The week started with a glimmer of spring. Really it did. You wouldn't know it today, though. I sit here in my spot at Panera, overlooking snow covered grass, trees, and bushes. What happened to warm temperatures, bright blue skies, and the sound of children finally escaping the confinement of winter? Sadly, it's taken a break.
Last weekend we began our spring cleaning. I made a list of things to do and we got one room mostly done. We filed away the stacks of papers, sorted through over a year's worth of art projects from both kids, and purged lots of unnecessary paperwork. I made folders for things in the file cabinets, and the desktop is now free from clutter and piles. Part of what is going to help me with ADD is being free from clutter and distraction. Making a place for everything from bills to art projects makes me feel so much better. I don't feel as anxious when I enter the guest room where the computer is. The room feels more functional and peaceful. Our next step in that room is to minimize the desk and install shelving to house the computer, printer, and fun trinkets that we like to keep on display in there. After a trip to the Container Store last weekend, I became inspired, and made a plan for the room. Can't wait to get it going.
Today we'll tackle our bedroom. They say your bedroom is your sanctuary and should be a place to find calm, quiet, and relaxation. Right now, you can find dust, laundry, and more dust. Today we will deconstruct the room and clean it from top to bottom. I cannot wait to crawl into bed tonight in my clean, hopefully organized room. I've toyed with posting pictures on HGTV.com Rate my Space but haven't done so yet.
One thing that's bugging the bejeezus out of me right now is that our camera, our Canon Power Shot A590 IS won't keep a charge, or so it appears. After replacing the coin battery and both AA's, it still won't power up, or it takes two pictures and tells me to change the batteries. I JUST DID!!!! Honestly, it's become my mission to fix this darn thing. I know of a couple camera shops in the area, but, am determined to figure out the problem myself. I did read online somewhere that there was a problem with the battery contacts which is prevalent with the A590 IS, but, only saw that once on a Q&A page. Will be researching more today.
As everyone knows, it's March Madness. Yes, our house is generally consumed this time of year with brackets, squares, and lots of quality time with CBS and CBSSports.com. This year, Daddy and I didn't buy into any squares, but, we're crazy with our brackets. My alma mater didn't make it to the Big Dance this year, unfortunately, so I was left to struggle with actually putting together a bracket based on season records and injury reports. My current feeling on the tournament - who really cared about the Midwest region anyway, right? Ya, Kansas and Georgetown stung me in one bracket. That's alright, I have one bracket still alive and I hope the rest of round two today goes better for me than yesterday. My saving grace is that I'm not alone. Well, it doesn't make it all better, but, at least some of the experts went down with me.
I'm feeling pretty good about things today. I have some positive energy, I feel somewhat rested, and am looking forward to all things spring and summer. I'm relaxed here in my spot at Panera, and am looking forward to tuna steaks for dinner. Yum.
I need to plan my menu for the next two weeks, to include dinner next Sunday for Daddy's family. He has recently reconnected, after 7 years apart, with one of his cousins from his father's side. It's been a long time since we've seen or talked with anyone from this side of Daddy's family, and he is very much looking forward to it. Cousin #1 will be coming with her three children and her father, Daddy's uncle. My plan is to clean my house top to bottom and wow their pants off. I love to entertain, so I'm going to try to plan a meal that will bring the house down. Need to think about appetizers and wine, and of course a yummy dessert. Gonna take some thinkin', I think!
I guess Mother Nature has a plan for us. I guess I should take the cold and snow as my clue to get working inside so I can sooner enjoy the outside. When I think about it, that's just what I'm doing for ME. I'm working on the inside of me so that I can enjoy all of what is around me. My husband, my kids, my home, my friends, my world. Funny how things all seem to work together.
Showing posts with label calm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calm. Show all posts
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Me time, week 5
This week I decided to do my me time another day, since today is Valentine's Day. It's not a huge deal between my husband and I, but I thought it would be nice to spend the day together. The whole day. Plus, Ethel is totally into Valentine's Day, so I wanted to be around for the morning at least and give the kids cards and a small token that Nani mailed to each of them.
Fred woke early again today, a pattern he started in the middle of the week. This morning he held off until 5AM, so that was a lucky break. Even being Daddy's day to get out of bed with the kids, I jumped out of bed as soon as I heard Fred open his bedroom door. Daddy's reflexes are quite dulled in slumber, so I took this one for the team. Fred agreed to turn on a light and play in his room, and he did so for about an hour and a half. I have to admit (now that the sun is up and I've had some coffee), he was really sweet as he played with his cars in his room, quoting Dinosaur Train, singing songs, and organizing the cars by color. I still dozed on and off until he finally exited his room, announcing that it was time to start the day. He and Daddy brushed their teeth together and headed downstairs. Ethel was still sleeping in her bed, having gone to bed late after a birthday party yesterday.
I somehow found sleep again and was able to keep my eyes shut and my mind turned off until about 7:30, when I decided to check the morning news franchises. I'm a Good Morning America girl on the weekends, when I happen to catch the AM show. It's been a while since I checked in on Bill and Kate, but, they haven't changed much since I last saw them. Then I figured I'd check on Lester Holt over on Today, and learned about the Olympic happenings I'd missed while I was out last night, and couldn't keep my eyes open for later (sorry Apollo).
I soon heard some noise from Ethel's room, and found her on her bed, having sorted the goodies from her adorable goody bag from yeterday's birthday party. A cute Princess purse, one of those little metal ones with the beaded handle, filled with bubbles, some candy, and assorted other trinkets. She's taken the candy aside, and then asked me to put it in the candy bin I have in the cabinet. I guess my habit of scavenging the kids' goody bags over the years have paid off, as Ethel readily offered the candy for storage, rather than pulling the covers over her head attempting to hide while eating a Butterfinger. I dutifully agreed to put the candy away for her, and she opted to play with her goodies instead of joining the boys downstairs and getting some breakfast.
