My sweet baby J turned 1 on Thursday. I spent the actual day of his birth cuddling him and talking him about how much he has changed my life for the better. I'm sure he grew weary of all the hugs and kisses, but he never let on.
Friday, I began the daunting task of completing his 1st year baby scrapbook. I have managed to keep a baby calendar for the past year which is no easy task and ended up saving all the photos to do at one time. Thankfully, I have a very patient and helpful mentor to assist me in getting my creativity going and I was able to complete 22 pages of pictures before it was time to head to Norman to celebrate my mother's birthday with the family.
Saturday, we had J's birthday party. We decided a few months ago that while we wanted the huge celebration with family and friends, baby J is in need of NOTHING (except diapers, maybe) and we didn't want anyone to feel obligated to bring him a gift. So, we decided to ask guests to bring a donation for the local Humane Society instead for us to donate on J's behalf. I wasn't sure how people would respond, but we ended up with a half a truckbed of items to donate and J got to celebrate the day with about 70 friends and family at the local park. We still managed to come home with half a sheet cake which we gave to my teenage brothers to enjoy.
After J's park party, we headed out to my parents for the family party complete with burgers, fries, baked beans, and a marble cupcake with chocolate icing for J. He loved it! Mom and Dad bought him a little green tractor to ride around on at their house and he also received some money which we're using to open his college savings account. I'm sure he'll thank us for being so frugal one day, lol.
Today, I took J to church by myself because P was called into the office around 8am. J had a few minor meltodwns but ended up falling asleep in the end which was a relief. I know he probably sounds louder to me than he sounds to everyone else, but it's nerve wracking to balance that fine line between J learning to sit still and us being a huge disruption to everyone else. Hopefully, after a few more weeks of us being consistent, he will either find ways to quietly entertain himself or fall asleep without a lot of coaxing. Patience, patience...on both of our parts!
I had to resign from all of my organizations and boards that I have been serving on. It was a really hard thing to let go of because it's been my bridge between being a professional and being a stay at home mom, but the Lord was making it really clear that in order to grow, I needed to let go. My place is home with J and my job right now is taking care of him and taking care of myself ot make sure that Baby #2 has every opportunity to grow and develop in a stress-free environment. There have been a few days here and there where I have struggled with letting go of such a big part of my identity, but thankfully, it's getting better with each passing day. I know in my heart and head that those things were temperal at best and a distraction at worst, so it's better to not have my focus being so divided. I just need to stand firm on that conviction.
Showing posts with label women's work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women's work. Show all posts
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
The Worst Afternoon Ever
Since there is a lesson to be learned in every situation, I'm not going to complain about yesterday...but I am going to say to myself, "For goodness sake, let's get this learned and get over it so we don't have to do THAT again, self!"
1. J did not nap yesterday. At all.
2. He's also teething - two at once.
3. Payday - had to swing by the office to pick up P's check since he was out of town
4. Several errands to run in the 100+ degree weather. J and I were both sweating like a couple of piggies after about 20 min.
5. Sat in line at the bank for 15 min which led to several loud protests from the backseat.
6. Race around the grocery store only to end up spending 10 min in the checkout line because my debit card wouldn't go through.
7. The check out announces (rather loudly) that I don't have any money in the bank to cover it...or that's what she thinks might be the problem.
