Realizations

I'm camping out at my sister's for the week housesittting and its alloted me time to make some realizations

Some significant, some trivial.>

A few I'm not ready to reveal yet. There's a process behind them and a few things that need to happen first so I'll hold onto those.

Anywho, so my sister and her hubby are away for work, her kids are going on vacation with the grandparents and the landlord needs to start showing the house this week since they are closing on a home the 15th of next month. So they needed someone to watch the neurotic cat who would go crazy if boarded. By neurotic I mean he rips his fur out randomnly. In his defense he did survive her having 4 kids under the age of 5 - can you blame him?

So here I am with Jellybean. In a house that has been cleaned from top to bottom. With a pool. And only the two of us to cook and clean for. This house doesn't have the plethora of stuff our house does.

Which leads to realization #1

I have WAY TOO MUCH "stuff" in our house. It's time for a major purge and a yard sale. Toys, knick knacks, blankets, sheets, random things we've held onto just because. It's all that "stuff" that makes the house so hard to keep clean.

Jellybean has half the amount of toys here and he's just as happy. Maybe happier. So things are going to go. Quickly. Having less to do means more time for Jellybean. It also means less to do at night.

Last night once I got Jellybean to sleep I managed to prepare tonight's dinner and breakfast, pump breastmilk, color 4 bags of pasta for the busy bag exchange, eat a snack, read a few chapters of my book,wipe down the kitchen, take a bath AND shave and still was in bed by 10.

Once I get rid of all the stuff and get things organized I won't feel as stressed and can just maintain. Having all that done ahead of time meant that we woke up this morning, ate breakfast, ran to Target for shoes, (Jellybean has Godzilla feet. He's 30.5 inches tal yet wears a 5.5 shoe!), ran to the playground for a minute, got ice cream, came back, swam, ate lunch and we're 3 hours into a nap. Lunch was leftovers from yesterday so no cooking again and no stress.

In that time I swept and mopped, vacuumed, folded laundry, worked on busy bags some more and now I'm even blogging!

Realization #2 -

I don't hate my job as much as I use to. I'm still looking for something else but its bearable now. I think people finally respect me and understand how HARD my job really is. It only took a little over six years.

Realization #3 -

Hanging out with my bundle of energy is the best thing ever. He's a handful but soehow I've gotten use to it and it doesn't stress me out anymore! I can laugh about it and realize how lucky I am to have my little buddy. He really is all I need in this world!

So that's where I am from now. Kind of on a vacation and learning a few things about myself too. It's nice. So, someone hold me accountable to get that purging done - ok?

Empty Promises

Remember all my promises of blog posts, comments, etc once life calms down a bit?

 

Life hasn’t calmed down yet. (Empty Promises…)

 

Yesterday was the first weekend day I spent at home in three weeks. Yup, three weeks. I did stay home from work on Tuesday but I felt like death so that doesn’t count since I mainly slept. Thought I had an ear infection but the doctor says its TMJ pain so I’m ordered to chill out and keep my mouth shut basically. Go figure!

 

So needless to say yesterday was spent doing chores, then some more chores and then the glory of grocery shopping. Which I despise. Mainly because I hate how expensive it is to eat healthy. I meal plan and don’t pick up very many extras so the huge tab at the end of the trip really bites.

 

In between all that I was plucking Jellybean off the fireplace. Off the dining room chairs. Off toys he pushed over by the pantry and was balancing on while trying to get a cookie. Putting him in time out when he kept trying to get in the freezer to steal another ice pop. Yes, that’s my 18 month old. Who is way too smart for his own good.

 

I’m reading your blogs in Google Reader and occasionally even have a spare moment to comment on them.

 

What I don’t have? The time, energy or inspiration at the end of the day to say something witty here.

 

I have yet to upload pictures from all of our various adventures this summer. I have even failed to take pictures at a few of them. My goal has been to stay on top of things at home so I don’t feel quite so overwhelmed. I am being successful at that but sadly it comes at the expense of this blog. Once it’s back to just the three of us at home I will probably find time to visit here more often but until then you’ll get these sporadic posts from me.

 

Hopefully I’ll be back in the swing of things by August and annoying you with countless Jellybean stories. (Remind me to tell you about the pen in the AC when I get a chance!)

 

For now, so I don’t feel like a complete slacker – here’s my meal plan for this week!

 

Monday – Sloppy Joes w/Ground Chicken & Leftover Chicken and Dumplings

                     French Fries

                     Vegetable Blend – Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots

 

Tuesday – Grilled Pork Chops with Peaches and Red Onions (From $5 Dollar Dinners)

                       Brown Rice

                       Asparagus

 

Wednesday – Calzones

                                (Jellybean and I have mommy/playgroup so Joey is on his own making them)

 

Thursday – Chicken Cutlets

                       Mac N Cheese

                       Peas

 

Friday – Pizza Penne Bake (Also from $5 Dollar Dinners)

                  Broccoli

Saturday – Chicken Pot Pie

 

 

               

 

 

 

This is what happens

You see that HUGE gap since I posted last?

 

This is what happens when your step son comes down for the summer.

 

When your work load increase and you try to cram a year’s worth of activities into 5 weeks.

 

When you still have a ridiculously active toddler to take care of too.

 

We have been to the mall, to the children’s museum, and the aquarium. I owe you posts with pictures on those.

 

Something got in our chicken coop and killed all but one of our chickens. The dog got out. The neighbor who was caring for all of them was worried sick. Luckily the dog was with our other neighbor who saw him and took him in for the day. Where he had a ball playing with a miniature Chihuahua. Yup, my ferocious pitbull.

 

Cadillac still hates Chevy.

 

Jellybean had his 18 month well baby visit. He’s still tiny 30 inches and 20lbs 6.5 oz but growing well along HIS curve. Which the pediatrician noted would have been a normal child’s curve 30 years ago – before our country got obese and they adjusted the curves to account for that. Developmentally he is ahead an average of six months on milestones. His vocabulary is ridiculous – around 70 words already. He drinks out of a regular cup. Tries to actually play baseball. (No joke, I was holding a ball yesterday and he came up with a bat and repeatedly tried to hit it until he got it!) The pediatrician even commented on how smart he is. I’m proud. Really proud. Not that I made him this way – I just haven’t stopped him from trying.

 

One night, when I’m not too tired from laying down with the Jellybean and have all my chores done I will update everything else too. Then I’ll comment on all of your blogs rather than just reading them on my phone and intending to come back.

 

Wishing all of you a very happy 4^th of July in the meantime!