Eventually she conceded and Daddy and the kids had breakfast while I watched a little Teen Mom, 5 Ingredient Fix, and the Biography on Elton John. I am a sucker for mindless TV, and the ADD lends well to my ability to channel surf and still keep up with each show. :)
Daddy came in about a half hour ago to wish me Happy Valentine's Day, and agreed that I would spend a little more time relaxing before joining the family. After all, the last four Sundays I was already heading out the door at this hour. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and headed down to get a coffee. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Daddy had remembered to turn on the coffee maker for me. Suddenly, the fact that the dining room light was on (something that would normally irritate me) was a non-issue. I got my coffee and came back upstairs to find Ethel wearing the Snow White dress she'd worn to the birthday party (and last weekend to the story time), which I'd placed in the laundry basket last night. None of this bothers me right now. Rather than walk around the house and nit-pick, as I so commonly do, I am enjoying a relaxing morning.
I realize that the past four Sunday mornings have allowed the kids and Daddy to establish a morning routine which doesn't require whining for Mommy, nor Mommy's intervention. My house is calm, my family is happy, and anything that needs to be done will be there when I decide to tackle it. What a gift my alone time, my me time, has given me. Even if the calm is disturbed, even if Fred has a "I've been up for four hours and I'm crabby" meltdown, I've had this moment to see how wonderful my family is.
I will probably take this weekend off from my me time, and that's fine with me. I hope the girls behind the counter at Panera understand, and I hope they still have a warm hazlenut coffee for me next week. I'll miss hearing about what the three ladies did this week, what movie pulled back guy recommends, and seeing the two guys who got the tall table last week. Hopefully we can all start again where we left off when I return next week. We'll enjoy our coffee together. I'll do my reading. My kids will have their time with their Daddy. And I'll have my coffee. Yum.
Fred woke early again today, a pattern he started in the middle of the week. This morning he held off until 5AM, so that was a lucky break. Even being Daddy's day to get out of bed with the kids, I jumped out of bed as soon as I heard Fred open his bedroom door. Daddy's reflexes are quite dulled in slumber, so I took this one for the team. Fred agreed to turn on a light and play in his room, and he did so for about an hour and a half. I have to admit (now that the sun is up and I've had some coffee), he was really sweet as he played with his cars in his room, quoting Dinosaur Train, singing songs, and organizing the cars by color. I still dozed on and off until he finally exited his room, announcing that it was time to start the day. He and Daddy brushed their teeth together and headed downstairs. Ethel was still sleeping in her bed, having gone to bed late after a birthday party yesterday.
I somehow found sleep again and was able to keep my eyes shut and my mind turned off until about 7:30, when I decided to check the morning news franchises. I'm a Good Morning America girl on the weekends, when I happen to catch the AM show. It's been a while since I checked in on Bill and Kate, but, they haven't changed much since I last saw them. Then I figured I'd check on Lester Holt over on Today, and learned about the Olympic happenings I'd missed while I was out last night, and couldn't keep my eyes open for later (sorry Apollo).
I soon heard some noise from Ethel's room, and found her on her bed, having sorted the goodies from her adorable goody bag from yeterday's birthday party. A cute Princess purse, one of those little metal ones with the beaded handle, filled with bubbles, some candy, and assorted other trinkets. She's taken the candy aside, and then asked me to put it in the candy bin I have in the cabinet. I guess my habit of scavenging the kids' goody bags over the years have paid off, as Ethel readily offered the candy for storage, rather than pulling the covers over her head attempting to hide while eating a Butterfinger. I dutifully agreed to put the candy away for her, and she opted to play with her goodies instead of joining the boys downstairs and getting some breakfast.
Eventually she conceded and Daddy and the kids had breakfast while I watched a little Teen Mom, 5 Ingredient Fix, and the Biography on Elton John. I am a sucker for mindless TV, and the ADD lends well to my ability to channel surf and still keep up with each show. :)
Daddy came in about a half hour ago to wish me Happy Valentine's Day, and agreed that I would spend a little more time relaxing before joining the family. After all, the last four Sundays I was already heading out the door at this hour. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and headed down to get a coffee. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Daddy had remembered to turn on the coffee maker for me. Suddenly, the fact that the dining room light was on (something that would normally irritate me) was a non-issue. I got my coffee and came back upstairs to find Ethel wearing the Snow White dress she'd worn to the birthday party (and last weekend to the story time), which I'd placed in the laundry basket last night. None of this bothers me right now. Rather than walk around the house and nit-pick, as I so commonly do, I am enjoying a relaxing morning.
I realize that the past four Sunday mornings have allowed the kids and Daddy to establish a morning routine which doesn't require whining for Mommy, nor Mommy's intervention. My house is calm, my family is happy, and anything that needs to be done will be there when I decide to tackle it. What a gift my alone time, my me time, has given me. Even if the calm is disturbed, even if Fred has a "I've been up for four hours and I'm crabby" meltdown, I've had this moment to see how wonderful my family is.
I will probably take this weekend off from my me time, and that's fine with me. I hope the girls behind the counter at Panera understand, and I hope they still have a warm hazlenut coffee for me next week. I'll miss hearing about what the three ladies did this week, what movie pulled back guy recommends, and seeing the two guys who got the tall table last week. Hopefully we can all start again where we left off when I return next week. We'll enjoy our coffee together. I'll do my reading. My kids will have their time with their Daddy. And I'll have my coffee. Yum.
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