8. Gather J and groceries, head to car (since the boy bagging my groceries did not offer to help like they usually do)
9. Unlock trunk, load groceries.
10. Attempt to shut trunk but cannot because the latch is stuck in the closed position
11. Realize that the trunk lid is too lightweight to attempt the 5 mile drive home without the possibility of having to stop several times which wasn't an option with a 9 month old in the backseat
12. Call Mom
13. Call sisters A and E
14. Call P
15. Call parents home phone
16. Call brother in law
17. Call Dad - the only one who answered his phone
18. Tell Dad what's going on, he offers to drive the 20 miles into town to pick us up and take us home
19. Call bank to ask about debit card status and get put on hold for 18 min
20. Hang up and call bank back who offers to call me back
21. Put J in front seat and crank a/c all the way to full blast
22. Brother in law calls back, offers to come to rescue
23. Mother and brother show up (Dad sent them)
24. Move all groceries and J over to Mom's car
25. Brother in law arrives with tools and manages to get trunk lock pried open so trunk will close
26. Thank everyone, leave J and groceries with Mom, drive to bank
27. Arrive at bank, wait in line
28. FINALLY get to speak to someone only to determine that all is well, funds are in the account
29. Drive home
30. Mom arrives with J as I am attempting to unlock front door
31. Realize rather belatedly that using the front door key to try to pry the trunk lock open was a bad idea
32. Mom offers to go in through the dog door
33. Trying hard not to laugh
34. Mom realizes that her shoulders won't fit through
35. Mom also realizes that the extra key to my house is in sister A's car and she is at least 20 miles away
36. Realize that J and groceries have been in the heat almost 2 hours at this point
37. Decide to break back door pane and unlock back door
38. Mom insists on doing it
39. Mom comes back about 3 min later and states that the glass is tempered and she can't get it to budge
40. Mom proceeds to search her car AGAIN (4th time) for an extra key
41. Take screwdriver, march to back door, and smash pane for all it's worth
42. Glass shatters
43. Cut index finger and wrist
44. Unlock back door
45. Wrap finger in paper towels
46. Let Mom and J in the house
47. Put away groceries
48. Clean up broken glass
49. Cancel longstanding dinner plans with friends
50. Await husband's return
All is well that ends well. J fell asleep at 8pm (an hour ahead of schedule). I think I'm going to have an awesome scar on my index finger. And P wasn't upset about anything. BUT, what I realized, at each point along the way is that all of my busy-ness is detracting from my job. I'm not giving my job 100% and I really need to focus my energies and attention on making sure all the house related tasks are in good standing before I throw so much of my energy into running around, serving on committees, helping Mom with her projects, etc... so that's what I'm doing. Granted, I'm only one day back into my routine, but it's been a very smooth day and baby J has napped like a champ. I'm willing to trade in some of my busy things if it means things are peaceable "on the job."
1. J did not nap yesterday. At all.
2. He's also teething - two at once.
3. Payday - had to swing by the office to pick up P's check since he was out of town
4. Several errands to run in the 100+ degree weather. J and I were both sweating like a couple of piggies after about 20 min.
5. Sat in line at the bank for 15 min which led to several loud protests from the backseat.
6. Race around the grocery store only to end up spending 10 min in the checkout line because my debit card wouldn't go through.
7. The check out announces (rather loudly) that I don't have any money in the bank to cover it...or that's what she thinks might be the problem.
8. Gather J and groceries, head to car (since the boy bagging my groceries did not offer to help like they usually do)
9. Unlock trunk, load groceries.
10. Attempt to shut trunk but cannot because the latch is stuck in the closed position
11. Realize that the trunk lid is too lightweight to attempt the 5 mile drive home without the possibility of having to stop several times which wasn't an option with a 9 month old in the backseat
12. Call Mom
13. Call sisters A and E
14. Call P
15. Call parents home phone
16. Call brother in law
17. Call Dad - the only one who answered his phone
18. Tell Dad what's going on, he offers to drive the 20 miles into town to pick us up and take us home
19. Call bank to ask about debit card status and get put on hold for 18 min
20. Hang up and call bank back who offers to call me back
21. Put J in front seat and crank a/c all the way to full blast
22. Brother in law calls back, offers to come to rescue
23. Mother and brother show up (Dad sent them)
24. Move all groceries and J over to Mom's car
25. Brother in law arrives with tools and manages to get trunk lock pried open so trunk will close
26. Thank everyone, leave J and groceries with Mom, drive to bank
27. Arrive at bank, wait in line
28. FINALLY get to speak to someone only to determine that all is well, funds are in the account
29. Drive home
30. Mom arrives with J as I am attempting to unlock front door
31. Realize rather belatedly that using the front door key to try to pry the trunk lock open was a bad idea
32. Mom offers to go in through the dog door
33. Trying hard not to laugh
34. Mom realizes that her shoulders won't fit through
35. Mom also realizes that the extra key to my house is in sister A's car and she is at least 20 miles away
36. Realize that J and groceries have been in the heat almost 2 hours at this point
37. Decide to break back door pane and unlock back door
38. Mom insists on doing it
39. Mom comes back about 3 min later and states that the glass is tempered and she can't get it to budge
40. Mom proceeds to search her car AGAIN (4th time) for an extra key
41. Take screwdriver, march to back door, and smash pane for all it's worth
42. Glass shatters
43. Cut index finger and wrist
44. Unlock back door
45. Wrap finger in paper towels
46. Let Mom and J in the house
47. Put away groceries
48. Clean up broken glass
49. Cancel longstanding dinner plans with friends
50. Await husband's return
All is well that ends well. J fell asleep at 8pm (an hour ahead of schedule). I think I'm going to have an awesome scar on my index finger. And P wasn't upset about anything. BUT, what I realized, at each point along the way is that all of my busy-ness is detracting from my job. I'm not giving my job 100% and I really need to focus my energies and attention on making sure all the house related tasks are in good standing before I throw so much of my energy into running around, serving on committees, helping Mom with her projects, etc... so that's what I'm doing. Granted, I'm only one day back into my routine, but it's been a very smooth day and baby J has napped like a champ. I'm willing to trade in some of my busy things if it means things are peaceable "on the job."
