Chicago Willis (formerly Sears) Tower sky deck!!

Will post pictures later when I can do it from the computer.

We made it to the train! Let the fun begin!

I never make a big deal about Santa and gifts. As a result, they let us sleep until 10 this morning!

May you all experience the magic of the season!

School/Exam Update

I had originally worked out in my mind that I would take the Intern Entrance Exams (3 of them) this coming Spring semester (2011). Somewhere along the line, I pushed that goal up one semester after speaking with my classmates, many of whom were planning on taking them this semester. So, I tried to follow suit and got lost in everything I was trying to do.

I had over loaded on classes this semester with the original idea of finishing as many classes as possible before my internship hoping to keep the whole thing less stressful. So, when I decided on a whim last semester to take the bio med exam after studying for about 2 1/2 days and I passed with an 82%, I honestly thought I could pull it all off. I set out to study for the remaining 2 exams (acupuncture and herbs) while maintaining my 7 classes (15 credit hours).

Needless to say, it hasn't been easy. While I passed my acupuncture exam with no problem, the herbs got me. They are my weak point. And, oddly enough, the area I really want to learn and become good at in my career.

So, while having an herb tutoring session with a student who knows the herbs really, really well, it dawned on me that there is no advantage to killing myself to learn something in such a half-assed fashion just to accomplish something that really wasn't in my original plan.

I've made the decision to NOT retake the herb exam next Friday. Instead, I will sign up for the herb review class (which didn't work into my schedule before because of other class conflicts) and focus on actually LEARNING the herbs instead of trying to outsmart the exam just so I can pass it.

The down side is that I will have to take the bio med exam again! We have 2 semesters to pass the 3 exams before we become interns. Since I took the bio med exam at the end of the summer semester, I would have to go into the clinic next semester for it to count. I guess it won't kill me to take it over again!

So, now I can focus on the 4 finals I have left to take between now and next Tuesday (14th) then be finished with the semester, relax and enjoy my holiday break and get back on it in Jan.

Thanks for listening and for all of your support. I WILL get this done and I WILL do it well. But I'm still a bit sad about the time I wasted and the things I missed with my family this semester because I was doing too much. I'll make up for it next week!

Updates

For those of you who haven't heard yet, I passed 2 of the 3 exams I need to to become an intern. The herb exam kicked my ass. I will retake it on Dec. 17th. I believe I didn't pass because I didn't have a good study strategy. I would begin one route and one of my fellow classmates would say, 'that didn't work for me' so I would change plans and so on until I didn't retain any info! I will need to focus more to get through the next study period. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes.

In other news, the airport security fiasco has us hesitant to fly for Christmas. So, we are taking the train to Rochester! Should be a fun adventure full of blog material. All of you Rochester people, let us know when we might see you the week between Christmas and New Year holidays.

Ok, gotta hit the books.

It Is Cram Time

Just over a week left until my first and most difficult exam I've taken thus far in school. I am finding time to study and I'm trying every different method I can: practice exams and rote memorization leading the pack. Who knows if it will be enough. But I have to work with what I have available to me. While I think positively, I am fully prepared to have to retake the exam. Some tell me not to think that way. But I need the balance. I need to know that I'll pass but it may take 2 times so that I'm ok with it. Otherwise, the devastation of not passing the first time would be too much.

I think I would stress and obsess over it more except, after losing my Grandpa this past weekend and having a school friend lose her son in an accident, I know it isn't the end of the world. I can prepare as well as I know how to and see what happens. I must not let the process take over and negatively affect my entire life.

Ok, back to work.

Life Changing

So many things going on. My head is swirling and it is all manifesting in grumpiness. So many things I have control over and others I don't. Those things I can control, I seem to put off causing more work and stress. What is it with that??

When I inevitably get to this point in life (several times each year), I yearn for the "good old days" when things seemed easier. I know full well that things weren't easier. Just different. I miss friends and family more because I crave their love and support. I know, it is always there when I need it and I appreciate that. But I long to be closer to those people who gave me the memories I have of the "good old days". Those memories and that feeling of comfort will help me through the changes to come. I can see from looking back how far I've come, how many changes have occurred (both welcome and unwelcome) and they support me as I move ahead.

