of it! The creative performance and the ability to combine the rich and ancient history with the modern progressive ability. Maybe it is because I was able to wander the streets of Beijing for a short time that helped me connect to tenderly to the joy of the Chinese and the pride in their ability to host such a spectacular event.

I love their excitement to show the world how proud they are of their heritage. I love to see their dedication toward being the host they can to these Olympic games. I was a little nostalgic when I was watching the cycling events. Seeing them move up into Badaling, a beautiful area where I was able to go and walk on The Great Wall. My whole time in Beijing I was struck by the ancient feel that city had. I was struck by the bonds I saw between the citizens watching them play games in courtyards, flying kites in Tiananmen Square, jumping rope and other various activities in the evening at various gathering places. I was touched by the openness and the acceptance that was shown to me by those I was able to meet and get to know. I long to go back. And, hope maybe some day my travels will take me back there one day.

Here are a few photos I have uploaded and resized. I actually have many more I need to continue to add and make my memories a little more complete. For now, enjoy these few I have…

Through all the majesty of the opening ceremony nothing touched me more than to see this small boy walk along side a giant athlete and command more respect throughout the entire stadium than any dignitary foreign or domestic…

Click the picture for a small article on this amazing boy.

Well, I better wrap this up. I am watching with interest these wonderful games! I am excited at the prospect of doors this could open. What better way to bring this small world closer together…

One small portion of this wonderful opening ceremony…