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Too busy....
But, it's not a bad thing. At all. J is now completely mobile and army crawling all over the place. I thought I was busy before, but my goodness! I have really had to ramp up the vaccuming and keeping everything picked up just to make sure J doesn't get into anything he shouldn't. I still haven't figured out a good way to stay on top of Luke's excessive amount of dog hair. Since the weather has been fluxuating so much these past few weeks, he's shedding like crazy. If anyone ever tries to tell you that beagles "don't shed that much" kick them in the shins and run away because they are being dishonest with you!
It's a busy time of year for the boards that I am currently working with so I've been spending a lot of time in meetings and reviewing paperwork. I am enjoying the challenges and the interactions with people that I don't get to see on a regular basis. It's been nice to do some problem solving / critical thinking that doesn't relate to any of my bedroom closets or kitchen cabinets.
I have also spending a lot of time with my mother which I have loved. We have been going through her house like an organizing whirlwind and I'm so proud of her for parting with some of her beloved books and homeschooling materials from 15 years ago. She has been saving them for us to use if we decided to homeschool and I think she realized that the history and science are pretty outdated. She singlehandedly pared down to her most favorite books from each subject area and tomorrow we will put them away under the stairs so they are easier for her to get to when she needs them again. We are also tackling the under the stairs storage area tomorrow as well as the laundry room and closets.
We are both utilizing some of the new(ish) consignment shops in town as we're sorting through and getting rid of things. New2You Boutique at 9th & Main is currently accepting name brand women and girl's clothing, shoes, and accessories. Ecelctic Echo is accepting home decor, furniture, and other home goods. It's a nice way to make some spending money without having to hassle with eBay. I'm hoping to make enough this summer to pay for my vintage pin up (classy, not trashy) photo shoot that is scheduled for the end of September.
And, I'm making more effort to spend quality time pursuing things that are important and essential to me. My walk with the Lord, my relationship with my husband and son, my time with my family, my time with my friends, and improving my health are taking up most of my day. And I think this is great. In addition to all of the obvious positives, it has really reduced the potential negatives that were always looming in the background, waiting to pull me under.
It's a busy time of year for the boards that I am currently working with so I've been spending a lot of time in meetings and reviewing paperwork. I am enjoying the challenges and the interactions with people that I don't get to see on a regular basis. It's been nice to do some problem solving / critical thinking that doesn't relate to any of my bedroom closets or kitchen cabinets.
I have also spending a lot of time with my mother which I have loved. We have been going through her house like an organizing whirlwind and I'm so proud of her for parting with some of her beloved books and homeschooling materials from 15 years ago. She has been saving them for us to use if we decided to homeschool and I think she realized that the history and science are pretty outdated. She singlehandedly pared down to her most favorite books from each subject area and tomorrow we will put them away under the stairs so they are easier for her to get to when she needs them again. We are also tackling the under the stairs storage area tomorrow as well as the laundry room and closets.
We are both utilizing some of the new(ish) consignment shops in town as we're sorting through and getting rid of things. New2You Boutique at 9th & Main is currently accepting name brand women and girl's clothing, shoes, and accessories. Ecelctic Echo is accepting home decor, furniture, and other home goods. It's a nice way to make some spending money without having to hassle with eBay. I'm hoping to make enough this summer to pay for my vintage pin up (classy, not trashy) photo shoot that is scheduled for the end of September.
And, I'm making more effort to spend quality time pursuing things that are important and essential to me. My walk with the Lord, my relationship with my husband and son, my time with my family, my time with my friends, and improving my health are taking up most of my day. And I think this is great. In addition to all of the obvious positives, it has really reduced the potential negatives that were always looming in the background, waiting to pull me under.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Housewife / Business Owner
Yesterday (and several months leading up to yesterday), I was a girl with an idea.
Today, I'm a business owner with a business plan. Very excited about how things are shaping up and can't wait to share the final product when it's ready for unveiling.