I'm a lucky girl to have such amazing family, friends and wonderful memories.

Now, back to work...

Finally Here

Not everything got completed as I had hoped. And I'm ok with that. No matter what was checked off my list or not, I get to hop into a plane tomorrow morning and head to Vegas to spend time with the girls. My BFF will be there along with several who are near and dear to my heart plus a few I'm meeting for the first time.

I love spending this weekend every Oct. doing what I want to do, when I want to do it and having a wonderful laugh along the way. It fills my soul. It is something I do for me. Each year it gets bigger and better. I can hardly wait!

Photos will be uploaded throughout the weekend if I can remember how to do it! If not, I will post them next week.

Picture day

When the kids came home from school yesterday, I made sure we figured out what they would wear today for pictures. As it turned out, M had nothing to wear. The one thing that was the most appropriate she didn't want to wear. Everything else she has out grown. So she and I made a quick trip to Target to find something for her to wear. Easier said than done. The 80s are certainly making a come back and every single freakin' dress we could find had that scratchy netting around the skirt. She would die if she had to wear pants, of course, and she learned from taking ballet that the netting stuff is scratchy = she won't wear it. There were some slim pickings when it came to finding something for her to wear. We finally settled on a pleated black school girl-type skirt and a turquoise top. She also wore some black leggings under the skirt since both the school and I have a rule about wearing something under her skirts. One kid done, check.

O chose a striped top that I like on him and I figured he would just wear some khaki shorts with it. Second kid done, check.

O came down the stairs this morning in sweat pants and his Denver Broncos shirt. I had his laundry on the couch so I directed him to the shirt he had chosen. He whined. "I want to wear my Broncos shirt." "Try again," I said. It was an unexpected fight. "It is going to be 88 degrees today, O. Why do you need to wear sweat pants?" "Because I am not from Wyoming like you are. I am not used to the cold. I need to wear sweat pants!" "It is NOT cold, son! What are you talking about?! COLD?! I'll ship you off to Cheyenne or Rochester right now and you can see what cold is!" Finally, we both compromised. He changed his shirt and wore the sweat pants.

Things calmed down while breakfast was eaten and lunches were made. I had long since given up on getting them to the bus and knew I would be taking them to school. After breakfast, the hair styling began. He wanted his hair spikey which never stays that way. She chose pony tails. I dug out the hair wax and hair spray. His hair took more time than hers. We walked out the door 5 minutes before the tardy bell is scheduled to ring.

O had to put his jacket on too. Seriously? Am I raising a whuss? It was 65 degress when we walked out the door. The drama!

But, they looked cute. We'll see how the photos turn out.

Changed my twitter username from @maynardtrio to @wyogirltami for those who care.

I think I've figured out how to post photos from my phone now! YAY!

Test text from phone

5 Weeks, Brain Chemistry and the Big Trip

I am 5 weeks into Fall semester at school. So far so good. With the motivation of my annual girls weekend in Vegas, I've managed to complete (or will complete before next Weds) many of the papers, research projects and the assignments that I need to complete for my classes. I didn't want to head to Vegas and be unable to enjoy myself having to face a bunch of assignments upon my return. Now I can come back and focus on the last four weeks of studying for the Intern Entrance Exams.

I'm also really enjoying the semester, as busy as it is. I've reached a turning point in my education where I am being pushed to apply what I've learned and figure out how to work my way through a case. It makes all of the blood, sweat and tears of the 3 past years worth it. Now, if I can just pass those entrance exams in Nov.....

The kids are doing great with their school too. O complains a lot about school like an 8 year old should. Nothing other than he'd rather play video games and play with his friends all day every day instead of "learning stuff" as he puts it. Independence is a huge focus this year for 3rd graders and, while he has always done a lot on his own, he is feeling a bit more pressure to follow through on his responsibilities. He is doing a great job too.

