A Day in the Life

I was recently asked what my life is like as a mother of a busy household.  This was my response...

My day starts with approving HRH's outfit and hair style--yes, she wakes me every morning for this chore. lol

Get breakfast for the little boys. No, Max--you cannot survive on Wheat Thins. JJ you need more than 10 calories. Zeke--27 bowls of cereal is quite enough.

Let the dog out.

Let the dog in.  Feed the dog.

Get the boys ready for school, including telling M that his shirt is on backward, making J re-brush his teeth (this time with toothpaste), and telling Z that neither a pajama top nor a short sleeved shirt are recommended for the dead of winter.

Let the dog out.

Comb the boys hair, threaten to shave their heads.

Decide their teeth are still gross and re-brush them all myself.

Drive the boys to school--in my jammies, quite a sight...

Come home, let the dog in.

Do dishes, fold a load of laundry. Toss wash into the dryer.

Take a shower. Hair, makeup, clothes--not in that order...

Let the dog out.

Collect 47 items of laundry from bedroom and bathroom floors and start another load of laundry.

 Let the dog in.

Work on computer to fulfill customer orders.

Make phone calls to place new orders and locate new vendors and price lists.

Crate the dog.

Run to office and then panic when I realize that HRH is ready for a ride home from school and I'm still in SLC.

Pick up HRH from school.

Let the dog out.

Figure out something for lunch.

Let the dog in.

Help HRH with homework.
 
Do more laundry.

Talk to a friend.

Wash any remaining dishes, which is usually in the form of pots and pans for things I didn't even cook...

Finish up a little computer work.  Send emails.

 Let the dog out.

 Let the dog in. Crate the dog.

Drive to the school to pick up Sarah for our carpool. Drive HRH and Sarah to dance.

Get stuck in traffic on the way back from dance.  Make frantic calls to get someone prepared to do a rescue pick-up in case I don't get to the elementary school on time for the boys.

Dash home to get boys dressed in whatever uniform or outfit is necessary. Grab suitable snacks and deliver the boys to dance, tumbling, scouts, karate, or whatever oddity that they might be doing.

Let the dog out.

Let the dog in. Crate the dog.

Watch odd class in which boys participate in case of accidental injury causing an unforeseen stop by the ER.

Run to moms to save her from data-loss disaster.

Drive to Provo to pick up HRH. Stopping on the way to pick up print orders for work.

Drop Sarah off in Cedar Hills--dash home.

Let the dog out.

Get home in time to make ravioli and meatballs (from a can) for whomever will eat it. Scrounge for the rest of us... (I've been known to dine on Cheetos and Diet Coke.)

Let the dog in. Feed the dog.

Work on homework with the boys--once they graduate to Fourth grade, I will have successfully passed Third grade a grand total of 6 times...

Dump all three boys in the tub and threaten them with their lives if they don't use soap and shampoo.

Help HRH with more homework.

Let the dog out.

Let the dog in.

Talk to The Mister: this might equal a grand total of 3 sentences--especially if he's out of town and I am still struggling to get everyone off to bed.

Send everyone to bed--after brushing teeth (again, with toothpaste) for all the boys.

Do a little more computer work.

Watch The Big Bang Theory (I have 4 complete seasons on DVD).

Find anything that will pass as pajamas.

Read a book in bed.

Let the dog out.

Let the dog in. Crate the dog.

Pass out. Repeat.

Notice that I did not get all the laundry into the dryer, nor did I cook an appropriately nutritious meal. I didn't buy any groceries, nor did I pay the bills.  I neglected to clean the toilets. I didn't go shopping at the mall. I did not get a Smash Burger (tragic!). I didn't pick up the dry cleaning nor did I get the oil changed in my car.  I hope to do some of these things tomorrow... Or the next day... Or maybe next week......  We'll see.
 

