project 52

Project 52.1

The first week of our new year has been characterized a lot of reorganization.  We’ve finally gotten all the Christmas decor down and are working on making our house more efficient for our lifestyle…and maybe more sale worthy in this new year. 

We’re working with the girls more on responsibility and I’m trying to improve that in myself as well.  It’s little things like planning a menu to help us stay on budget for groceries and trying to find one little project everyday that I want done and actually do it.  I’ll post some pics later of all those little changes that I hope will improve our home’s atmosphere.

In the meantime here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to this week:

Joshua making the trees fit back in the box.

The great toy clean out.

After we cleaned out their room, the girls rediscovered dress up clothes they had forgotten about and spent the afternoon pretending to be waitresses taking our orders and our pictures.

Aunt Ashley and baby Colton came to visit.

Amelia had some intense discussions with this singing pig.

Daddy and his girls reading.  Two out of three paying attention isn’t bad.

Measuring the girls for snowsuits since we’re apparently in for quite a winter.
amelia · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · madelynne · motherhood

I Forgot

I forgot that when I’m at work all day that only leaves me a precious few hours at home.  Before I knew it today I had run errands, gone to Jazzercise, started dinner and realized the girls would be in bed soon and I had barely seen them. 

This is why I quit cooking as much last fall and we began to enjoy canned soup and grilled cheese on a weekly basis.

Time just gets away so quickly and I don’t want to waste it.  These precious moments are flying by and I feel like I need to grab on and dig in my heels to slow life down.

My six year old has suddenly matured into a post-Christmas kindergartener who’s not so sure Santa is real and thinks she might be too big for baby dolls.  When did that happen?

Annabelle only wants to go to school if Hailey’s there but insists they do “nothing” all day.

Then there’s Millie Moo who can walk on her knees and will sit in the high chair for an hour as long as the food keeps coming.

Where did these babies go?

Madelynne Grace in February 2005

Madelynne and Annabelle Faith in March 2006

Amelia Hope in May 2010
Manic Monday

Manic Monday

Here is the list of things I should have accomplished today:
1.  Finish grading.
2.  Enter grades.
3.  Clean off desk.
4.  Write lesson plans around new unit (as dictated by state curriculum map).
5.  Post standards for Q3.
6.  Work RiteAid UP deals.
7.  Request RiteAid rebate.
8.  Iron Joshua’s khakis.
9.  Update January agenda.
10.  Call my little sister on her birthday (since when I attempted she didn’t answer).

Here is what I actually did:
1.  Went to three meetings and sent my principal minutes.
2.  Made a stack of papers to finish grading tomorrow while my students are making a list of reading goals for the new quarter since I didn’t get lesson plans finished.
3.  Cut coupons.
4.  Went to Jazzercise.
5.  Made awesome turkey tetrazinni for dinner.
6.  Cuddled Amelia.
7.  Read Little House in the Big Woods to Madelynne and Annabelle.
8.  Laid out the girls’ clothes for tomorrow.
9.  Wrote this blog.
10.  Had a Quiet Time (well, I will when I’m finished here).

And guess what?  I’m satisfied with list #2.

How was your first workday of the new year?

project 52

Project 52

I had great plans this year to follow along with some of my friends and do the 365 project. 

Well, I missed Day One so that dream’s dead.  Although Joshua did take a picture on his cell phone of Amelia chowing down on a cheeseburger, but since I have no idea how to get it off, oh well.

Instead, I’m starting a project of my own that someone else has probably already done (and done better).  But that’s okay because I’m tagging my one word for 2011 on here: satisfy.

I need to be more satisfied with my blessings and less critical of what I don’t (or can’t) do.  So, since it seems less burdensome to me to chronicle our year by weeks rather than days, here you go.  (If you care, which since you’re reading this blog, I assume you do.)

Project 52 will be a post of our weekly randomness (yay, pictures!) as well as some goals for the upcoming week. We’re working with the girls on responsibility a lot this year, so Mommy is trying to be more responsible, too.  Especially with things like our budget since 2011’s big change is going to be my transition from work-outside-the-home mama to stay-home-and-pursue-another-dream mama.

…and it officially begins next week because this is only Day 2.

Happy First Working Day of the New Year tomorrow!

motherhood · resolutions

2010 Whirlwind

I really can’t believe it’s New Year’s already.  I have a ten month old baby, a little girl who just lost her first tooth, and a middle child who’s lately having trouble adjusting.

I wish I could say 2010 was a great year and I’m sorry to see it go. Certainly it was life changing and more than I ever expected, but it was also incredibly difficult at times. 

We are, however, blessed beyond measure and the only New Year’s Resolution I’m making is to remember that. 

When the dishes are overflowing and the laundry is all clean but has no hope of being folded.

When the floor is grimy and the toys are an obstacle course between the den and the bedroom.

When the children are crying and Mommy is exhausted and dinner is still frozen.

When the babies are cuddling and Daddy is home early.

When it’s quiet because the girls are painting their fingernails while sitting on their beds.

When my baby makes a beeline through the crumbs under the kitchen table just so she can get to me faster.

I hope I can pause to breathe and pause to remember our many blessings. 

Happy New Year!