Ack!
I was just telling someone that this is actually a pretty easy week for me To Do List-wise. So somewhere the Fates were listening and decided to smack me upside the head for being so smug.
- The kids made more laundry (you'd think after 10 years, I'd know this will happen but it surprises me every time).
- The Valentine's Day papers mentioned on Monday need redone (teacher's fault, not mine).
- I haven't made any of my phone calls yet (another big surprise).
- There's no food in the house (except for frozen chicken breasts and frozen strawberries).
- The kids' short lived cleaning streak is over (the house looks like a tornado went through).
- I need to pick up, trim, and count Box Tops for the PTA (usually around 400+).
- I have 56 items to sew for BKD (okay so 50 of those are the wholesale order I mentioned and aren't actually due until Monday).
- It's the end of the month so I need to pay bills (crap, where did January go?).
Doh!
So while at the yarn shop, I mentioned joining their Ravelry group online. And the owner asked my username which is "katiefleck". My Ravelry profile mentions Blue Kitty Designs. Which has a link back to this site.
In the same conversation, it turns out that she's really good friends with the mom of one of Zach's best friends.
So what are the chances that someone in my "real" local life will find me here? I think I may need to look over my archives, just in case.
Reason #29: Why I don't talk to people IRL (in real life).
(Or maybe she'll fall in love with BKD and want to carry it in her store. Cause in case it wasn't obvious by "Reason #29" above, there's no way I'm approaching any stores on my own at this point.)
Which brings me to the last issue. Any one here from Maryland who knows me in the local community and is lurking? 'Fess up so I can quit freaking out about this. Thanks bunches!
*goes back into internet hiding mode*
The post where you all want to diagnosis me as bi-polar.
Okay so this morning, I'm in such a good mood that I could go sing with the birds and dance across the lawn. If only I could sing and my life was filled with cartoon birds who sang with people. I can dance. Sort of. Although it's a bit cold outside and there's still snow on the grass.
The yarn shop will be open today, the fabric for a wholesale order arrived (woohoo, money!), and I cleared my email inbox last night. Greg's sister and brother are coming into town this weekend and I have a babysitter all lined up so the 4 of us can go out (although to do what, I don't know). I've also
Happy happy, joy joy!
The yarn shop is closed today... *sigh*
Today's To Do List:
Take out the trash. (done)
Print Valentine's Day volunteer papers for Kyle's class. (done)
Call health insurance about vision plan.
Schedule parent/teacher conferences. (done)
Cut & sew custom order 8" dpn needle wallet. (done)
Cut & sew custom order tote bag. (done)
Sew ordered drawstring bag.
Reschedule kids' dentist appointments.
Create new BKD spreadsheet. (done)
Put away folded laundry.
Hockey practice this evening. (done)
Exercise and eat right, lol. (done, sort of)
Written out like that, it doesn't look too bad. Course we won't go into the dozen or so things I put on tomorrow's To Do List.
I'm still trying to get the hang of 2008. Or at least that's what I'm trying to blame my latest neurosis on.
It's been a weird month for me, most of which I haven't blogged about because hello, who wants to listen to an over-privileged stay at home mom with healthy children and a hardworking spouse whine? I mean there are people out there who were just diagnosed with cancer, whose spouse is going overseas with the military, or have recently lost their job. So really my life is all hunky dory and I should just get over myself already.
Still I need to learn to cut myself some slack sometimes. I'm not sure why but I've been really hard on myself these last few weeks. Like freaking out about the 5 lbs I gained over the holidays on top of the 5 lbs I gained over the fall on top of the 5lbs I gained when I quit "dieting." My doctor isn't even concerned but I'm rather upset about it. It's a clothes thing too because now most of my clothes don't fit well for the first time ever while not pregnant, hence the freaking out. I'm also due (overdue really) for some new clothes but I don't want to buy "this new larger size". And unfortunately 15lbs aren't going to go away overnight as much as I wish they would. Dieting and exercising is something I just haven't wanted to find the time to do this month. So I'm wearing old clothes that don't fit and feeling rather yucky about it all.
See what I mean about inconsequential whining? Who cares about me and my 15lbs when there are women out there with 100lbs to lose?
I'm also finding the little things very overwhelming. Like the Scouts schedules got away from me at the beginning of the month and another dad stepped in with the Cub Scouts stuff while I canceled two Girl Scout events. I didn't like either, I like to be able to do it all myself. (At this point Steph tells me to hang up the Superwoman cape because it's going to strangle me.) Blue Kitty Designs has been humming along at a good pace with a few snags here there (mostly taxes/finding receipts and dealing with fabric supply back orders and decisions about future marketing). The house is in reasonable shape, the kids have been healthy for the most part, and Greg's been in town (until this upcoming week, drat). So yeah, I really have nothing to complain about.
