Category Archives: Changes

When your stats flatline

August 31st, people. August 31. Summer is over. We shall be soaking it up here at Casa E with my sister and fam this weekend, hopefully in the pool and beach (assuming the weather is going to cooperate) and sleeping in and NOT. GOING. TO. WORK. ON. MONDAY. (Thank you Congress, class of 1894! and President Grover Cleveland!)

It’s also a short break after 2 whole weeks in school. Whew. Exhausting. After Monday, those who haven’t started school will join in the fun. So far so decent in our house, but I haven’t hit my new routine yet. And….by the look of my stats, my blogging has taken a hit. It happens when you don’t blog. I’m still looking for the elusive extra hours in the day and until I find them, I’ll be flatlining over here.

That BIG spike is my road-trip-friends post. I should write about my friends more!!!

I’d like to join in with JEN and Co. with 7 Quick Takes, but it’s just not going to happen this week. Until I get it together this will suffice. Now…..today I have a football game to get to, maybe I’ll get another post or two ahead this long weekend, see how it goes! Wish me luck and happy looooooong weekend to you!!!

Dang, that first week of school is HARD!!

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Happy earlier bed times…I mean 2013-2014 school year!!

One week under our belts here. Please don’t take this as boasting….please. Just don’t. But…..it went pretty well. I even experimented with doing my MWF (scratch Monday to just Wed/Fri this past week) in the a.m. and had Hubby wake the kiddos so that our 5th grader is ready (almost) for me to take her to school when I get finished at 7. So far, so good. (The high schooler is long gone at that point and the middle schoolers still have an hour-ish before they leave). We also had cheer practice on Tuesday and Thursday. Lawn mowings at the end of the week. Of course, no real homework to speak of until Friday, overall, I simply can NOT complain. Disgusting, right? Hopeful, yes?? Yes. I vote yes.

Scenes from a cheer practice. Girls under cover, mama in the car.

And so why in the he-double hockey sticks were the Hubs and I flat exhausted this week? Flat. Out. Exhausted. Hopefully we will get a second wind and adjust to our schedules and school life–which as history shows, we will. Until then, I will sing the praises of the iced coffee and the franchise of the Donut that is Dunkin’.

ye olde afternoon pick-me-up**

**of course, adjusting bedtimes, dinner routines and getting back on the healthier eating choices will help, too. DD is just so tasty and convenient, though!

Because we can’t be having THIS scene every night, those kids DO like dinner.

Road Trippin’ for a Friend Fix

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There lies the season where I miss my friends. It’s a crazy thing, getting older. Not as simple to make friends any more. Everyone is busy. Everyone has baggage. And so I remember the plaque that hung in my grandmother’s kitchen from a hundred years ago….(or 40):

Make new friends, but keep the old;

The new are silver and the old are gold.

These friendships have weathered life’s storms: Cancer, infertility, marriage struggles, divorce, faith struggles, death of a child, children with emergency surgery, financial drain, suicide, depression, alcoholism, prison, poor health, aging parents, death of parents, miscarriage, many children, few children, job changes, bullying, education challenges, children growing up and moving away, children with faith crises, deployment, moving, starting over, making new friends and the list goes…..it is life. Distance may separate us, however, these life cords forever bind us.

So worth the road trip with my girls to visit these dear friends. We didn’t get to make ALL the rounds due to end-of-summer craziness and that only makes the argument for another visit and for visitors here. Life’s too short, make the effort, you won’t regret it.

Rollin’ with my homies.

7 super quickety quick takes

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Joining Jen and gangster bloggers for the 7QTS this week!! Woop Woop!

And so in my usual bon-bon fashion….I am leaving myself with 6 whopping minutes to post this before I need to get ready for work. Fortunately, I’ve showered, eaten and my lunch is mostly ready. Ready set GO:

1. This week I flipped back to old school style planner. Paper. Pens. Pencils. Still love my iPhone calendar, but I’m a tactile person and I need paper. My anxiety is decreasing already….this will do until I find something super purty…feel free to leave your suggestions in the combox!

2. This past weekend (Sunday) counts as the week start correct? We did a huge ole bed swap…our bunk beds to the neighbors (below right) and my girlfriend’s daughters trundle to our girls (below left) and my girlfriend’s daughter moved a futon into her room for hang/sleep/teen stuff (not posted)….can you say WINX3?!?!?

3. Back to school is right around the corner…..Our sophomore had orientation and our 6th grader as well. 2 down and 2 to go. Sweet structure is almost here. 4. I’ve been walking all week while our youngest has cheer practice for about 45 minutes each night (in addition to my morning classes) and am down 3 pounds. BooYA. Meh, the weekend is coming, all subject to change!

5. I’m taking one last road trip before school starts with my girls. We leave in the a.m. for a fun and packed weekend of friend visiting….hence the 3 pounds are subject to change. You feel me?

6. Oh no…..3 minutes over my time.

7. Have a great weekend!!!

Buh bye Facebook. For now anyway…

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For the last couple of Lent seasons I have given up Facebook and it is a glorious 37 days. (it takes a few days to shake the habit and then I’m good). This year, when I signed back on Facebook was different. Not so much the layout but the content. People are posting videos, news reports, Pinterest recipes, ecards and there are Advertisements and countless game requests. I’m not saying all that is bad, however, where are the pictures, my people?!?!??! I’m in it for the updates. Tell me you are drowning in back to school supply lists, basking at the beach, meeting friends for a run and post pictures….THAT is what I want. I have YouTube for videos, Pinterest to feed my inner Martha Stewart, CNN, National Catholic Register and The Weather Channel for my news feed, and WordsWithFriends to satisfy my gamer needs—Candy Crush and all that nonsense just infuriates me. It’s overload. I come away more often than not, anxious and frustrated; I mean, when I start “hiding” family members due to ridiculous ranting….it’s a problem. All I really want is to see my family and friends enjoying life, pics of their growing-way-too-fast kids and some silliness. So, I’m deleting my account and removing it from my phone. I might reactivate it now and then, however, something tells me once I’m over the first few days it will be more less than often….

In the meantime, I plan on picking up the pace with phone calls, emails, texts, heck…even snail mail and IN REAL LIFE conversations to keep up with friends and family. Crazy, right? Probably. So, if you’ve got my number, call me. Maybe.

making the trek

Trekking through life: Faith, family, friends and a whole lot of coffee!