Kids, Coffee, Chaos

Life as a working mom of three, chasing my next cup of coffee through the chaos of our lives while I get a few words written

Life in the Fast Lane

by Leave a Comment

Time flies when you are busy with all kinds of crap! It’s hard to believe that it is summer already and we’re in the middle of the sixth month of the year.

There have been all sorts of things going on around here, from successes to more illness. I am hoping the warm weather and the sunshine put an end to all this nasty germs.

The oldest finished her year of first grade by winning all the awards except attendance. She won the President’s Physical Fitness award, made High Honor Roll for the entire school year, made her Marathon Reader goal, and made her AR reading goals for the entire year. I am so proud of her hard work for all her accomplishments for this year!

Middle child finished her second year of preschool. She goes back for one more year before she begins kindergarten. I sometimes worry that another year of preschool and then kindergarten will bore her to pieces because she is so smart already, but I fear her social skills need the extra time to develop before she enters elementary school. I can only hope I am making the right decision for her. One of my favorite school tales is the time I was almost sent to the principal’s office during first grade because I was so bored I was smearing Elmer’s on my hands and picking it off once it dried. I don’t want my children to suffer that same boredom.

The youngest child begins his first year of preschool in the fall. I am thinking he’ll really enjoy it. He hated having to leave every time his sister was dropped off all last year.

I’ve been battle sinus infections some more. One of those triggered a nice case of iritis. But after spending ALL THE DOLLARS taking everyone to the doctor for tonsillitis and strep, I self-treated with the medication I already had.

However, I got to meet up with my rheumatologist to go over my x-rays. It turns out there is abnormal inflammation on the iliac side of both my sacroiliac joints. So he recommended I get an MRI to determine if the cause was degenerative or inflammatory and if it was inflammatory, he thought I would need to start on a biologic. MRI results came back, but I have not met with the doctor to discuss in person. Best I can tell from my e-chart is that there is some inflammation, but it is not acute. He recommended a different drug than the biologic at this time.

But then I think I’m going to have to see an ENT about my near-constant sinus pain.

Recommendation:  Don’t let issues fester!

I think I am going to attempt Camp NaNoWriMo in July. I am getting a handle on new job and there are far less restrictions on time off than my previous full-time job. I need to get my writing back on track. This is one thing I really want for myself.

The other things I am going to focus on including developing a daily exercising routine and actually doing it, and doing more fun things with the kids. Both are in progress. I think we will like the results.

What fun things do you have planned for the summer?

House of Ick! And Gross!

by Leave a Comment

2013 has proved to be an interesting year. New job. New schedule. More activities. And a buttload of illness. For a house that rarely gets sick, we’ve been rocking the Sickness Salute since Christmas. Every week seems to bring something new. Stomach bugs. Colds. What appears to have been a mild flu. Sinus infections. Either a new illness strikes or a new family member gets it. I’m exhausted. Because nothing says awesome like waking up at 2 am to clean puke off the floor.

New job is going well. I am getting home earlier, but lately I have been battling exhaustion in the evening and I’m not nearly as productive as I had hoped to be. Perhaps when spring comes with some sunshine and warmer weather, things will ease up a bit. Sunshine is always good. My days at work are busy, but I stay just this side of panic about task overload. The hours sure fly by and the people are fun to work with. I like this company. Every time I’ve worked there (intern, 2 temp gigs, & now full-time employee), I feel right at home with these people.

The kids are getting busier than ever. Soccer will start up soon. I’m kind of disappointed that Kidlet One wanted to take a break as she seems to have a bit of natural talent. However, Kidlet Two is super excited to be big enough to play this year in the preschooler group. I am also trying to round up other activities and opportunities for the kids, even if it means I’m exhausted. Kidlet One has Girl Scouts, which always seems to be busy.

On the writing front, my novels (yes, that is plural) call out to me, mocking me about my lack of attention to their causes. Every time I sit down to write, it seems something comes up with the kids demanding my attention and I end up so exhausted it is hard to think once I finally sit down again. I am hoping some of this clears up with the warmer weather. I’ve also made efforts to get to bed earlier so I can get up earlier. This morning I got up a littler earlier, but so did Kidlet Three and he woke his oldest sister in the process, so I don’t quite call it a success. More like yet another work in progress. But isn’t all of life?

In the meantime, I keep trying to make progress, including a complete declutter of the house. It’s time to purge a great many things. I’ll keep trucking after my goals and get there eventually, including blogging more. I do enjoy it.

2013: Year of Many Things

by Leave a Comment

At one point I was going to write all these delightful goals for 2013. Things I was going to do, all these wonderful things I was going to accomplish. But alas, life has a way of taking all of my plans and scattering them to the four corners of the earth. So, let’s recap a bit.

