What are you doing in 2012?

I am not really a resolutions kind of gal.
I used to make them, and then I realized that I tend to break them by the end of January.
I think I am more of a goals kind of gal. I love to make lists, lots and lots of lists. I like to organize things, and I like to plan (even if my plans don't always go as planned). I have always wanted to make on of those birthday lists like 29 before 30 or 32 before 33, but I haven't gotten around to it and honestly I'm not sure I can actually think of 32 things I want to do all at once. I know I want to make a bucket list, but I've never gotten around to that either. So for 2012 I think I will start a new tradition (for me), and make a list of

12 things to do in 2012

1. Make a bucket list
2. Organize my photos
3. Move into a new house
4. Throw an awesome themed birthday party for both my children (separately)
5. Keep up with the Ultimate List of Fantastic things to do with Friends
6. Get back to doing a Today's List
7. Get a new camera
8. Visit one new place I have never been before (after I get the new camera)
9. Write a letter to everyone I know
10. Create time to play with my children
11. Sew something from a pattern, patiently
12. Start saving money

Well, I think that's a good start. We'll see how it goes, if I can even cross 3 or 5 off that list I will probably be pretty happy.

What are you doing in 2012?

A new routine

Is there such a thing as 'Summer Fever'? Like Spring Fever, when you can't wait to get out of the house after a long winter. I would say Summer Fever is after the busiest part of your vacation is over and you start to get the "I'm BOOORRREEEDDDDD" from the kids.

For me it's "What am I supposed to do with these kids for the next 3 weeks?"

The Hubbs and I have devised a clever plan to keep us all sane, Begin The School Routine. (with a few tweeks).

No more midnight bedtimes,
no more random TV watching,
no more popsicles for breakfast (well maybe once or twice),
plenty of activities and the new Daily Schedule.

It all began today, it looks a little something like this:

8am: Showers, (coffee for Mom), breakfast
9: Walk, get mail, (more coffee for mom), other errands, swim lessons

Recycling at the Post Office

10: Activities with Mom or Dad

Mom's activity was watercolors on the picnic table

12: Lunch

Our treat for successfully being NICE to each other all morning: White chocolate covered sprinkle cones and ice cream

1: Quiet time, reading, blogging, napping (if we're lucky)
2: free swim, playdates, crafts, email (coffee?)
5: Dinner, baths, cuddles
7: TV time allowed for 1 hour
8: Stories, bedtime for 3 year olds
9: Bedtime for 12 year olds

Right about then I think Mom and Dad might collapse into a pile of jello.

The Keeper of all things Magical

All Moms and Dads know there is no manual for raising kids. There is no magic wand to erase the mistakes and mishaps that happen along the way. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we get it wrong.

I don't remember being 5, 9 or 12. I remember snapshots of my life, moments, stories, or feelings about a special time. I remember Magic. I remember Santa and Fairies. I remember floating in water and being bored on car trips. I remember camp and building forts.

I DON'T remember fighting, crying or raging. I don't remember falling out of bed or hitting my siblings. I am certain these things happened, as they happen to everyone. I am sure that my brother and sister can recall a story or too from our childhood that makes me look like a monster. I can say with certainty that there is a grey hair on my Mother's head for every time I told a lie, snuck out or told her I hated her.

The fact that I don't remember with clarity these things gives me hope. Hope that when my children are older they wont remember that we fight, and yell and argue. Hope, that they will grow to love each other (rather than antagonize each other at every chance).

Hope that when they have their own children they will tell stories about the good times. That they will regale them with tales of trips to the beach, that time I snorted up spaghetti, or getting pulled around town in a sled after a HUGE snowstorm.

I hope that they remember all the magic of Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and Leprechaun. I hope they laugh when they think of the silly left-handed notes left by said mythical creatures. I hope they carry on the tradition of trickery, and someday, at 2:30 in the morning as they are trying to sneak a dollar under a sleeping child's head they think of me, and smile.

The List

You know the longer you wait to write your "List" the more things you will need to put on it. I guess it's about time huh?

I guess I can't do 27 things by 27, since I am just a tad past that now. The question remains, how many things? and by when? Do I take the easy was out and go 33 things by 33? That gives me a whole year to do the least amount of age related items, or do I go for a nice even number like (GASP) 40 things before 40?

Something about even typing '40' makes me a little queezy honestly. I think that number is looming just far enough in the distance that I don't want to be looking at it too much yet.

Maybe I should take a page from the 28 before 29 list and do a birthday list each year?

What do you think guys?

I'm Back!

Hello my People!
It was a rough week last week. I'm not even going to complain about our weather, our baby tornado, hail and flooding was NOTHING compared to other places in the country. It was inconvenient, but not life changing.

Enough about that, lets move on to more pleasant things.

This week I:
- Made a pretty summer skirt for 12 YO
- Drove a new way to work that was MUCH prettier
- Cleaned up the yard
- Made a baby gift for 2 baby showers
- Made A LOT of lists, there is so much to do before the kids are out of school, and what the heck are they going to do all summer?
- Tried UNsuccessfully to potty train the 2 YO
- spilled coffee on my favorite white tank top
- Shrunk my favorite grey cardigan (it was a bad week for laundry)
- Drank 37 cups of coffee
- Turned 32 (oh yeah, it was my birthday on Monday)
- Got a PIVI for my birthday! I cannot wait to start using that puppy!

mine doesn't have the cute kitty on it, but it is pink

and what else? I guess now that I have full Internet back and our yard and town is all cleaned up things will be back to normal around here. I have some tutorials on the baby gifts I made, pics of the cutie skirt and some fun birthday shots too. As soon as I get done editing I will share.