M was beside herself with excitement the first day she brought home homework! While she knew many letters/sounds and numbers before Kindergarten, she now understands how huge it is to master these concepts in order to learn how to read. She is very motivated and is loving every minute of it. She had an incident Monday of this week where she had her first potty accident at school. I was fully prepared with a change of clothes in her backpack. We learned from going through it with O that the nurse (lucky her!) gets to take care of these situations. M took her clothes to change into in the nurse's office, the nurse put her wet clothes in a plastic grocery bag for her to put back into her backpack to bring home and sent her back to class. Well, somewhere along the way, M forgot that the bag had her clothes in them and not trash. She helps collect the house trash each week and equates plastic grocery bags with trash I guess. So, when she got back to her classroom, and with the confusion of the end of the day chaos where she needs to get her things together to go home for the day, she threw her clothes away. There is always a note from the nurse when she sees a child at school so C knew she had gone to the nurse and why. But he couldn't find her wet clothes in her backpack. When he asked her about it he said he could see the gears turning in her head while she pieced it all together and figured out what she had done. There was a huge meltdown, of course. But, no harm done. Just another story to tell about growing up!

I'm still doing amazingly well after the treatment with amino acids to help regulate my brain chemistry/neurotransmitters (I thought I had blogged about it but I must have just sent out a massive email. I'll catch you up if you are interested). Haven't taken any of the supplements for at least 4 weeks. If I start to get overwhelmed I can talk myself down and prioritize. It is good to feel like I'm in control and I can make choices. Also good not to feel so down and depressed. Saw the PA (Physician's Assistant) yesterday and she said I can use any of the supplements as needed. It is a great feeling. Of course, nothing is perfect and the true test will be during the depths of winter after the holidays. I'll keep you posted.

Next Thursday morning (Oct. 7th) I'm off to Vegas for my annual girls weekend. We have lots of fun stuff planned: lounging by the pool, hanging in the suite (our first year getting a suite), a decadent dinner, zip line in Boulder Canyon, time at the spa, a Saturday evening show and the traditional Sunday Champagne Brunch. I'm very much looking forward to it.

Since I got my new phone in April, I haven't figured out how to update my blog easily/conveniently/quickly. I will figure it out so I can update it more frequently.

Happy Fall everyone!

School Days Fall 2010

My Baby is in Kindergarten!!

O and his BFF.

I'm lost. Both kids in school and me between semesters. I know there is SOMETHING urgent that needs attention!

Halloween candy and Octoberfest beer on display at Sam's Club. Really?! I'm not finished with summer yet!

The Talk

O and I had the talk about Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny this evening. He lost a tooth last night and while I was getting him set up with that he mentioned that one of his friends at school had spilled the beans. I could tell that he didn't want to believe him and he wanted to believe him all at the same time. So, tonight I told him the truth. His response? "I KNEW it!"

Roughly 3" of rain has come down in my area today. And that is not as much as other areas of the city.

Rain, rain, rain, rain and more rain.

Took a 3 hour nap this afternoon. Still tired.

ER and AR plus the kiddos have arrived from MD!!!

My dog's bladder is my alarm clock. Even when I don't set the alarm, it goes off. And there is no snooze function.

My kids are Mexican food junkies. Good thing margaritas are available for the adults!

My classes this semester are so tedious for some reason and have been such a challenge. Not sure how to fix it all.

I love that the kids beg to watch Field of Dreams.

My new favorite shopping site: www.reusablebags.com

Happy 10th anniversary to my sweetie!

Hurricane season is upon us.....with a side of crude. Not looking forward to it.

Dinner to celebrate a friend's b-day always warms my heart!

Torrential rain. Thunder. Lightning. Trapped in the car with C, 3 kids & a dog. Clapton's "Cocaine" blaring on the radio.= Friday night fun!!

Aaaaaaand done. It is 8 o'clock. Saturday night. Going to bed. Goodnight!

O's team just beat the only undefeated team 24 to 23! It was an amazing game!

Oh, and hubby will probably have to work some on orbit stuff rendering him useless to me. I'm so looking forward to it all.

I need a clone for tomorrow. Recital rehearsal, final t-ball game, b-day party, final baseball game and party after. I'm going to need some alcohol with that.

Learning how to take vital signs in class. Woohoo! I feel all official now.

We go to Target so often I think my car could drive there all by itsself.

