Monday, September 21, 2009

feeling the heat

I got stressed today. And it's only the beginning of week 2. Picked up kids at school and found out that the parents meeting tonight was also a dessert social and parents were to bring food. Hmmm.... haven't had time to do much baking lately. Came home to find messages saying that W missed hockey tryouts last night, and that there were additional tryouts tomorrow and Wednesday. Still trying to figure out how to get baked goods to meeting, I quickly e-mail hockey convenor and apologize for missing tryouts, but assure him that W was at the goalie tryouts the previous day- was that ok? And we'll figure out how to get him to tryouts on Tues and Wed even though W has soccer after school on Tues and K has ballet after school on Wed. Oh, and there's one parent available to get them everywhere.

Harvested the veggies that were ripening in the garden, before they got too big and/or went bad, and made a quick supper with improvised ingredients when I discovered my chicken broth in a box in the fridge had turned into some sort of primordial goo, and it's always on the nights when you want them to eat fast that they don't. At least they all finished, veggies and all. Oh, happy day.

Rushed off to pick up babysitter extraordinaire, and arrived back home with her in time to resign myself to the fact that I was not going to be taking baked goods of any variety to the meeting, even store-bought. Surprising OK with that. Did a quick e-mail check and found out that since W is a goalie, he didn't have to be at last night's tryouts after all, and he only needs to go to one of the other sessions this week, not two. Feeling a weight lift off the shoulders, and kids are happy that they'll get a supper at Timmy's between W's soccer and hockey tomorrow. Have a feeling hubby is just as glad to find out that he doesn't have to cook.

It is 10:30 pm and I'm just sitting down to relax for the first time today. Well, kind of. I have a contract in front of me to sign for my pharmacy internship, and I have a schedule of my work hours, trying to figure out when I'm going to go to J's class and tell everyone special things about him, and show them special things from his past when I don't have any because they all burnt in the fire. Think I'll bring all his soccer medals. And the cat. Pets are always a hit with 8 year olds. Maybe I can work in a little presentation to them on medication safety and check off my community presentation that I need for the internship.

This all gets me to thinking. Why am I feeling stressed? For the most part, things are running like a well-oiled machine around here. Hubby is going above and beyond on a daily basis- yesterday while I was at work he tidied- without being asked. Today he actually made a list of things he had to do while I was at work. Yes, a list! And there were things on it I never mentioned- like vacuuming. Unreal. Awesome. I am staying organized, making lunches and packing bags the night before. So why am I stressed? And then I realized, it's because my brain won't stop. Even though other people are wonderfully taking care of things and the kids are run around by and looked after by other people than me some days, my mind is still in everything. Today while I was at work, I was mentally going through the grocery list while hubby got groceries, I am thinking of what he'll have to do tomorrow with running the kids around while I'm at work. There should be a switch to turn that sort of thing off. I know it's in good hands, so I should be able to forget about it. I don't, and now my brain is full of all that and the full-time workload I have. Good thing I only have 6 weeks and 5 days left. Too much of this might drive me crazy, and it's a pretty short drive.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

It's hard to be seven

So yesterday W gets an invitation to a birthday party for a kid in his class. They went to laser quest. J was very disappointed, as this was W's second b-day party at laser quest, and J had yet to go. He came home from school as W headed off to the party with a friend, and I headed straight out to the Richmond fair with he and K, hoping to stay for a short while with K, and then hand him off to hubby so they could stay on for the demolition derby. Only problem was that by the time we got there, it was FREEZING. We turned around and went home, a dejected little J sitting in the back seat. Strike 1. I promised him computer time, and he settled in to play his favorite computer game, only to find it wasn't working. Strike 2. Gave him permission to stay up late with W and watch George of the Jungle. Told him that maybe today we could go to the fair.

Today, I got to sleep in late (because of my stupendously awesome hubby), and as I rolled out of bed, (at 9:30, may I add), stumbled downstairs and poured my morning coffee, uber-friend pulls in to the driveway to help us finish putting the gate around the pool on uber-deck. No Richmond fair (but the gate around the pool turned out great.) Strike 3.

To make matters worse, before W headed out to his goalie tryouts today, he got a call from a friend inviting him for a sleepover tonight. J was crushed. A whole weekend of disappointment and missed-out-on fun.

There was nothing for it- it was time for a date with mom. So, he and I headed out to the Richmond fair. We rode the bumper cars, we went down the huge slide, we wound our way through the fun-house maze, we watched a strong-man demonstration, looked at antique cars, climbed on tractors, ate popcorn and pop for supper, and played carnival games to win stuffed animals and alien-shaped balloons. We basically went on every ride that wouldn't make mom barf. He had a ball and more than made up for the 10 year old fun he missed out on.

Where was K in all of this? Having some much asked for time with daddy. They had running races, wrestled, played disney princess matching games, and she had a bubble bath. Doesn't feel like she missed a thing.

Tomorrow it's back to work- I have to go in for a few hours in the evening and start week 2 of 8. I survived week one quite nicely and am ignoring the clutter and mess that has already accumulated in my house. As long as I stay organized, at least things will get done, and I will keep reminding myself that at the end of this 8 weeks, I will get my birthday present of a whole top-to-bottom house cleaning. Woot.

Friday, September 11, 2009

coming out of retirement

It's been a busy month since I last blogged. I've been finishing up uber-deck, which is almost done for now. There are a couple of stair railings to finish, and the gate around the pool must be done before the snow flies. I have decided that benches and flower boxes will wait until next summer. Enough construction for one season. What is done thus far has turned out to be even better than I expected. It's a wonderful place to hang out- we have had many suppers and lunches out there, and the kids love the 20 foot running start they can get on their jumps into the pool.

Garden continues to go crazy. I have 23 jars of canned tomatoes in my pantry, one batch each of pickles, relish, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and spaghetti sauce. I have about 20 bags of beans in my freezer, and there are several nice orange pumpkins both on the vine and my kitchen table. Mmmmm.... pumpkin pies.... We have had beans with supper more times than I can count, as well as yummy corn on the cob, mashed potatoes that I grew myself (well, they were whole when they grew- I mashed them after I cooked them), peas and cucumbers. It's definitely been worth the work.

Through all of this busyness, life continues on. The boys are finishing up their first week of school, and all is well there. K LOVES it- that could possibly be the understatement of the year. She was QUITE put out when we dropped the boys off on Thursday and she wasn't allowed to join them- it will be a long 5 sleeps every Wednesday until Monday comes and she can go again. W is in the middle of hockey conditioning, has signed up for the soccer team at school, and announced that he is going to play the trumpet in the school band. Note to self- buy earplugs next time I'm at the pharmacy. J likes his teacher, except for the fact that she won't let them talk in class- imagine the nerve of that. K, as I said is loving every minute of JK, and has an incredible teacher. Makes me feel good to send them off to a place like that.

Things continue to change for me as well. Finished up with contract negotiations for my pharmacy internship today which I will hopefully be able to start on Sunday evening. Eight weeks of full-time work- a relatively short tunnel with a nice bright light at the end of it. My licensing is all being paid for and I am being paid a very nice intern salary in return for about 300 hours of work after I am licensed. Sweet deal. Hubby is being very supportive, even agreeing to cook supper on a weekly basis or whenever needed and taking his daughter to ballet. What a guy.