Neighbors

We are settling into our new neighborhood.  I have to say, living on a street that is full of children is a happy change for us!  We loved our former neighbors...  We just wished there had been more of them to love!  We went from a neighborhood of vacant houses and few children to a neighborhood just teeming with friends and cohorts!  Now, if I could just convince The Buddies to tell me where they're going I'd be set!  Max has a bad habit of wandering off with any new friend he makes...  That makes it a little hard for me to find him!  We nearly called the police twice last week!  We've got to do some serious training around here!

Lax

I know that I have neglected my daily blogging for the month.  I'm hoping that the fact that I was focusing on obtaining oxygen for my brain is excuse enough.  Luckily, my cold was short-lived, and I'm back to normal (or my version of normal, anyway...).

I am pleased to say that I've made some progress on the office.  And the kitchen is getting more functional by the day.  We have furniture in the bedrooms (thanks for swapping "junk" with me, Gen!).  And I have high hopes for the laundry room.

Now, if the snow would either provide full coverage, or dry up altogether (along with the accompanying mud), that would be great!  Lola is having trouble doing her doggy-business without tracking mud everywhere!  But, I am afraid that LAWN is a topic that is far (far, far...) in the future. 

Puddles (part 3)

We have seen a return by an unexpected nocturnal visitor... Will the phantom pee-er please raise his hand?

Great. Now, you there, just stop that!

Even though the puddles have been on the bathroom tile (SOOOO grateful that they haven't been on the carpet)... I still don't enjoy mopping them up. If you could just find your way to the bathroom, and then lift the lid before proceeding to dispense anything, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,

Office

I'm not sure why, but my office frequently bears the brunt of our family mess. For some unknown reason, it has become the eternal catch-all location. It's really a shame, I think I would be so much more productive if my work space was more organized... But at least for now, it has become storage for unopened boxes. I guess it's just a fact that sleeping areas and the kitchen take priority, but I still look forward to the day when all cardboard is evicted from my workspace. I dream about the day when my desks are free from the overflow from other parts of the house.

In truth, I think I've encouraged the chaos in previous houses. Not intentionally, but still... I haven't taken my office space seriously enough (or maybe I haven't taken my business seriously enough) and the office has become Craft Central and Computer Game Haven. This time things have to be different. Not just because I say so... But because I just don't have room/storage/patience for it now.

So--here it is...

Stay tuned to see the final results!

Perspective

I've recently been witness to a painful lesson in how differently two people can perceive the same situation.

In our business-savvy world, we do all we can to eliminate unnecessary misunderstandings.  We define time lines, terms of payment, responsibilities, and expectations...  And still, there is always room for misinterpretation.

It's frustrating to look at a scenario and see one thing, while knowing that another party is interpreting the same information in an entirely different way.  And being the opinionated person that I am, I feel completely driven to convince the opposing side of my correctness.  Never mind that at the same time, those same people are trying to convince me to accept their (erroneous) point of view.

I pride myself on being a fairly reasonable person (disputed by some of my son's friends, I'm sure).  And I like to think that I am logical as well.  Is my sensible mind-set an anomaly?  Why don't more people agree with me?  It would save us both some time and annoyance.  Maybe some people just enjoy a good argument...  What they don't know is that I am really skilled in the art of the argument.  And, of course, I have the benefit of being right.

My Teen Redux--Sorta

It's always an interesting predicament to find your adult self back in your parents home.  It's happened to me briefly before, always as a temporary stop-over to a new landing place... The first time was when my ex-husband and I were in the middle of a military relocation...  (Ha ha...  you didn't even know there was an ex-husband, did you!?)  Later, I was in the process of re-labeling aforementioned man from Husband to Ex-Husband...  Both times, it was just a matter of months, but there is nothing like living in your childhood home to make you feel like you are reliving your teen years.  There's a certain feeling that you need to surrender your adulthood when you return to your parents home.