And we're off to the airport. Vaca is nearly over. The fun part is over at least! Back to reality.

@spacemama wanted me to tweet about how I peed in a water bottle while stuck in traffic yesterday. Filled a .5L bottle 4 times. Used MacGyver tactics to get the top off of the bottle. Good times.

The launch was incredible! I feel so lucky and humbled to have had the experience.

Only 2 guys screening vehicles holding up all the traffic. What a mess. Traffic is free flowing now 5 miles from KSC.

Having flashbacks to hurricane evacuations as we sit in traffic for going on 3 hours to get to the causeway to watch the shuttle launch.

Spent lots of time today in line waiting to see Fairies and Princesses. To see M's face was worth it though.

Gorgeous eveing at Miller Outdoor Theater with the Houston Ballet.

I have too many things on my schedule today. One of them is my first day of classes for summer semester. Two weeks went by too quickly. Instead of starting the day I'm trying to hide from it. Probably not the best plan.

Ummm yeah. Jello shots.

Out of my element at a friend's birthday party. I'm such a mom. I'm so

Calorie counter ap says I burned more calories today than I'm assingned to eat!

One more semester down. I don't feel any smarter at all. In fact I think my brain cells are dying at a faster rate!

And the batter (other team) is drawing in the sand with the bat handle! I think we've exhausted their attention spans and they still have 10 mins to play!!

Finally getting to see M play t-ball! 7 adult men trying to keep 10- 4/5 year old kids on task. It is super cute!

I can't get my kids to talk when I have all the time in the world. But when I need to study, they won't stop asking me serious, teaching moment type questions?

Sitting in my last class of this semester. That means finals aren't far behind!

Everyone must have done some spring cleaning over the weekend. Lots of 'heavy trash' on the curbs this morning! I see interior doors, skateboards, shelves, etc.

Lupe Tortillas. Strawberry Margaritas. Kids happily playing in the sand. Relaxing after a crazy day. Nice.

Business Plan

I've been taking this Ethic and Clinic Management class this semester. It is a really great class. The instructor is very motivating when it comes to building a business and we have a great book that we use called "Points for Profit". The instructor keeps asking, "are you just making yourself a job or are you making yourself a business that will pay you even when you aren't working?" In class I am all, "hell yes, I want a business!"

For our final in the class, we have to create a business plan. The more I work on it, the more I'm thinking, "I just want a job. This is all too overwhelming." But, maybe I just want a job for a couple of years until I get my feet wet. Then I will revisit my business plan and work that angle.

Right now I'm happy to give 30% of what I make for the rest of my life to Valeo PT just so I don't have to deal with the business stuff.

M's First T-Ball Game

I think she had fun!

M's first t-ball game is tonight and I'll miss it cuz of class :( I'm so bummed.

Just got whacked in the head by a June bug. It is officially spring in Houston.

Took my son and his friend to lunch and they totally dissed me. After we got our sandwiches they made a beeline for a table for 2. Left me standing alone. WTF??

Birthday Flowers

Inspiration

http://www.attitudeisaltitude.com/

If this guy doesn't inspire you, you must have a cold rock for a heart! Enjoy and be inspired.

M beat O by 2 pins in her first bowling experience outside of Wii!

Whahoo! Broke 100! Even with a kiddie ball that weighs nothing!

Bowling with the kids. We are all having a blast!

Time at the dog park with Brody. He is in heaven and I'm enjoying a nice walk. A win-win situation.

Was trading massage for hair cut and color but have been too busy to keep up my part of the deal. I hate letting people down.

Great family evening at Miller. I sure needed that after this past week.

First night of the season at Miller Outdoor Theater! Watching a GREAT Beatles cover band. The new sound system is awesome! Looking forward to the season.

Sitting on the floor eating sack lunches with around 100 second graders. Someone shoot me.

The grounds crew each has a college degree to prep the grounds on the field. They have full time jobs doing just that.

The grass is from Argentina because it grows well without direct sunlight. For those of you not in the know, we have a retractable roof on our pro ball park.

Security will kill you if you touch the grass. The kids had to get thisclose to test that. Everyone made it out alive.

