Clorox 2 for Colors, you are NOT my friend.

Some days I wake up and realize all the things I have to be and do ... and whew!  Most of the things I do are for people I love, or I do them because I enjoy them.  But - just when I think to myself, "I'm a good person.  I helped ..." whomever with whatever.  And it feels good.  And then a random written statement (from someone who apparently does not think I'm a good person today) slaps me in the face and it ruins my whole day.  If it came from someone I didn't care about, I'd just shrug it off because whatevs.  But I do care about the person.  And it bothers me that when I'm having a rough month, I can't get any slack.  Just because I do other things, doesn't mean I don't like or care about you.  So yes, I sometimes forget to make a phone call or send an email ... and I understand feelings get hurt because I've responded to something or someone else and not you -- but it's truly not because I don't care.  I just have a lot on my plate right now, and my focus is on getting through the very next day as best I can (I know it sounds lame, but I can't even look ahead to the day after tomorrow right now).  So to all of my friends out there - if I haven't called, or texted for a while, please don't judge me and think I'm being a terrible friend.  I do love and care about each and every one of you.  I try to be a good friend, but I'm not perfect.  And sometimes, I need my good friends to be understanding.

There is nothing worse than waking up to the realization that there is no coffee in the house ... anywhere.  Not even the instant junk.  

Had a good time at art night last night with the family; we celebrated a birthday and a retirement!  My sister-in-law made fantastic orange and lemon cakes.  Very summer-y.  Some of my husband's out of town family was in and it was nice to catch up with them and get to know them a little better.  My nephew and my son had a good time together--and are becoming quite the little team of masterminds.  I just haven't decided if they're going to use their powers for good or evil . . . 

 

Boo.  Being sick is no fun!  Any other mommies out there who feel like the few times they do get sick, it lasts way longer than usual because you don't get to ignore everything and everyone else to rest up and recuperate?!?! 

Bedtime last night was a SUCCESS!  There were no tears, no whining.  How did I do it?  Well, Peyton loves to race.  So, we raced the clock.  I timed him putting on his pajamas.  I timed him picking out a book to read.  I even timed our rocking - three minutes (1 song) with me, three with Daddy.  When time was up, he was nearly asleep because he was trying to beat the buzzer to sleep!  He was in bed and asleep by 8:15pm, which hasn't happened for some time.  The past few weeks it's been 8:30, 9, 9:15 before he was in the bed and actually eyes closed asleep.  So this is one HAPPY Mommy!  Tonight we'll shoot for a little earlier start time so he can be in bed and asleep by 8pm.  :)  I'll let you know how it goes.

Busy, busy, busy!  The past few days I have been helping my sister (Melinda) plan a wedding ... for June 9th - yes, this year!  Melinda is out of town so that's why I've been recruited to do some running for venue contract signing, etc...and I'll be the photographer on the Big Day!  And she has been tirelessly working on the centerpieces which will have some real flowers, but also these really cool paper flowers -- and I'm not sure how many she's made, but the picture she sent looked like a lot!  I don't know how she's doing it!  I must say that even though it's been a little crazy with the date so close, I'm really enjoying our Barrelhouse (her event business) - Avonlea Events (my event business) collaboration!  In addition to that, I'm rebuilding my lia sophia business after baby!  All that (and yes, I'm still working on the house cleaning checklist!), and I'm making sure to make plenty of time for my kiddos!  There's never a dull moment around here!

 

It's a funny thing about checklists ... sometimes life happens and that list gets lost in the shuffle.  So yeah - I didn't complete that checklist.  But I did accomplish a lot more than I would have if I hadn't made a list and tried.  For instance, Mikaela's room is almost completely cleaned out and ready to be painted.  She's only three months old tomorrow...  I mean, she's been sleeping in our room in a bassinet and I haven't felt the pressing urge to move her to her own room yet since she's still waking up for a four o'clock feeding.  But the time's a-coming when she'll be sleeping through the night and will be too big for that bassinet.  Oh well.  Today, I'll sit down and re-evaluate my list, make some changes, and get back to work!

Switching over to Peyton - he used to be great about bedtime.  We'd go in, read a couple books, turn on the music, rock for one song, and then he'd get into bed and go to sleep...or talk to himself until he fell asleep.  Lately, not so much.  I can't decide if it's because of Mikaela, or because he had been having health issues.  Whichever it is, he just wants to rock and rock and rock until he falls asleep.  Don't get me wrong, I love rocking with him, but we can't be rocking him to sleep every night - he has to learn to put himself to sleep again.  And when he was little, the first few times we left him to do that he cried for a while and then got over it.  Now, he will cry and scream and just freak out.  On one hand, I feel like he's playing me; but on the other, sometimes the cry isn't like "Oh, I'm crying because I'm mad that it's bedtime..." but "I'm really freaked out here, and no one is helping me!"  *Sigh*  I guess I'm just going to have to harden my heart a little (or buy earplugs) and break him in like we did when he was little.

 

Okay, so now that I have corrected my profile and all that jazz, I'm ready to share.

It amazes me how on the Real Housewives show, these women are almost never seen with their children doing family things.  And, I'm sure they probably do (hopefully...maybe...), but I can't imagine being so self-centered that all my time is spent on me.  Don't these ladies know what they're missing out on?  For instance, last night we had our Friday night movie night with Peyton - we made pizza and cookies and watched "The Tale of Despereaux."  We snuggled on the couch and enjoyed our simple dinner and Netflix choice.  Well, the pizza, cookies, and snuggling were good.  The movie?  Interesting...but that's a story for another day.  Then this morning we got up and made chocolate chip waffles together.  Okay, that's a lie - he watched me get out the ingredients and then wandered into the living room to watch Transformers Rescue Bots, and I made the waffles alone.  But so far it's been a lovely, family-togetherness kind of morning.

Unfortunately, once I finish writing this blog it will be time for me to continue on with my 'Checklist.'  One task at a time.  Ooohh - paused for a moment to hold Mikaela.  Love snuggle time with my kiddos!  Okay ... I've stalled long enough.  Off to work I go.