First, you are back in the territory dominated by your parents.  Always interesting when you have been queen of your own domain for a while.  There are the expected hours--to get up, to go to bed, to do assorted tasks...  There are the rules--don't leave that there, make your bed, put the dishes in the dishwasher.  Not that I wouldn't do those things anyway--but it's different when you're doing them because you are expected to, and not of your own accord.

And then there are all the old friends and neighbors...

Hello, Mrs. Quigley...  

How are you, Sister Day?  

Julie!  I haven't seen you since high school graduation!!! 

It's hard to be an adult in these situations...  You want to catch up with everyone, but how to do that?  You're not exactly the same person--circumstances and situations have invariably changed you (and the others, too).  You can't hang out in the bedroom with the stereo playing...  You can't stay out too late--that isn't exactly considerate to someone who is hosting you at their own inconvenience...  And yet, you want the opportunity to fill in the missing blanks in the lives of the people you have missed...

There are the familiar faces at church.  The same faces at the ball games (although those faces are now in the crowd, cheering their own children, and not on the playing field).  The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker...  It's all so familiar, and yet, it's all different.

Today, I find myself, once again, in my mom's domain.  We moved into my parents house nearly two weeks ago.  Our deadline for moving from our most recent home had arrived...  Unfortunately, our new home has not yet been completed.  **In fact, it is seriously behind schedule.**  So, here we are...  Not the young couple with the little baby...  Not the single mom...  No.  Our whole (rather over-sized) family.  That's two full-grown (theoretically) adults, a teen, The Buddies, and a dog.  This extreme multiplication in residency may prove to be challenging...  It's cozy, to say the least, but pleasant.

Besides the exponentially higher number of people, how is this  unifying-of-households different?  Well, for one thing, this isn't my childhood home.  My parents relocated (at my persistent urging) a few years ago.  It's been fabulous to have them so close...  And for this short-term tenancy, their relocation has been a blessing.  My children are able to stay in the same schools, see their usual friends, go to dance, soccer, and assorted activities...  Other than not having a bus--little has changed in their day-to-day lives.   But, the fact that this isn't the home of my childhood means that I don't know the neighbors.  I don't know the ladies at church.  I can't catch up with old friends...  And I'm not really feeling motivated to pursue new acquaintances because we won't be here very long...

So for me, life is in upheaval.  While I don't feel like I'm no longer a card-carrying member of the Adult Party, I do feel the sting of being The Secondary.  I miss my kitchen (not the physicality of it, just that it's mine--filled with my things).  I miss my brand of milk in the fridge.  I miss my collection of cookbooks.  I miss my high-capacity washer that can wash three sets of twin-sized sheets at once.  I miss knowing which channel shows my favorite TV shows.  I miss knowing where my stuff is...  Being able to find that shirt, those boots, this jacket...

But, really?  I can't complain.  My parents are Saints.  I do less cooking (mom and I are trying to share that responsibility).  Dad seems to enjoy spending time exercising Lola.  The Buddies love showing off their rapidly-improving reading skills to Grandma and Grandpa.  I have back-up chaperons, chauffeurs, and care-givers.  And best of all, I have about 4000 fewer square feet to clean!  Maybe we'll just stay here...

JUST KIDDING, MOM!  Don't have a heart attack!

Life here is rather pleasant, but I'm still looking forward to getting back to "normal" in our new home.

Pencil that in...

Announcement: We've moved... Again.

I know, I know... The last time we moved I announced that we'd never move again. I insisted that you could update your address book with ink. I told you it was unnecessary to pencil us in... We were staying put. We had arrived at our permanent address.

I lied.

So, here we are again. How many years was it this time? About four, and that is, perhaps, close to our record.

And now I will try to be perfectly honest. We've moved. Please pencil in our new address.

Thanks...

Somethings Cooking

I was a pretty dedicated blogger until life got in the way. What is it about the goings on of a family... Without a little excitement there are meager pickings for blog topics. But when there's too much excitement, there just isn't time enough to take a break and get it all down. It's like the days when you have no ingredients on hand to make a quick dinner versus the evenings when you find yourself looking at a fully stocked pantry with no time to throw anything together.