Current season tickets for these seats run about $29k per season. Roughly $350 per game. But the food is free!

Lexus Club members pay a $20k initial fee per seat that is good for the life of the ball park. Then they have to purchase season tickets for that seat.

Food pyramid activity in the Lexus Club dining room. Then off to sit in George Sr. and Barbara Bush's seats behind home plate.

Talking about time lines, direction and measurements. The kids are eating it up!

And the club level is nice too. Never seen it before. Usually sit in the nosebleed section.

And I forgot my freakin' camera.

Sitting in the owner's suite. Only $5000 per game to use the suite when he isn't using it.

On a field trip with my son's class @ Minute Maid Park!

Bourbon street 180 degrees different from last night.

Enjoying the evening with good friends met at U of M. Everyone has relocated all over the country. So great to see everyone again!

At U of M ORL dinner. Where are you Chris C and Tim?!!

Drunk much?

My engineer hubby says, "If this is the French Quarter what are the three other quarters?" I think I kicked his ass with the one for one hurricanes!

Hurricanes at Pat O'Brien's. Yum. Will I be able to walk afterwards?

Are these kids really old enough to drink? Good lord I'm getting old!

Saturday night. Bourbon Street. The Big Easy. I don't think I have the words in my vocabulary to describe it.

Spending a quick weekend in New Orleans with my hubby this weekend. Kids are staying with TR & PC. Looking forward to it tho we are getting a late start.

M just won a 30GB iPod in a Boy Scout banquet raffle!

Cool Huh?

Then Karma gave me a gorgeous car to follow on the beltway: a Lotus. That is a car that NEEDS a spoiler. Nice.

Backed out of my garage with my hatchback up. Cracked the spoiler and broke off the middle brake light. I'm so cool with duct tape holding it together.

Update on the attitude

The weekend I posted about O's attitude he was banned from Wii. But, I found him playing it Sunday morning. He said that he thought Saturday was the end of the week and Sunday was a new week. Therefore, his Wii grounding was up on Sunday at midnight. And he was kind about it. Saturday he was helpful and didn't argue at all. C and he had a long discussion about respect and participating in family life, doing chores, helping one another out and so on. He has been so much better ever since. Rarely does he roll his eyes or talk back. He happily says yes when asked to do something and he does it with joy.

I know it isn't the last we will see of the attitude but at least we made some headway on that early on. Let's just hope it sticks and also rubs off on his sister!

Decided to hit the zoo and Hermann Park this afternoon. Baaaaaaad idea. There are a gazillion cars and 5 times as many people here. UGH.

Looking forward to following the Winter Olympics with the kids this year.

Sleeting now in SE Houston. This has been the strangest winter.

Depression came down on me like a ton of bricks today. Stupid weather doesn't help. I've learned that it passes quicker if I lay low. Doing just that today.

Groundhog Day

I just read a blog that describes motherhood as Groundhog Day. I think she nailed it. Don't know why it didn't occur to me before. The mind numbing every day repetition that, no matter how hard you try to tweak it, ends up the same every single day. I love that and hate that all at the same time.

And in the spirit of Groundhog Day, M woke me up again at 330 am. This time she had peed all over the bathroom floor. At least yesterday she made it onto the toilet. See? Even the kids try to tweak the daily repetition! But, in the end, the morning is the same. I'm a grouchy mom that didn't get enough sleep, trying to figure out how to make it through the day. She is blissfully asleep. Just like yesterday.

My daughter woke me up at 330 this morning and I couldn't go back to sleep as easily as she did. It is going to be a long freakin' Monday. Send reinforcements.

The Attitude

O is getting a serious attitude.

Unfortunately for him, he is feeling like he is entitled to do whatever he wants to do whenever he wants to do it when he is at home. Finishing homework after school becomes a debate: "I'll do it later." He says. "You'll do it now so we can relax later." I say. And he must continue to debate the topic until I want to scream. This attitude has poured over into other areas. The other night he kept arguing with me about wanting to eat his dinner in front of the tv after I had already let him play Wii for 2 hours. Sometimes we eat in front of the tv. Most of the time we don't. He was insistent that he get to eat in front of the tv that evening. I finally had enough of it, took away his remaining dinner (he was pretty much done anyway) and sent him to bed because of his argumentative attitude. It was 7:15 pm.