Thanksgiving holiday I was as sick as a dog. The week I had off between Christmas and New Year’s, I was sick as a dog. I’ve started a new job. The past week I started fully into my new job and my brain is mushy, full of new things. It will all sort itself eventually though. I’ve also had a horrid headache for the last two days.

So let’s just say that for 2013, these are the things on my plate:

  • Settle in to my new job
  • Write more
  • Get the house decluttered & hold a garage sale
  • Save a significant amount toward a Disney vacation
  • Focus on eating right including more real, whole foods
  • Make regular exercise a thing for me
  • Pay off some debt

That seems to be plenty. Some of it is simple. Some of it repeats from last year. And some of it is new to a public list but has been on my mind for quite a time.

I am excited to get back into the writing seat. I am also grateful for a new job that allows me more time with my family and involves working with a great group of people. I get home much earlier than I have in years and my commute is cut in half. Score!

If you are a urban fantasy fan, Ilona Andrews is putting out the Innkeeper Chronicles. Book One is called Clean Sweep. The link takes you the beginning. I find it awesome.

Some of my friends are out in an anthology called A Spank in Time! Way to go, folks!

I think that’s about all I have for now. I am currently reading Tiffany Allee’s Lycan Unleashed. Just started. Somewhere I need to keep a list of books I’ve read this year.

Changes

by Leave a Comment

Over the last few weeks, I’ve neglected my blog and not posted my goals for 2012 like I said I would. But it’s all been with good reason. I am actually crossing things off the list!

We are also seeing a more normal schedule around here, so as we all adjust and are not drop dead tired all the time, I expect to have more time for hobbies and slowly get rid of my super messy house.

Most of this has been caused by the fact that I took a new job at a new company. Better pay, better hours and more flexible schedule made the decision easy. Especially given the fact that my old job was up in the air given all the layoffs occurring at all levels in that company. There are still layoffs going on, so I’m glad to be somewhere else.

I’ll dig out my goals list and post it soon, including the items I have marked off as accomplished! That last part is so exciting.

NaNoWriMo Progress

by 3 Comments

So we are between a third and halfway through National Novel Writing Month. I am behind, which I expected. But I am now taking my week of vacation, so I hope to be able to catch up among other things.

I will admit I have been getting up a little early to squeeze in a few words most mornings, which if I did this regularly, I could probably write year round. It’s a habit I need to build because I love writing. It’s fun, relaxing and just a part of me.

This last week, my husband has been exceptionally helpful around the house, so that makes my life easier too. I’ve crossed the 3k mark on my NaNo novel, which was a random idea I did for one of the Sunday Flash Fiction Challenges from Absolute Write. Best place on the interwebs evah!

I am looking forward to doing this though, so I am going to keep trucking along.

Total Slacker & the Chaotic Life

by 1 Comment

Things are a bit of a mess right now in my life in general, as referenced by the chaos in the blog title. It’s weird because when I was on maternity leave and home all the time, chaotic days were okay. It could be all crazy, but at the end of the day, sometimes they would be fun.

But with my working schedule, chaotic days are disastrous. I end up being the mother I do not want to be. Which ends up leaving me feeling a bit depressed. My schedule is pretty messed up and there’s little room for improvement, so I’m not happy most days.

But I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer and moan about my woes all day long, so I don’t talk about it much. I am working to improve on my situation. I’ve got a few things in the works and I’m hoping something works out.

In the meantime, I’ll keep feeling like a slacker on the inside and making the best of this chaotic life.

Back to Work I Go

by Leave a Comment

It’s been about 3/4 of a month since I returned to work. A pretty bittersweet return, mostly bitter for me. I didn’t want to go back. I want to be at home, raising my kids because they need me and I can see it. The only sanity saving part of it is that I need some time away from my kids to clear my head and I’ve finally got it.

Still, the schedule is sort of rough. We’ve not quite perfected all the details yet. I must say that on the three days my mom comes to our house instead of us driving to hers are much easier on me.

I’m coming up on the first long work week since my return and I hope it all goes smoothly. We will have to see though. And my daughter has her Christmas program for school coming up and due to all the stuff going on in the office, I don’t know that I will be able to attend. That part’s heartbreaking to the extreme.

There are a lot of things that I haven’t had a chance to figure out emotionally yet. Possibly being unable to attend my daughter’s program. Listening to my middle child cry for me as I’m leaving and learning she stood at the door for 20 minutes just waiting for me to return. Having an infant that wants to nurse all evening because he hasn’t seen me all day.

Honestly, I feel pretty shitty about the whole thing. This work crap sucks right now.