I now find myself in the exasperating situation of having too many pots on the stove with nothing ready to serve. I'd love to update the world on our new adventures and big changes, but they're all still works in progress. But I know that as soon as our plans solidify, I'll be slammed with to many obligations to blog anything.

Lately, I find myself ruminating on our future. In particular, I'm daydreaming about a kitchen with cookies baking in the oven... Kids playing at the park... Taking walks around the neighborhood... It's something of a domestic daydream involving lots of family time a liberal dose of homemade cuisine. It's a pleasant dream--I hope it comes to fruition soon!

It's been a good day.

Lots of big things are happening here. Some things are coming to a resolution. New adventures are about to begin. It's gonna be a big year for us. And, at least at this junction, I'm happy to say that things are moving in a positive direction.

Announcing a Pending Announcement....

I have nothing to announce, but I'm hoping to very soon! We've been working on a new project here at the Bean Household. Tomorrow we should have all the loose ends tied up. I know I haven't been posting much lately, the truth is, some of these preparations have been taking up all my time... And I just wasn't quite ready to share. But big changes are coming! And, NO, I absolutely am NOT pregnant! No more Crazy Beans for us! Wait and see what's next...

Weeds

I have weeds growing in my yard.  Not one or two...  Lots of weeds.  I could argue that I suffer from seasonal allergies.  I could complain that weeding is a never-ending and thankless job.  I could curse the neighboring yard with it's over-grown tumble of weeds that go to seed and infest my lawn and flowerbeds.

But then I find this...

And a little later, I find this...

And then I find this...

And after appreciating the vibrant colors and interesting shapes,
I figure these photos provide an adequate argument against weeding.
And that is the real reason why I have weeds in my yard.

That's my story...  And I'm sticking to it...

A Very Good Day.

Some days it seems like the whole world is spinning in the wrong direction.  Work isn't going well, the house is a wreck, the kids are bickering more than usual, it's too hot, too cold, not enough, or too much.

But then there are those other days.  The ones that seem almost magical in the way things fall into place.  Yesterday was one of those days, one of the magical days.  From first thing in the morning until falling into bed, it seems like everything went exactly my way.

I know, it was a fluke, and I'm a lucky, lucky girl to have had such a day.  But I have to wonder, how would it be to have a whole life that proceeded at such a smooth and extraordinarily non-ordinary manner?  Would it be heaven?  Or would I just dismiss the magical quality and see it as life as usual?

Maybe that's the magic of magic.  Maybe the thing that makes it so special is that it's infrequent and unexpected.  Maybe it wouldn't really be anything to anticipate if it was a lifetime.  I think I'll just be grateful for yesterday, and I'll smile through today as I think about yesterday's unanticipated enchantment.

Not an auspicious beginning.

Some days everything goes smoothly from the moment you roll out of bed.  Today was not one of those days...

5am:  You know it's gonna be a rough day when you wake from a bad dream and can't get back to sleep.

6 am:  It's not likely to get better when your daughter yells at the top of her lungs for help.

6:05am:  The day rapidly progresses in the wrong direction when you realize your daughter is screaming because she's being terrorized by a mouse.

6:30am:  It really isn't helpful when the cat (who normally lives outside) would rather lounge on the bed than catch the mouse...

7am:  This day is off to an interesting start...


Oh yeah...  It's gonna be a beautiful day...

He Thinks This Is A Good Idea

The Mister has the benefit (nuisance) of working with doctors all day.  This association means that he is often subjected to the "expert" opinions of those aforementioned physicians.

