failing to plan is planning to fail

The days of being a stay at home mom for me are over.  I'm loving working.  It is so rewarding and I really love my job.  I do feel like I have to stay on top of my household chores during weekend.

Every single Sunday we prep our food for the week.   We boil 20 eggs so that Gary and I each get 2 eggs every morning for breakfast.  We shred our beloved butter lettuce for salads.  I'm addicted to pepperjack cheese wedges and I eat them with celery, so I wash, clean and chop celery sticks.  We are loving the spring strawberries, so we clean and slice strawberries and put them into snack size bags for easy snacks at work.  The kids eat cantelope for breakfast.  All that stuff gets done on Sunday for the week.

My goodness it is hard work to work and keep up a household, but thankfully Gary is amazing. (and I only say that b/c I was a SAHM for 11 years) We share chores and since he is home every night for dinner we share cooking meals too.  Thankfully the kids put away all their own laundry and I try to do a load every other day.  They pack their own school lunches.  I can't imagine doing everything all by myself every single day.  I did that before I worked because it was my full time job.  I also know that I have to make the kiddos do their own chores. The are old enough and we are trying to make them independent so they can go off to college and not be in shock.  I'm hoping I rub off on them and  they learn a thing or two about planning!

read read and read

Wow.  

The kids are back into the groove of school after this fourth day.  They seem to be adjusting to their new schedules quite well.   

For Hayden second grade is all about reading.  He has to read so much and he's not really a fan of reading.  BUT he's doing it and not complaining too much!  Layla has to read for 20 minutes every day also.  I enjoy a little quiet time after homework and snacks, so the reading in a nice little chill time before the chaos of dinner preparation starts.  

P.S.  Why oh why dont' they like reading?  I'd sit and read all day long if I could. 

my latest job performance review

Parenting these two kiddos is my full time job.  For now it is my number one job.  I think someday I will have a work outside the home job again, but for now I am thankful I get to focus on these kiddos.  I get to be here when they get off the bus after school.  I get to be here all summer long.  

With all jobs my job can be hard.  Sometimes I feel like a glorified maid.  Sometimes I feel like a short order cook.  On those weird emotional days the mom guilt creeps into my brain and I just feel awful for moving these two kiddos from Texas to Ohio to Georgia all within a few years.  I know people move all the time, but as a kid I didn't.  I went to the same school my whole grade school career.  Our family lived in several different houses, but all in the same town.   I know I don't have to raise my kids the way I was raised.  BUT I've still felt like we could break our kids by moving them. Guess what...

They are not broken.  They may be better than I was as a kid.  

They are doing wonderful and they are loving it here in Georgia.  

How do I know this?  

Because earlier today Layla stood gazing out the window and she said, "Mom, I love it here.  I love our house and my school and my friends.  I can't wait to help you and dad get our backyard cleaned up and looking better."

She said she liked it here!!!!!

  I can't blame her.  The weather is amazing.  We live in a fun part of town near stores and fun restaurants.  We have huge trees and lakes all around us.  We have a perfect house for our family right now at this stage of our lives.  I think I'm doing ok at my job, with Gary's help of course, and we are guiding these children down the right path.

 I feel a sense of relief that us moving and starting over twice in a few years hasn't broken the children.  It's made them stronger and you know what? It's made me stronger and seeing them grow and learn and face the moving fears has helped me.  I'm learning so much about my adult self through all this.  God knows what he's doing and he knew what he was doing giving me this job of being a mom.  I think I've learned more about myself since having kids.  I'm growing up myself!

a puppy dog coach of sorts.

I have been taking advantage of my free time when the kids are at school.  I've enjoyed having a basement with carpet.   I love working out every morning after I drop the kids off at school.  Working out is my time to think and reflect and wonder.  It's my free therapy.   I am ready for the weather to get warmer so I can run and walk outside with the wind in my face.  I've only done a run/walk  a few times since moving to Georgia. 

 I still can't believe we live in GA.  It seems like just yesterday I was doing Zumba/Boot Camp in Ohio with a group of fun girls,  Funny how life changes so fast.  I never would have thought looking back three years ago that today I'd be structuring my own basement workouts.  We didn't have basements in Texas.  We also didn't have our Lily Jack.  I'm thankful for our sweet Ohio dog I call my fitness coach.  She's always by my side while I'm working out!  She sometimes sleeps on the job, but there are many times when she is running up and down the basement stairs with me.  She's been known to lick the sweat from my arm.  She barks at the jump rope and watches when I ride the stationary bike.  She's my little coach and I love her to death.  I'm thankful for our Ohio adventure because we got to adopt this sweet pup! 

She is a huge blessing just like each and every friend and adventure we experienced in Ohio.   Some days I really miss the people there and other days I really miss Texas.  Honestly I'm so excited about what Georgia has in store for us.  I'm so filled with excitement about our new life here in Georgia.   We are all anxiously awaiting spring weather in our new house and new yard.  I can't wait to see spring at our new lakes!  I think we're all stoked about beginning soccer in a few weeks.  

All six of us are ready to be outside playing and getting our fitness on.  I honestly don't think I sweat in Ohio and I'm ready for some sunshine and flushed cheeks!

learning, adjusting and learning some more!

School here in Georgia is very different than in Ohio.

We are all adjusting to not only an earlier school day, but different curriculum.

Hayden has a lot more homework than he did in Ohio.  He HAS to bring his reading book home every single day, but he forgets.  He has spelling tests and vocabulary tests and didn't bring home his spelling list, so that is fun.  Ugh!  It is all stuff he can totally handle, but it is very different and harder for now.  I think now that he understands what is expected of him he is better, but at first it was a challenge and we were all frustrated.

Layla seems to be adjusting just fine, but math is much more intense here.  She has some catching up to do.  For instance, she hasn't even started learning long division, and here in Georgia they are done with it.  She will be just fine, and we'll catch her up, but it's crazy how different states can be when it comes to learning.  

This picture of her is perfect.  She has a mouth full of chocolate.  In a groggy sleepy morning voice, talking with food in her mouth, she is telling me about how disappointed she is in the Advent calendar this year.  Apparently they didn't mix up the chocolate shapes.  There is basically a boot, a house and one other shape for each day.  Well, now I know.  Next year I will have to step it up and get a better calendar. :-)