Today, I'm a business owner with a business plan. Very excited about how things are shaping up and can't wait to share the final product when it's ready for unveiling.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Scheduling
I have had a job since I was 16...which means that I have been working over half of my life at this point. Prior to working outside of my home, I helped my parents wrangle children, clean house, do laundry, cook (disasterous on many occasions), run errands, etc...
Combining my life up to 16 with all of the things I've learned from working, I have a need for schedules. A need for to do lists. A need for a project list. A need to manage things on Excel spreadsheets. A need to take inventory of things. A need to issue progress reports. And, much to P's chagrin, I have found a way to do all of these things in my new role. He refers to me being in work mode as me being in "doing mode" and there is an entire song that he's made up about it to the tune of "Hey There, Lonely Girl" by Eddie Holman. It's pretty amusing, I must say, even though it's completely at my expense. And he's going to have to stop singing it in front of J before too long unless P wants to take up explaining Freud and a few other things to his 2 year old.
I always have a little giggle on the inside whenever my career minded friends make comments about how nice it must be to stay in bed all day, wander around in my pjs, watch tv all day, or go shopping whenever I feel like it. I'm not sure where they are getting their information on what a housewife's life looks like, but I must have missed out on that "how-to" training session. I feel just as busy as I did when I was working 55-60 hours a week at my last "real job"...the difference being that I'm on call 24/7 and I don't have any sick days or vacation days.
But, I wouldn't trade this life for ANYTHING. Aside from the obvious enjoyment of being home with J, I have actually really enjoyed working on house related projects that have been on hold since we moved here in '06. I've learned a lot about our spending patterns, buying habits, and tendencies from taking inventory of what is occupying our house at the moment. I was finally able to get all of my fabric out of storage and start mapping out what sewing projects I want to work on in a few weeks. I have had the time to sort through and scan most of the film negatives from my parents house and get them safely tucked away on my hard drive. I'm learning how to COOK. And it's actually tasting pretty good!
And, I am realizing that while I enjoyed those 15 years of pushing myself and challenging myself and going to bed exhausted because of the long days and multiple problem solving opportunities everyday...I'm finding the same in what I'm doing now and the benefits are so much greater.
Combining my life up to 16 with all of the things I've learned from working, I have a need for schedules. A need for to do lists. A need for a project list. A need to manage things on Excel spreadsheets. A need to take inventory of things. A need to issue progress reports. And, much to P's chagrin, I have found a way to do all of these things in my new role. He refers to me being in work mode as me being in "doing mode" and there is an entire song that he's made up about it to the tune of "Hey There, Lonely Girl" by Eddie Holman. It's pretty amusing, I must say, even though it's completely at my expense. And he's going to have to stop singing it in front of J before too long unless P wants to take up explaining Freud and a few other things to his 2 year old.
I always have a little giggle on the inside whenever my career minded friends make comments about how nice it must be to stay in bed all day, wander around in my pjs, watch tv all day, or go shopping whenever I feel like it. I'm not sure where they are getting their information on what a housewife's life looks like, but I must have missed out on that "how-to" training session. I feel just as busy as I did when I was working 55-60 hours a week at my last "real job"...the difference being that I'm on call 24/7 and I don't have any sick days or vacation days.
(Yes, I have made myself a schedule. And it is posted on the bulletin board in my kitchen)
But, I wouldn't trade this life for ANYTHING. Aside from the obvious enjoyment of being home with J, I have actually really enjoyed working on house related projects that have been on hold since we moved here in '06. I've learned a lot about our spending patterns, buying habits, and tendencies from taking inventory of what is occupying our house at the moment. I was finally able to get all of my fabric out of storage and start mapping out what sewing projects I want to work on in a few weeks. I have had the time to sort through and scan most of the film negatives from my parents house and get them safely tucked away on my hard drive. I'm learning how to COOK. And it's actually tasting pretty good!
And, I am realizing that while I enjoyed those 15 years of pushing myself and challenging myself and going to bed exhausted because of the long days and multiple problem solving opportunities everyday...I'm finding the same in what I'm doing now and the benefits are so much greater.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Clutter vs Organization
"When I cannot bear outer pressure anymore, I begin to put order to my belongings...As if unable to organize and control my life, I seek to exert this on the world of objects." Anais Nin
Had the woman not passed away in 1977, I would wonder if she had been peeking in my windows the past several weeks! Or perhaps, there are many women who seek to bring some semblance of order to things by reorganizing and rearranging their stuff.
Had the woman not passed away in 1977, I would wonder if she had been peeking in my windows the past several weeks! Or perhaps, there are many women who seek to bring some semblance of order to things by reorganizing and rearranging their stuff.
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