C arrived home not 30 minutes later, heard what had transpired and went up to have a chat with him. He was dead asleep. When I teased him about it the next morning, he said, "Didn't you hear me when you said I had to go to bed last night? I told you 'good because I'm tired anyway'." That didn't really start the day off well.

Last semester I had arranged to have him go to a friend's house after school on Fridays when I was doing my observation in the clinic. It was just one semester. 15 weeks. That semester is over. However, he insists that he still must go to his friend's house every Friday. Every Friday morning there is a debate about it. Every Friday after school there is a debate about it. He also gets off of the bus every night announcing that one of his friends will be coming over to play. I keep telling him that no one comes over to play until I've discussed it with one of their parents. This is followed by statements like, "That's not fair!" "You never let me do anything." And so on.

C is getting the same attitude when he is home alone with the kids. We are both done with it. He had a discussion with O last night about gratitude. He believes O is sort of getting the idea but we really need to drive it home. So, this weekend will be a confirmation of the "you never let me do anything" statement. Besides the already planned activity of racing his Pinewood Derby car for Cub Scouts on Saturday morning, he will not be playing with friends, playing Wii nor will he be eating in front of the tv.

I really hope we all live through the weekend.

A quiet rainy morning at home for me. Do I catch up on DVR programs or study in peace? Hmmmm..... Tough decision. Or I could always clean the house. NOT!

People who insist on driving in the left lane on the hwy and refuse to move over to let others pass need to be smacked hard up side the head.

Is it Monday? I washed my face with conditioner in the shower.

Great Facebook quotes this week

" You cannot teach a person anything; you can only help them find it within themselves." -Galileo

"I make mistakes, I am out of control at times and hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure don't deserve me at my best." -Marilyn Monroe

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater: Give her sperm, she will make a baby; give her a house, she will give you a home; give her groceries, she will give you a meal; give her a smile, she will give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what she is given. So if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit. -Unknown

Freaking child care place we've used for 5 years suddenly has a $40 "membership fee" & raised the 20 hour package price from $85 to $110 overnight!! Grrrrr....

Absolutely gorgeous here today! Got the windows open, bedding hanging out in the sunshine...ahhhhhhh :)

Ghosts from family photos past

Just for fun, here are our family photos from Dec 2006:

And Dec. 2005

I loved my hair long in the 2006 photos but it began to thin and fall out not long after that photo--damn hormones! My hair was really curly when I was pregnant with each kid and for months afterwards. Strange what your body does huh?! And where is C's gray hair??!!!!

Obviously, the kids have changed a lot.

Happy New Year!

We've been lax at getting holiday cards out for the past 2 years. Just wanted to touch base with everyone to let you know we are still alive here! We LOVE getting your cards, photos and updates. Each of you is in our thoughts often. We wouldn't be who and where we are today without all of your influence in our lives so thank you!

O is enjoying 2nd grade this year. He plays baseball in the fall and spring and is at the machine pitch level now. He loves it, does a great job and is fun to watch. He also started Cub Scouts this year and is enjoying all of those activities. He loves watching most any sport on tv, anything Star Wars, playing with his friends and playing Wii.

M started pre-K this fall and seems to enjoy it. She is a girly-girl and always has to wear a dress. She is in her second year of dance classes where she is continuing to learn ballet and now tap. She is such an entertainer and is a joy to watch. She is going to try her hand at t-ball this spring. She loves drawing pictures, dancing, singing and playing Wii.

C is forever busy at work dealing with various aspects of the exercise equipment on the International Space Station. Some days are long and stressful with a schedule full of meetings with co-workers, managers and international partners. Somehow he manages to keep it together and does great work. He enjoys doing all kinds of activities with the family and playing Wii.

T is in her 3rd year of grad school studying Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Hopefully (fingers crossed!) she will have graduated, passed her board exams and started treating patients by Summer 2012. She spends much of her time just trying to keep her head above water between the house, family, school and work. She still has a thriving part-time massage practice and always has a full schedule. She enjoys relaxing with the family and playing Wii.