I guess another issue is I'm just not bouncing back from the little set backs as quickly as usual and that bothers me. Good example was this morning. While updating my Raverly profile last night (which I don't think you can see if you aren't a member, sorry. It's a yarn/knitting thing so you aren't missing much), I realized that I'd really love to start two new quick knitting projects. The yarn for both could easily be bought in a local yarn shop so I wouldn't need to pay and wait for shipping with an online order. I checked the local shops' websites and since Greg was going out of town today at noon, I found one that opened at 10am so I could shop in peace (i.e. without any children). After all my lovely planning, I quickly put away the breakfast dishes this morning, gathered my patterns, and set off. And the shop was closed. They had new hours that they hadn't updated on their website. And I burst into tears. I was so terribly disappointed and upset. Over yarn. Which is completely unlike me because I don't think I over react to things very often. In fact, I think I tend to "under react" most of the time. This is all very weird.
Anyway so this is where I am right now. In a decent environmental state, so-so physical state (damn 15lbs), and an odd mental state. I think I need to find my perspective again. It's like I need a reset button. I need to improve my mindset so those stupid little things don't matter too much and then to keep myself moving forward through decisions and annoying tasks I don't want to do. I think I may also be over thinking things. The irony in that last sentence is not lost on me.
So there, now I have it all out in the open and it's time to move on. I will drink less Mountain Dew tomorrow and exercise more (I already took a walk with the kids this afternoon, go me.) I will plan the calendar and our schedule better next month. I will bribe Kelly with something and take her to the yarn shop one day this week (calling to check if they are open first!). I will try to keep an eye on the big picture and know that even though I'm still going to be stressed occasionally, the really important things are alright in my life. My kids, Greg, my family and friends.
I'm writing off the last 27 days as a fluke. 2008 officially starts now.
I'm just really not into the "Scouting Mom" mood at the moment. I suffered through last night's Girl Scout meeting and the only reason why I didn't cancel was because I had already canceled the first meeting of the month. And we really needed to plan our Thinking Day activities. (We are studying Jamaica, I'm thinking about keeping a bottle of rum behind the table for the adults. We'll need it.) Only 8 girls showed up (out of 14) and two were my twins so wasn't too bad. Maybe I just need to let the troop lose a few without pushing the moms to keep their girls in. Because I know for sure if I had called two moms and offered their daughters rides to and from, I would have had 2 more girls there last night. But you know, there's only one of me and I can only stretch so far.
Tonight we're hosting Zach's Cub Scout den (about 8 boys) here at the house. And somehow I'm planning pretty much the same activity as I did last year. Is it just me or do the Cub Scouts do the same stuff over and over? Each year they need to earn a Fitness badge and an Outdoor one and a Science one and a blah, blah, blah... At least with Brownies I have a book of about 60+ Try-Its to spread out over 3 years.
The ironic part about my burn out is that I'm pretty much slated to be Kelly's Daisy troop leader next year and unless some
Dear "My Kids' Teachers",
I really did try to put a coat, gloves, and hat on him this morning. You'd think I was putting him in a straight jacket. So the sweatshirt was a compromise, I honestly don't want him to freeze especially since it's 20 F (-6 C) outside. You're lucky he's not in shorts.
When she asked if she could have saltines for snack, I said okay because I didn't want to deal with The Meltdown. I'm sorry she seems to have packed the entire box. I hope you don't mind if she needs to go to the water fountain.
"Bring *the number of days we've been in school* Items" is cute but it's getting annoying finding that number of the same thing every 10 days. Who has time to count 90 of anything? So I apologize for the plastic baggies, it was easy to pull out 10. In two weeks, you'll probably get the whole box.
I don't know why she has a backpack pocket full of tiny stuffed animals. Maybe you mentioned something about a miniature zoo project and she feels the need to be prepared? All I know is when I tried to take them out, she screamed so loud that my brain oozed out of my ears.
A big thank you for lovingly teaching my children. Or more to the point, for putting up with them for 7 hours so I can handle the other 17 without killing anyone. Have a nice day!
Katie
Ah, that posting streak was nice while it lasted, huh?
A completely non linear update: The washer seems fixed, the repair guy came Friday (not Wednesday, argh) and said we do a lot of laundry and were wearing out the motor. Hmm, maybe I should have procrastinated more loads of laundry? So the guy did something (I don't know what, I didn't watch because the kids were off school on Friday so it's all a blur) and I haven't done any laundry yet because I spent $30 at the laundry mat to do all the laundry on Thursday because I didn't know when I'd be able to do laundry again since the guy had canceled on Wednesday and hadn't rescheduled at that time. So I haven't tried the washer to know if it is *really* fixed since all the laundry was done on Thursday. Got that?
Also on Thursday Zach and I missed his skate time on the Capitals ice because prepare yourself, it SNOWED. < sarcasm > OMG, freak out!!!!!1! < /sarcasm > I hate living here... Because I grew up in Indiana and lived in Ohio, both places where it snows, I know how to drive in the stuff. But because here in Maryland 90% of the people are transplants from places where it doesn't snow (heck half of the people seem to be from other snow-less countries), they can't drive in snow. Although I should be mean and mention I know Marylanders who don't know how to drive in snow either so maybe snow in Maryland is actually rare? Anyway therefore these people do stupid things that clog the roads and makes it impossible for those of us who know how to drive and need to go places to do so in a reasonable amount of time. Normal driving time to downtown DC with marginal traffic: 45 minutes. It took us 3 hours on Thursday. This just goes to reinforce my belief that people are stupid. So much for my usual Pollyanna attitude, right? I'm just still a wee bit pissed that Zach missed the ice time and I missed watching him play there.
