Tag Archives: busy

One day we will miss this

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Our Warrior photobombing the Neighbor's Ice Cream Mascot's photo.

Our Warrior photobombing the Neighbor’s Ice Cream Mascot’s photo.

Taking a cue from my dear friend, D, whose daughters are grown and spread their wings…..one day all this noise and crazy will be over and we will miss it.  So, when we have a super crazy day or week or season, I try to remember this.  Today it was my mantra.

Starting at 5:30 a.m. with my coffee and wake up

6 a.m. waking 2 of 4 kiddos

Leaving house at 7:15 with our youngest son for him to assume his position as school mascot at a “Mascot Breakfast” prior to our town’s parade and fall family festival

Hubby takes our youngest daughter to her game for cheer at 7:45 a.m.

I take our mascot to meet his school band where he assumes his role as Band Captain for the parade.

Oldest son heads out for a day of skateboarding with friends.

Parade ends and we head home about 11.

I take our oldest daughter across town to hit the beach with a friend and her family and then go grocery shopping.

Hubby brings youngest home to prep for a birthday party.

Hubby goes for  a 20 mile bike ride (he’s training for a November triathlon).

I run youngest daughter to birthday party.

It’s only 1 p.m.

Youngest son goes for a bike ride with friends.

Now, if you’ve done the math and followed carefully you will see what happened here this day.

NO.  KIDS.  IN.  THE.  HOUSE.

FOR.   TWO.  HOURS.

Guess what we did?

Napped.

***Disclaimer:  don’t feel too sorry for me, because in between the parade drop off and parade start I had an hour to kill and promptly hit Target, Starbucks and chatted with my girlfriend on the phone for a lengthy and overdue chat (in fact I talked to TWO girlfriends at length today) and then went to dinner with my mom and my sister who were both in town.  Therefore, it was a crazy and well-executed start to the day, but a grand, grand finish!

Dinner on the water with these two awesome beauties? Yes, please!

Dinner on the water with these two awesome beauties? Yes, please!

Day 6. Martha. Mary.

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Adoration. Time to rest and recharge.

Adoration. Time to rest and recharge.

I’m Martha.  To the core.  Last Sunday’s reading reminded me to step back and work toward Mary’s take on life.  I get so caught up in what needs to be done:  the feeding, the cleaning, the laundry.  I don’t stop.  It’s time to stop.  Step back.  Take that deep breath.  Our pastor’s bulletin message on Sunday was so right on target with Martha and Mary and how busy our lives are.  That busy-ness leaves us all leaning toward living like Martha with no time to try Mary’s approach.  No wonder we are so tired.  We don’t stop.  We don’t seek.  We don’t rest.  Let’s rest.

Excerpts from our pastor’s bulletin message last week:

Rest is not just good for the soul. It is also good for the body. In our Christian tradition we
believe that the body is something of value. Genuine spirituality is concerned with the care of the
body as well as the soul. Rest is one way that we can accomplish this.
Medical science has demonstrated that the effects of rest are significant, indicating the great
role that rest can play in our physical and emotional well-being. Lack of rest and relaxation is
associated with inattentiveness, inability to concentrate, impulsivity, moodiness, learning difficulties
and health problems. On the other hand, rest, quiet time, and meditation have been shown to have
positive effects on the body. If you must have your blood pressure checked, take a couple deep
breaths first, think of a special place in the mountains or at the beach. Imagine yourself in the arms
of the Lord. These kinds of meditation may help you stay off blood pressure medication and
anti-stress pills.
St. Thomas Aquinas is known of the saint of moderation. He taught that all things in moderation can be good. A little wine, a little food, a bit of time of laughter, etc. are all needed in life. Only
when one or more of these things get out of balance is there sin. I hope that this summer provides
you an opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends, maybe an outing to the beach or a taking in
a ballgame. But, may it also be a time to reorder priorities so that the important things don’t get
forgotten.

Everyday in May…sorta.

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My super-de-duperty creative and brilliant friend, Lea who has been blogging for several more years than I….has for several years had a theme of “Blog every day in May”.  I’ve participated in the past 3 years and somehow………

it is May 9th!!!!!!!!!!   WHAT?!?!?!?!?

and she called me today to remind me that NEITHER of us has begun the annual blog-fest and promptly directed me to her blog to see what she did to rectify that situation.  Yep.  The woman done went and CAUGHT UP!!!  So now….my goal-oriented-task-driven-competitiveness has kicked in.  I won’t even bother to back track.  Serious talk.  Too tired.  BUT…..I did blog last Friday and for us, weekends are a kind of bonus, so I’ll start now.  So go ‘head…”follow”, add me on Bloglovin’, follow on the Twitter…whatever you need to do and git ready!  Because I’d really like to celebrate with some blackberry grits and tea with Lea after this!!

And so here’s the deali-O…if you are blogging everyday in May…leave a comment and we can check it out and spread the word.  I’ll leave a little list at the bottom of this post of some other bloggers doing the same.  OK, OK, just one for now…but let me know if you’re blogging every day!!   If I REALLY get ambitious I’ll put a sidebar with May bloggers to make it easy…no promises, just dreams of grandeur.