The Mister has been trying to get in better shape.  He's watching what he eats (most of the time), and he is getting up early to work out.  I'm supportive of this effort, well, not the weight loss efforts, but the getting-in-shape efforts.  For those who don't know him, The Mister is of a rather slight build.  As a woman of a more average build, it is to my extreme disadvantage to have The Mister lose weight.  That having been said, you must understand that weight is something of an issue in this house.  I'd like to see The Mister gain a little weight (in all the right places, of course).  At the same time, I'd like nothing more than to shed a few of my extra pounds.  I prefer there to be a distinct difference in our sizes...  And obviously, I'd like him to outweigh me at any given time.

The Mister made an announcement at large today.  He wants a body fat measuring scale...  He related that after speaking with a doctor about the changes (or lack thereof) on the scale display, he needed a better way of measuring his progress.  He's convinced that he isn't losing weight, despite his workouts, because he is gaining muscle mass.  Yippee!  I hope that's the truth.  But now he wants the body fat scale to confirm that he is correct in this supposition.   

Truthfully, I have been experiencing some success on the weight-loss front myself.  But even considering that, every morning our bathroom scale yells at me to "get off!"  I really don't think I need another device in my life that's sole purpose is to tell me just how fat I am.  (Not matter how much padding I may or may not be carrying!)  Really, do you think that's necessary?

And BTW--if anyone gets him one of these monsterous devices for Christmas, that person will be crossed off my gifting list for the rest of his or her natural life.

It's not gonna be good...

Sometimes you just know it isn't going to go well.  You plan for it.  You prepare for it.  But when it actually comes down to it...  well, you just never know.

Today is Friday, and I've had all I can take!  I'm burned out, stressed out, tired out, and I'm very grateful to be at the end of a very stressful week.  Why is it that the more you already have to do, the more gets heaped on you last minute?  Ugh.  I just want to climb in bed and pull the sheets over my head.

On a brighter note:  The Weekend has Arrived!  And I don't have to drive the Saturday morning 7:00am carpool...  Yippee!  Now I think I actually will climb into bed and hide!

Stupid Things

I am a master at doing stupid things that make me want to kick myself.  Often, those regrettable actions come in the form of dumb comments.  Or the misplacing of some rather important item.  Losing my temper and failing to keep my cool under pressure.  Volunteering for assignments that I honestly have no time or energy to accomplish.  But the thing that rankles me more than almost anything else is when I throw out the garbage, including some vitally important (or expensive) item that really can't be classified as refuse.

I did that last week...  Again...

Remember how handsome The Boy looked on his Graduation Day?  I remember it.  In fact, I hope I will long remember it.  Because the memory of how grown up he looked in his newly tailored pants, crisp dress shirt, and silk tie are all that I have left.  The unfortunate truth of what I'm confessing is that I threw away his new dress pants...  The pants that I bought at Nordstrom...  The pants that he wore twice...  Those custom-tailored pants, in charcoal grey, with the subtle pin striping...  Those pants...

You might be wondering how I could do something so stupid.  The truth is, I have lots of practice doing stupid things.  This one just happens to be a little more painful than others.  And the reason that it's a little more painful is twofold.  First, I hate paying good money only to dispose of such items so uncerimoniously.  But the more important reason is that I don't know that I'll ever convince The Boy to get another pair of dress pants.  And without him there to try them on, I'll never be able to buy him another pair that fit him as well as these did.

So, how did it happen?  Well, soon after graduation The Boy went on a Pioneer Trek.  On Trek the girls are required to wear pioneer dresses and the boys are asked to wear non-denim pants (preferably with suspenders)--it's supposed to add to the experience.  The Boy took it upon himself to purchase some wool dress pants at DI (our local Goodwill-type store).  After Trek The Boy threw his Trek clothing in the laundry along with his new dress pants.  I told him that we would need to take his dress pants to the dry cleaners if they really needed cleaning.  I asked him to put them in his room rather than leaving them in the laundry basket.  Unfortunately, I assumed he had actually done as I asked...  Why would I assume that?  Really, why?