Um, the kids are off school again today. The End.
Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto Canada 2008
(Zach, Stanley Cup)
Today Zach's hockey team is playing on the Capitals ice in DC. Afterwards everyone will stay in town, eat dinner, and then go back to the Verizon Center to watch the Capitals play the Oilers. Zach had a fabulous time last year and this year will be even better because with all the insane crazy 7am games I've taken him to, I've earned to the right to go with him! (Greg went last year, it's only fair.) I'm so excited, one because it's my first NHL game and two it's not at 7am!
CN Tower, Gift Shop, Toronto Canada 2008
(Emily, Kelly, Zach, Kyle, Ally)
I really don't have anything to write today, I'm waiting on the repair guy to arrive and figure out why the washer doesn't spin or drain completely. It's one of those things where the washer still cleans, it just doesn't spin enough to get all of the water out and so about half the clothes end up pretty wet still. It drains sort of okay but there's usually half an inch of water left. So I've been squeezing the excess water out, air drying a lot of stuff, and running the dryer longer than usual (hello high electric bill!). Since July. And then over Christmas/New Year break, I did laundry elsewhere and wow, the clothes were so much dryer coming out of the washer. Maybe I really should have our washer checked.
And so of course today, I have like a dozen errands I'd rather be running than waiting on the repair guy. See this is why I put this off so long...
Niagara Falls 2008
(Greg, Kelly, Ally, Kyle, Zach, Emily, Katie)
I'm really grumpy this morning. The To Do list is pissing me off. I made a good dent in it yesterday (including 7 phone calls, blech) but there's still a ton more stupid stuff. Heaven better not have to do lists. (Hell will be a mile long to do list with a million phone calls to be made with crappy cell phone reception while driving for hours on a two lane highway with no passing zones behind someone who is going 10 under the speed limit.) I'm kinda beginning to hate the lists. Although I'm not sure how I'd give them up because I can't seem to remember anything without writing it down. Maybe there's a self help book titled "Life without Lists."
Yeah yeah, I'll go whine somewhere else now...
Christmas Outfits 2007
(Kelly, Kyle, Ally, Zach, Emily)
I've realized what a pain it is not to post about Christmas in December because then all my January posts are playing catch up and who really wants to read about Christmas in January anyways?
Playing catch up is a good theme for my life right now. It's like I woke up this morning and wham, half of the first month of the new year is already over. I totally didn't make any resolutions either. Maybe on February 1st. #1 on the list: quit procrastinating...
Hey, hey, I'm still here. Just haven't been in the sharing/blogging mood. Things are alright, the Christmas gifts have found homes, Zach's sick (same thing I had earlier this week I think), I need to do laundry, my shop is picking up again, and I've been putting off phone calls and emails. So pretty much everything is normal. It's January, life is suppose to be bland... Although if someone wants to fly me some place warm for the weekend, I wouldn't protest. (I might blind people with my ghost white skin though.)
Have a nice Friday!
I.Am.Sick.
So the tales of us freezing to death at the zoo's Festival of Lights, spending 3 hours at the mall on Christmas Eve, opening lots (and lots and lots) of gifts, watching my friend drink an entire bottle of wine and then puke it back up in an hour time span, watching an Indiana high school basketball game, hiking in the woods, celebrating a college graduation (it only took 9 years), getting our front bumper hit and license plate crunched at an Indiana hotel, falling in love with a very cute 8 week old lab puppy (she's still in Ohio though), staying up way too late playing Wii Bowling with friends and family, crossing the border into Canada, thinking Canada looks a lot like Ohio, leaving a credit card at Hooters, having another credit card denied because of "suspicious charges", freezing at Niagara Falls (winter in Canada is cold, who knew, eh?), driving around Toronto for an hour looking for a parking space, going up the world's tallest building, laughing at Loonies and Toonies, crossing the border back into the US, and reminding my sister to take her birth control pill will all have to wait for another day.
(We had a fabulous time, we really did. I don't mean to be so snarky, it's just the five tons of snot in my head and the sledge hammer to my temples are making me a bit out of sorts.)
Five from Maryland Family Dead in Ohio Crash
I don't usually post things like this but yikes, this really could have been us. My prayers are with their family and friends.
Happy New Year!
The kids managed to stay up to see the ball drop last night. And then slept in until about 10:30am today.
We're currently on stop 4 of our 7 city tour, it's been crazy... Next up, Canada!*
* I know I wanted to go to Canada but I really think we should have planned this trip for the summer. It's cold in Canada right now!
All Content at katiefleck.com is Copyright 2003-2007 by Katie Fleck, All Rights Reserved.