Off to make lunch for the kiddos, and get crackin on the photos (editing is NOT my favorite chore, but since I have a crappy camera it is a necessity).

Frazzled momma's unite!

It was one of THOSE days.....

When...

Your sunglasses break,

You cry for no reason (for hours)

You feel like EVERYTHING is out of control

Your kiddos are sick, and you can feel it coming on

Your commute feels like a death sentence

Your checkbook looks so slim, you hope you can afford the gas, groceries and health insurance

Your hair looks REALLY SCARY, but you don't actually care

Your skin is breaking out

You feel like SOMETHING is wrong (besides the obvious) but you can't place it

It was one of those days when you HATE being the mommy.

Because...

Mommy can't fall apart

Mommy can't crawl under the covers and hide away

Mommy has to cook and clean and wipe noses and give baths and smile for sad, sick babies

Mommy doesn't get a day off.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE BEING THE MOMMY.

but, some days...

MOMMY NEEDS A VACATION.

if one woman driver can give us all a bad name, i might be to blame

I left work today at 4:30.
(like everyday)

I drove through the two small towns to the highway, about 12 miles.
(like always)

I GOT ON THE NORTHBOUND RAMP.
( I don't notice right away)

Home is SOUTH.
(I use naughty language out loud)

It is 17 miles to the next ramp.

The next ramp is an EXIT ONLY.
(I start eyeing the median crossovers)

It is another 12 miles to the next ramp.
(I am too chicken to pull into the crossover due to the very large sign telling me its unlawful to do so)

I get off the highway, I get BACK ON THE SOUTHBOUND RAMP.

I drive back the 12 miles to the exit only town,
I drive the 17 miles to the ramp I should have taken.

Silently screaming inside as I see the sign proclaiming 55 miles to home. I drive on, 3 exits to go before I need to get off and get on the town road to home.

I am SO MAD.
I am FUMING.
I grab my cell phone to call my friend and tell her what a moron I am.
Voice dial said friend (safety first even in times of extreme stupidity).
Ring, ring, ring, voice mail.
I am leaving a HEATED "I can't believe I am THIS stupid" voice mail WHEN I DRIVE PAST MY FREAKING EXIT TO THE TOWN ROAD TO HOME.

I start to cry.

I look at the median crossovers, you know the U Turn places in the median where cops hang out to bust speeders?
I start to view them as the link back to sanity.
I go past 3 trying to work up the nerve.
F it, I switch lanes, slow down and bust a Uey speeding into the other lane of traffic like a madwoman.

I get to my exit, I take my exit. I get onto the town road and begin the drive home. I feel dirty.

Its still a 1.5 hour drive home.

It's 5:30.
I cry because I know my kids will be eating Chef Boyarde for dinner at 7:30. I worry that my 2 year old will hate me when I pick her up from daycare at 7 instead of 6 and my 12 year old will be worried I am dead on the side of the road somewhere. I debate calling everyone I know to tell them I am not dead, but am in fact a raving lunatic who apparently can't drive and think at the same time.

Grrrrrrrrr.

Film Grain Goodness

Today:
- I drove 110 miles
- Drank 4 cups of coffee
- Ate the yummiest Banana Creame Pie Yogurt (quickly becoming my fave)
- Walked 2 miles
- Tweeted A LOT
- Learned to use some new functions in Excel
- FAILED to adjust the width of this blog in the HTML editor
- Discovered 2 new blogs and a talented crafter I want to feature here
- Was dissapointed in the blog hop turnout
- Drank about a gallon of water
- Went to the bathroom 8 times
- wrote, with a pen and paper, and it felt good
- Edited this photo of me with a film grain filter
- Wore my pjs to the store to get milk because I was just too darned tired to care

Today

2 cups coffee
1 Mountain Dew (12oz)
8 hours work
1 commute in, 1 commute home
1 chicken, rice and broccoli dinner
5 card designs sketched
2 blogs read, 1 written
more hugs and kisses than I counted from a darling 2 YO
a short 1/2 hour power nap with an 11 YO
a TON of shapes cut on my cricut
1 fillup of gas ($47.00, geesh!)
16 houses passed with tacky christmas displays
about 4 with normal pretty displays

Time to catch up!

Today:

7 cups of coffee
70 miles driven
4 hours at work
1 hour in a BORING appointment
1 kid to dance class
1 kid to dr appt.
1 husband off to work
1 quicky pizza dinner
2 loads of laundry
1 viewing of Despicable Me (Loved it)
43 shovels of snow taken off the driveway
3 garbage cans taken to the curb
1 blog post
3 YouTube videos watched (Tobuscus put up new CUTE WIN FAIL!!)
2 tired feet, 1 tired back and hopefully an early bedtime tonight :)

Wishing you all peaceful nights sleep