Time Out - That means you Mom!

I am crabby.  Not just the normal crabby, but really over the wall pain in the ass C-R-A-B-B-Y.  So crabby in fact that when I didn't get my lunch on time I started to cry!  Okay, so maybe it is more than crabby...

Anyways, nothing went right for me on Monday... I over slept, couldn't find the shirt I wanted to wear.  forgot my lunch at home, left my cash in my other pants, and that was all BEFORE I got to work.

And they day just kept going down hill.

So by the time I got home last night, I wasn't a very happy person and my patience for everything was GONE!  But, none the less, grocery shopping we must go!  I HATE grocery shopping on a normal day.  The people with the carts that take up the ENTIRE AISLE and are oblivious to anyone else needing or wanting to get by is enough to ruin an awesome day.  So, you can just imagine how "pleasant" I was upon leaving Costco.

By the time we completed our task, and returned home I had pretty much upset everyone in the family.  At which point my husband sent me to time out.  Yes, Mom's get time outs too.  He said, "I think you just need some time to yourself."

50 hours a week I leave my daugther in someone else's care, and now when I am not working I want someone else to watch her?  How does that make me a good parent? 

I struggle with the need to have my own time versus capitalizing on the little time I have to spend with my family.  It is a constant battle that I am not sure I can ever win.

But all in all, I need my time.  During my time out, I did some "Candle Light Yoga."  And after that 45 min to myself I felt much better.  I may never get rid of the guilt of spending time away from my role as "MOM".  But I will be thankful for the wonderful husband I have who will always acknowlege when I am feelling overwhelmed and put me in Time Out.

My daughter, the super hero.

A couple days ago I went on a walk with a couple of co-workers.  As we were walking, my co-worker told us a very sad story. 

            Her niece and family (including a 2 year old little girl) were moving from out east back to Minnesota.  With the car and trailer loaded up with all of their belongings they headed out.  When they reached Indianapolis, they stopped for the night to sleep. 

            When they got up in the morning to get back on the road, the car, trailing and everything in it were GONE!   They literally had only the clothes on their back!  Everything they had was gone!  I can not imagine having a 2 year old, no clothes, no toys, no books!

            Broke my heart!  I thought of all the toys my daughter has at home that she never plays with and all the clothes that she has outgrown that I keep “just in case”.

            So that night, while telling my husband this sad story, our 4 year old came running into the room.  “Mommy,” She says, “I know what they need!  They need a super hero!”

I said, “Yes honey, I suppose a super hero would be really nice for them.”

“Well, Mom.” She says, “I am a super hero! And I know just what to do.”

And she proceeded to go through her room and pick out some things for this little girl. 

I said, “Elyzabeth, are you sure?  You will not get these back.”

“Yes Mom.  I have a lot of toys.  And ever kid needs a Pooh Bear.”

Thanks Dave Ramsey, I get to buy a pig!

Over the past 6 months our family has been working through the “DAVE RAMSEY”
Financial Peace University program. At first, both my husband and I were skeptical.
Really, a 13 week course will change our lives? Whatever you say…
Basically, I was super surprised! I already knew I was a complete idiot about
money. What I didn’t know, is that it was easy to learn how to manage my/our money
better. Our biggest problem was Christmas, and summertime.
Christmas, well because it’s Christmas and who doesn’t love spending money at
Christmas. And the summers, when my stepdaughter is here we want to do
EVERYTHING.
So through this class, we learned how to budget our money. Dave Ramsey
stresses using an “ENVELOPE” system. So, each paycheck is divided up into envelopes.
An envelope for each expense, mortgage, eating out, gas, daycare, ect. And that is what
the money is used for and nothing else. So when the eating out envelope is empty.. .you
better find something at home to eat. Great concept, but I was still a bit skeptical.
The idea of keeping envelopes of CASH around made me a little jumpy. So, we
signed up for online software called MVELOPES. Basically the same concept, only
this is computerized. It works with our bank account and helps us assign our debit card
transactions to the appropriate envelope. Making it even easier to follow the budge plan..
There is an app for that!
So now, we are already putting money aside for Christmas shopping, and our
summer is already budgeted out. And we aren’t really cutting back on the fun… we just
are making sure we have the money for the fun.
Other than “holiday expenses” - One of the biggest struggles for me as a working mom,
is meal time. If I don’t plan ahead we end up with one of 2 options. Ordering in pizza,
or going to the grocery store every night. And that gets very expensive and very very
hard to budget. So the easiest way to save money… budget (duh) .. and the best way to
prevent me from grocery shopping every day is to buy in bulk!
So, when my good friend told me they were looking for someone to buy half a
pig, I was like… TOTALLY! I LOVE BUYING FARM ANIMALS.
So as I look at our budget I see that by August, we will definitely have enough
money saved up for the purchase of a pig. – Well, actually half a pig. With the money it
will save on grocery bills, I am super excited.
So, Thanks to Dave Ramsey, I get to buy a pig!