Anyway, I decided that I was not going to pay for his wool Trek trousers to be dry cleaned.  And since all DI donations are supposed to be clean, I just decided to chuck them in the garbage.  You see where this is going, right?  I gathered up all the trousers in the basket and hauled them to the garbage.  The garbage went to the curb...  The garbage truck picked them up...  It makes me a little sick just thinking about it.

Anyhow...  While packing The Boy's belongings for his move to college, we discovered that the dress pants were missing...  Through deductive reasoning we have determined their whereabouts...  It isn't happy...

Something in the air...

Something was different today.

I feel like life is winding back up in preparation for Fall. There seems to be so much to do, and I just hope I get it all done in time. Schedules are getting busier, bedtime is coming earlier, life is getting hectic. And while I'm not sure I've got myself going at the right speed to merge into the fray, I'm not sure I have a choice. I'll just grit my teeth, put it in gear, and join the masses.

And while I'm feeling the pressures of back-to-school and back-to-scheduled-life, I am looking forward to some of it. I am looking forward to meals at home instead of at the nearest drive-thru. I can't wait to have a kitchen filled with the sweet aromas of baking bread or simmering soups. I long for quiet evenings with a fire in the grate.

Yep, something was different today. And I think it's gonna be good.

A change is in the air...

So, yesterday I was lamenting my issues regarding dealing with change. But today I'm all about the change! (NO, not the change! geez!). I'm talking about the weather. I think I missed the memo about this premature, little taste of Fall. But who do I thank for ordering this brief teaser?

I woke up this morning to a chilly bedroom. Not chilly in the sense that The Mister wasn't speaking to me... I mean actually a little cooler in temperature. I enjoyed a leisurely morning of lounging in my jammies (complete with fuzzy socks). I even considered hot oatmeal and a steaming mug of hot chocolate... I haven't taken so much pleasure in a morning in a very long time...

The only thing to bring disappointment to my reverie is the forecast--back to the high nineties within days. Oh well. I'll just have to enjoy it while it lasts!

Change

My life has been full of changes. I never really thought I had issues with change, but now I'm not so convinced... I've been married, divorced, married again. I've been a single mom. I've moved around (a lot!). Sometimes I think we've moved more times than I can count! We've moved from Utah to Nevada to Arizona and back to Utah (with a few other states unaccounted for)...

I used to be a young mom who was mistaken for the babysitter of my only child... Now my babies are growing up and leaving the nest. I'm no longer the young mom with one or two babies at home all day. I'm now the proud mommy to five amazing, young people (notice I didn't say "little" --the oldest is 6 feet tall!).

My life has been seriously full of change... I've changed jobs, responsibilities, and dress sizes, diapers, paint colors, and carpet, friends, favorites, and habits... In fact, I think the only thing I haven't changed is the color of my hair...

Why is it that I'm just now realizing that I've never really found a way to successfully incorporate lifestyle changes without disrupting my whole existence? Really, why is that?

The school year is fast approaching, and for the first time, I will have all my children in school full-time. Although I've enjoyed my little boys, I'm so excited for them to be off to school for the day. But I'm still not quite sure how that reduction in daily responsibility with affect me. What am I going to do with all that new-found "me" time? I do have fantastic daydreams about how I'll spend my days. I fantasize about working out with a personal trainer in the mornings. I visualize meditative morning walks. I consider getting a new job. I have even secretly relished the idea of taking up a hobby. Or, I could act like a real lunatic and fire the cleaning ladies and spend my mornings waxing the floors (no, very bad idea!).

Sure, there are lots of things I could do. But what are the chances that I really will do anything more than the usual? What does it take to push you into doing something new? How do you get the ball rolling? Really, I'm asking! My greatest fear is that I'll spend my new-found free time folding laundry and shopping the produce aisle at Harmon's...

While contemplating my changing life, I came across an anonymous quote:

Change is good; change is inevitable. But change scares people to death.

Yep, that pretty much sums it up.