We hope 2010 brings much health, happiness and love to each of you!

Lunch with my boy at school. Gotta get these times together now before he is embarrassed to be seen with me.

My dear, sweet family who I love tons is all off of work and school today. I have classes tonight. I can't get anything done.

Handwarmer Mug

I bought this awesome mug at Craig's cousin's store in Belmont, NY last summer. I absolutely love it! I tote it around with me to school and I bought it for that purpose because I love having hot tea during class and I was worried that the handle would break off of the normal mugs I own from traveling back and forth to school. I get so many comments and questions about this handwarmer mug that I finally thought to look up their website so I could pass along the info. They are beautiful and practical! They are made in Oregon by Clay In Motion pottery.

Toyota Center does not change their concession prices based on the event.....obviously.

Ready for Houston Aeros Hockey vs the Ice Hogs!

Walking in to the frozen food aisle and having the lights turn on in the cases makes me giggle for some reason.

Oh wait! I have my Wyoming sweatshirt and hat on. I'm just channeling home!

Dang! Didn't wear a jacket to the bus stop to pick up O. Not freezing yet but certainly uncomfortable with no jacket and the wind.

Reminder to me: baby steps

I woke up this morning feeling very negative and disappointed in myself. You see, my semester officially begins today but my classes this semester are on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday so I have one more day. But I had had big plans to get some things accomplished around the house during my break. The major project was to sort, purge and organize the kids' toys. They are taking over the house and the kids don't seem to know how to clean them up or where to put them. I was able to spend one afternoon before Christmas going through some things in the play room but I didn't get very far. It is a HUGE undertaking and one that I think will be most productive when the kids aren't here to protest when I dredge up toys they haven't played with for a year.

So, waking up and realizing that my break is coming to an end with so much left to accomplish, I was feeling like a failure. Again. Can't keep up. Why do I do this to myself? Then I remembered last year I vowed to take the Fly Lady's advice and take baby steps. With so much to do, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. When I feel overwhelmed I give up because I feel like I'll never get it done so why even try to begin? But, the Fly Lady suggests setting a timer for 15 mins every day and work on one project. After several days/weeks/months (depending on the size of the project), it will be completed. Then you move on to the next project. Break it down into manageable size and take it on in small chunks. It makes so much sense so why can't I do it? I need to just work on new habits. I have to be ok with sorting through one small box of toys each day for 15 mins then setting it aside until the next day. It will get done quicker that way than if I wait until I have more time to complete it in one sitting.

So, that is my major goal for 2010: baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.

Biggest Loser night!

Beware

I often hesitate to post because I think that what I have to say isn't that interesting. Or that posting every little thing that comes to my mind is beyond narcissistic. However, I LOVE reading what my friends are doing through blogs, Twitter and Facebook. It makes me feel like I'm part of their lives more even though we are separated by time and/or area. Also, I tend to close myself off from others while, at the same time, I long for some connection or companionship throughout the day.

So, with all of these things combined, I figure I'll post more mundane thoughts, happenings and comments. Hope you all can take it!

Dog just woke me up barfing on our bed. Damn rawhide bone anyway. Quilt is is the washer. I'm so annoyed at the sleep disruption I can't go back to sleep.

Vacation is over. Time to cut my fingernails for work. That is usually the last sign of reality returning for me!

Finally on the ground in Houston!

Hello San Diego! You are looking beautiful this evening! Ok, gotta go now!

M likes to practice the crash positions shown on the emergency card. She knows where to find her life vest. What a little flyer she is!

Wheels down in Tucson.

Almost time for wheels up. Ugh. I have a headache. Sounds like we bounce through Tucon before hitting San Diego.

Explaining to the kids that our time on the planes will be longer. O says, "cuz we have to go to Canada." I said, " close, its actually California."

@spasmunkey: thanks. On the adventurous side, we'll be traveling to San Diego before we head back to Houston today!

Since our flight is boarding and we are still in line to check bags, I think it is safe to say we will miss our flight. It is going to be a long day.

Bye-bye Cheyenne! Catch ya next trip.

A very happy New Year to all! Much love and happiness in 2010!