I love my husband, but we are no longer speaking.

My husband and I, like 90% of the population are on a constant battle with our weight.  About a month ago he joined Medifast.  So, 23 lbs later, he is feeling great.  He gets up every morning at 5am and goes to the gym.  And so now, he thinks he can convince me to join him.
     The conversation goes something like this, "Just do it for a week," he says, "You will feel better."  

   REALLY? I have a hard enough time getting up at 6:30 to go to work, forget the gym!  But none the less, he has been relentless.  And this morning, I dragged my sorry arse out of bed at 4:55 am to go to the gym.  I was crabby, tired and well...crabby!  Everything he said and did this morning got a rude comment followed by a glare that I am extremely famous for.  And yet the entire time, he just took it in stride.  Never commented, or scolded me.  He just let me be. 

But I was crabby at him all day! So after work we rushed to a pampered chef party, and didn't get home until 9:30.   And I had only just started to speak to Josh again by the time we got home.

But now, at 10:38pm I am not sure how tomorrow will go.   The work out felt GREAT!  And all in all I had a great day - and was mostly just holding a grudge against my husband. 

But I must give my husband a huge hand.  Not only has he been getting up to work out everymorning.  He has also dealt with my crabby butt as well. 

So, maybe tomorrow I will go to the gym.  Maybe not (I am leaning more to the NOT.)  But one thing I am sure of, is that I love my amazing and patient husband.

So it begins…

Our family marks the arrival of summer by the arrival of Courtney.  During the School year Courtney lives in Florida with her mom. 

But every June, as everyone else is celebrating the end of another school year, we are preparing for Courtney’s long awaited arrival.

            It begins with getting her room ready.  Even though I vow every year to keep her room “sacred” and set aside just for her.  It never fails, the night before her arrival we are quickly removing the “stuff” that has accumulated through out the previous year.  So, we spent last night re-packing the Christmas boxes I have been too lazy to take to the basement, boxing up the clothes that never made it to good will when I decided they look horrible on me, and returning Elyzabeth’s “lost” toys back to her toy box.

            As we all look forward to seeing her, I always feel a bit apprehensive.  We are sooo busy when she gets here.  I close my eyes and it is August 1^st as we stand at the airport and say good bye for another year. I don’t think it will ever get any easier, and I am not sure I really want it to be easy.

But tonight it begins.  And I will try to keep the thoughts of the end from my mind for at least a few weeks.

But here is how it really begins, the chaos that we know of as SUMMER!

This morning, we quickly got Elyzabeth ready, dropped her off at Daycare and headed into work.  Courtney flies in at 5:30pm, my husband will be taking the light rail to the Airport to wait for her, then head to the Mall of America for some “quality” time.

            The reunion is always amazing.  Elyzabeth and Courtney are super amazing sisters.  This summer is going to be amazing!

This is my Story:

I am in my mid thirties.  Mother of a beautiful little girl (4) and my amazing 16 year old stepdaughter. My husband and I have been married for almost 7 wonderful years. 

My husband and I both work full time. Between working, laundry, cooking, cleaning, yard work, after school activities, church and anything else that comes up … I am exhausted.

How do you find the balance?  How do you spend your week doing what needs to get done and yet find time to enjoy just “Being” with each other?  Should I let the dishes wait?  Should I stop watering the yard and hope it withers and dies?  Oh, and don’t forget to eat right and exercise?  

This, this is my story.  The story of my struggles and my success.  The story of my failures.