Random Facts of the Week

Exercise:

Monday: Walked 5 miles

Tuesday: Walked 3.5 miles

Wednesday: Walked 4 miles

Thursday: Skated 3.5 miles

Yea Weightloss!

Worked:

Tuesday - Friday (yes, I know its not Friday yet, but I will be working tomorrow.)

Yea Paycheck!

Sleep: None or next to none.

Boo!

Quote of the Week: Seriously hilarious, but can't admit that my son said that on this blog, so if you want to know check my Twitter account.

Snicker!

I am sweaty and currently drinking water out of a coffee cup, because we forgot to run the dishwasher last night.

Yea Us!

Just got Changeling in the mail from Netflix today, but will probably wait until Friday to watch.

Have a great weekend! Notice the positive attitude. Enjoy it, I'm sure it won't last - I'm high on endorphins after my skate.

I need a Mulligan!

To say this morning didn't start out well, is well, an understatement. The Husband had to be at work early so he was out the door before we were fully awake. At 7:20 we realized that H2's shoes were in The Husband's car. He was 25 miles north of where we were so that was a wash. I rushed everyone in the car and was backing out of the driveway when I realized Target didn't open until 8 AM.

FYI, its testing week, so late is NOT a good thing.

So I went back inside tried to deal with the Diana Ross hair I had this morning. Put the straight iron to it and swished a little mascara on. No, makeup for Dijea today. Then rushed and dropped E off at school. Then went to Target with H2 in a pair of socks. Finally got him a pair of tennis shoes that fit him and we walked to the check out counter with H2 in his sock feet. The cashier was kind enough to cut off all the tags so we could put them on right there instead of walking back to the car for me to cut them off. So I rushed back to the school - had to walk him in to sign the tardy slip. Then left my brand new sunglasses on the counter at the school. Luckily they were still there and the secretary is holding them at her desk for me.

I realized in my stress haze that I hadn't taken my blood pressure meds and they were back at the house so I rushed back to the house grabbed my pills and rushed to the office. Sigh...

All this before 9 AM.

Looking to the positives.

Well, it has been a tough week, and it's only Tuesday. I had to do something I hated yesterday. I turned in my notice. Yes, I handed in my resignation. I didn't want to. I love my job, but unfortunately the cost of childcare was far more than I made - on all the fronts I looked at. My mother even offered to come up and watch the kids, but her age, the distance she had to travel, the cost of gas and the fact she's already a caregiver for my 86 year old grandmother just wouldn't let me accept that option.

This June I would have been with the company for 14 years. That's a long time. They are like family to me and I've been lucky, lucky, lucky to work there. So far I've been offered the luxury of re-evaluation in the fall to see if there is anything available. So all is not lost - Hope is still floating around. I can't imagine working anywhere else, but I may not have a choice. We'll see what happens - keep your fingers crossed. And if anyone knows of any overnight or weekend work - I'm available. :) My husband will be taking up the slack, so everyone cheer for The Fabulous Husband, he deserves it.

So I guess I'm unemployed and not by choice, although I made it happen and if that's not confusing enough the loss of income will hit us harder than I like. I wasn't really working for fun or extras, we need the salary. Maybe it will give me a chance to clean out the attic and e-bay our junk away. It will give me a wonderful opportunity to spend the summer with the kids - although traveling with them will be limited. You will probably see tons and tons of entries on my blogs and the kids blogs. E wants to write books, so maybe we'll write an adventure story the three of us.

I'll bake and cook more -from scratch so feel free to forward some ideas to me. Hopefully write and take more pictures. Work a little on the house if I can afford to. Lose some more weight - chasing after the kids should keep me fit. Right?

Happy Mother's Day:

Dear Mom:

I wish you the happiest day of the year. I the first born, the one that caused the least amount of problems, always sat in the timeout chair. Didn't sneak-out. (other siblings - you know who you are) Yes, I was a moody teen, but this is not about me, this is about you.

Thank you for all the support, the love and the occasional cart of groceries. I couldn't have a better role model as I forge my own path in motherhood.

Thanks for everything! I love you!

p.s. I took the photo yesterday.

I'm hoping hives aren't contagious

I get to do something today that is not my favorite thing - in fact its probably not anyone's favorite thing except Oprah, Dr. Oz, various journalists. OK, some people have a knack for this, but I don't speak well under pressure. I would be much calmer in a combat triage center than I will public speaking today. Seriously.

Not something that calms my nerves or relaxes me. I have to, actually no, I'm choosing to because I feel that a bad zoning decision is being made in my neighborhood. Sometimes it amazes me the stubbornness and short-sightedness of people. I know everyone has a right to their opinion and I'm OK with that, but misinforming people about the legislation they are trying to pass the PRO side of the argument has well, riled-me-up - as they say here in Texas.

I am trying to gather all my brain-power to somehow maintain my train-of-thought, not blabber like an idiot and say "uh" about a million times. I am probably going to make my husband count the "uhs" I say. Its a running joke because every time I leave a message with anyone I say uh like a thousand times. So I'll be taking Deep Breaths, finding my inner politician oh and taking a little Xanax to keep me calm. Feel free to pray for me - I'm going to need it.

What would be perfect - a nice heckle from the other side. It would make our case stronger.

The one where I shared too much...

It amazes me sometimes the cycles that life goes through. I am finding myself in a very contemplative state wondering what direction to go and which path to follow. Sometimes I feel like a caged bird that opened its cage and sometimes I feel like a dog chained to a spike - allowed some freedom but limited.

I want to explore something different - find my true space in the universe. I know that sound bizarre because I am over 40 and should know what that is, but I don't. I have spent my life accommodating others. That sounds ridiculous doesn't it? I followed a job path my mother thought was acceptable. I always was afraid of disappointing her. I didn't finish college because I kept being pointed in the business/accounting/teaching direction. I am NOT by any means a left brained individual, but for some reason I felt it was more important to please others than please myself. Not that my mother ever forced her ideas on me, I for some strange reason felt required to follow her hopes for me. Maybe its just a fear of failure, so I follow someone else's ideas I can't fail with my own.

Now I am stuck in a horrible position of not doing what I love. Or even exploring what I like. I have an obligation to my family, one that will always come first as they are the most important people in my life. My husband, although a loud snoring individual, loves me and I want nothing more than to return that love in every way imaginable. My kids are a constant source of joy - even when arguing about who got more snacks or "special time" or who that stupid toy belongs to. My husband would absolutely let me try anything I want - he's that kind of guy. I thank my lucky stars I married him, even though he has an unhealthy obsession with video games and a rather off-color sense of humor and is as quick to temper as I am. I kind of like that off-color sense of humor, not so much the crazy songs he makes up.

I just wish that the economy wasn't so screwed up. That I didn't see the government making incredibly dumb decisions everyday. Where is it that we have to write all this extra crap into bills? Can't we just say NO and do only 1 thing at a time. I feel like we need to rebel against all the excess and just take it one thing/day at a time. I wish I could just do what I wanted instead of being responsible for so much. Yes, I'm trying to avoid cleaning the bathroom. Can you tell? It just frustrates the hell out of me to see so much crap being flung around in the name of all that is good in the world.

I find myself being pulled in a different direction. I've been walking and listening to some incredible music that puts me in a creative mindset. I've lot 10 lbs, I feel better, I want to just be me and not worry about responsibilities so much. Other than those I have to my husband and my kids. Its not that easy. Enjoy life and maybe, just maybe everything will fall into place.