It’s really just wrong we do this anyway…. I mean…it’s MAY!  The busiest month of the year….truly.  Even December…baby Jesus’ birthmonth isn’t as stressful as end-of-year wrap up, testing, recitals, First Communion, birthdays, Mother’s day, etc, etc, etc!  But hey, if a little writing and reading gets us through….blog on we shall!

Rachel Balducci @ Testosterhome…..got boys?  lots of ’em?  and a princess?  She does, too!!!  And stories abound.  AND she even wrote a book!!

 

It’s the most wonderful (busy) time of year…

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The girls and I at the Nutcracker

The girls and I at the Nutcracker

Here we are:  12 days until Christmas.  Which would explain my semi-absence from the blogsta world.  So much is packed into this month.  I love it.  It’s hectic and chaotic, but it is fun!!  The anticipation of Christmas, Advent activities, baking, shopping, it’s awesome!  I figured it’s Thursday night so I’d tie this into Quick Takes @Conversion Diary and now TV Fame with Minor Revisions!  Woot, woot!!

With so much packed into this month there are things I’ve neglected or have yet to find the time/energy to deal with yet (7 off the top of my head):

  • hanging Christmas cards up (they are still in the basket we collect them in)
  • Passing out Advent Anonymous cards (need to print up the notes)
  • Finish baking (it’s an ongoing process and a tasty one at that!)
  • blogging
  • reading blogs
  • watching Christmas shows
  • watching Minor Revisions…Plan B is Saturday night @ 10p.m….

However, there is so much I HAVE done with the time I’ve not spent on the above (more than 7):

  • Walking several times a week (at least 20 minutes…I need some de-stressing)
  • Maximizing my hour-long lunch break (can you say Power Shopping!)
  • Burned up the internet with my online shopping (a working mom’s best friend—heck, EVERY mom’s best friend!!!)
  • Peanut butter buckeyes x 2 (cookie swap and prepping for neighbor sharing)
  • Attended the Nutcracker with the girls
  • Working at my J.O.B.
  • Sent my Christmas cards out
  • Made a PLAN for the coming week (before the kids get out of school and are in my way at lunch break!)
  • Picnicked with Hubby and the girls one Sunday afternoon
  • Prepared kids for various upcoming concerts, Christmas programs, Girl Scout sleepover and birthday parties
  • Planned for Christmas Eve, dinner, Mass….
  • Thrift shopped (a whole post really needs to be devoted to that…serious fun!)
  • Participated in the #AdventPhotoADay contest/photo sharing
Day 13, Feast Day of St. Lucy...The Eyes have it..

Day 13, Feast Day of St. Lucy…The Eyes have it..

And now I shall wake the minions (those still remaining…..the high schooler and Papa are already gone for the day)

So get on with your busy elf….and I’ll check back intermittently!  Blessings and Make way for the Lord, Christmas is coming!!!

Sick days bite!

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Our youngest had another little sore throat sneak up this weekend and being a veteran of strep throat for far too many episodes, I absolutely believe her self diagnosis as she is SPOT ON.  EVERY.  TIME.

I went ahead and called in to my work yesterday so they’d have time to get coverage and hopefully not shaft my friend and co-worker in my absence..I think it worked out and was far less stressful on me having to jump ship to get our girl to her doctor appointment AND figure out who’d watch her today.  It all worked out.  In the end, her appointment was at 2 in the afternoon so I had a lot of free time on my hands as a result.  Sadly I can’t just chill, nap and read (though I’d LIKE to!) so I tackled some tedious little tasks I’ve been “meaning to get to” forEVAH…

And the cat was truly enjoying snuggling up on humans all day….after he slept off his all-night out and about the neighborhood, that is…

Sleeping off his big night out

he’s snuggling me or my laptop…either way it’s really hard to type like this.

 

  • We had several bags of clothes to donate to our churches thrift store, so I went through my closet and dresser and added several more  bags AND….delivered them.  To the thrift store.  I know, right?  The delivery is key to purging, otherwise it’s just moving it all around.
  • I had so much room on my side of the closet so…….I reorganized and color grouped my shirts and blouses.  I’m a nerd.  I know.  However, it looks really good.  I might actually be able to FIND something when I need it!!
  • I did my Abs and Arms routine, 3 sets each.  I’ll be walking while our oldest daughter has soccer practice, therefore that makes a good start to Week 2 for Peak 313‘s 5 week challenge.  And I DID eat and log my food today which, BTW, is a huge struggle, especially while at home tempted by all the choices.  Add a little restlessness in and it’s a potential recipe for disaster.  I made it through.  Phew!
  • A month ago we had to cut down a magnolia tree in our backyard (it was diseased and dying) and had to replace it with a new tree.  We did that yesterday with an elm in the front yard.  I called the city to come inspect it and check us off the list.  I hate those silly phone calls.  It’s done.
  • Deleted MANY, MANY duplicate albums clogging up my iPhoto library.  Still lots more to do, but I made a HUGE dent today.  Tedious, tedious, tedious..Don’t even ask how it happened…it’s still a mystery!!
  • Then I took the girl to the office and dropped off her antibiotics and then since I was home….the taxi was in full motion…pick up older daughter, pick up youngest son, pick up antibiotics, now to get dinner going and then off to soccer…dang, I need a nap!!
  • I did manage to give myself and my girl a pedicure….garnet and gold toes for my ‘Noles and pink for her.

Peace out, peeps.  We’re off to soccer!