Cool

We just got home from a full weekend of camping and I had 2 priorities upon coming in the house....empty the cooler and go to the computer....in that order only out of duty, not want. I've gone through major withdrawal without my puter for 4 days and now feel complete once again. I have no time to blog about our weekend adventures at the moment,(stayed tuned and know that when I DO write about it, it will mean that I am showered, in pj's, and sippin' a Mike's Hard Lemonade) but I just had to come on and change my deadline ticker. I got to knock off 4 days...just like that...and I didn't even watch daycare kids on those 4 days....THAT. FELT. GOOD!
To be continued.........

My deadline

Okay, so I was talking to one of my clients last night.....Hi Victoria....and
telling her my hopes for being done with daycare. I said how my first goal of being done in January, when we get home from our cruise, was short-lived and that now I was hoping to be done only a couple months later. She made me realize I needed to stop just hoping and making goals...which can obviously change....and just set a deadline. Set a date and start counting down. Set a date that won't change, one that can be looked at as the end no matter what. Hmmm...that made me think. Somehow setting a deadline rather than just having a goal in mind seems more solid....like it will actually happen. So, I'm doing it. I'm setting my deadline for Friday, April 2nd. This means I'll have only 2 months to go once we get home from our trip. I can handle that....I think.
That's 7 months from now...30 weeks...213 days...5112 hours...306,720 minutes...18,403,200 seconds...but who's counting.
I'm setting a 'money saved' goal on top of this deadline as well. Rather than wait until the time draws near and just see where we're at...I'm setting a 'must have saved' goal to this so that I give myself a deadline for that also. I'll keep the amount I have in mind to myself for now, but it's no small number....it's a lot and it will take a lot of work and planning, but we can do it. I'm suddenly excited about this for the first time rather than nervous and anxious.

I'm excited to do less of this....

....and more of this...


Wish me luck!

My blogging hero

Friday night, mom and Helen and I went to The Big Bowl for dinner...very yummy....and then to the movies to see Julie and Julia which, by the way, was about a blogger like myself. Only difference was she blogged every single day, had hundreds of readers, got tons of comments, was written about in many papers and magazines, ended up with a book deal, and had her blog made into a movie. Other than that.....we are EXACTLY the same. From this day forward, I will aspire to have at least one of those qualities come true about my blog. Until then, I'll be happy talking to myself and my 9 followers ~HELLO~ and knowing that what I'm doing will be a treasure to our family for years to come. After all, how else will I remember cute and funny things that my boys do/say years from now if I didn't write them down like this....
Tony (in the backseat of the car on Friday): "Hey, Thor...do you like Obama?"
Thor (one of my daycare kids): Who?
Tony: Obama, do you like him?
Thor: I've never met him
Tony: You don't meet him...he's our president. George Bush was our last president, now Obama is our president.
Thor (getting irritated at the persistant political questioning): I DON"T KNOW!
Tony: Well, WE don't like him. Mom....WHY don't we like him?? Oh yah, cuz he is gonna raise our taxes.

I love it....as dad always says, start 'em young.

Doing hair

I can't wait until it's time for me to be done with daycare and I can go back to focusing on the job I actually enjoy....doing hair. I really love what I do, but this last year it's felt more like a chore just getting ready and trying to get there on time have proven difficult. I miss the days when I could take my shower, dry my hair, do my makeup, pick out an outfit....all so I could look professional and feel good while working. Nowadays I'm lucky if my clothes are clean and not wrinkled....my hair is not in a ponytail or dirty....my makeup is not put on in the car on the way.....and I don't have bags under my eyes. Not exactly the image I want to portray to my clients. I can't give 100% to any one thing in my life. I give a piece to my work....I give a piece to my daycare.....another piece to husband....another to my kids.....leaving not much else for myself. Not that stopping daycare will mean I can suddenly give everything to everyone...but it will certainly remove a huge chunk of where my energy is lost.
Tony asked me yesterday how much longer I will have to do daycare. I said hopefully not too long and that we are just getting enough saved up for the adoption. He paused for a minute and then asked..."How much does a little girl cost?" :)

What a keeper

I forgot to mention that last Friday I was sitting on the couch talking on the phone when I hear Jason come in the door from work. One of the boys said hi and then that was all I heard. I kept talking just figuring he snuck upstairs or went out to the garage for something. After about 5 minutes I ended my phone call and got up. When I did, I saw Jay standing by the door holding a vase with a dozen roses.....just standing there waiting for me to see him. I started laughing..."have you been standing there this whole time?" "yep...Happy Anniversary" August 21st is the date of our first date that we celebrate. As I opened up the card I said "I can't believe it's been 19 yrs".....he goes, "19?....oops" I read the card and it said, thank you for giving the best 18 years of my life. HA! I'm still trying to figure out which year wasn't the best.

Vote for background

I'm wanting to change up my background a bit. I really like the one I've been using, but it's fun to give it some new skin once in a while. I'll try a new on each day for a few days....tell me what you think, or if I should stick with the original.
I'm liking today's so far.....what do you think??

Sr. Teresa

Mom and I went to visit Teresa this weekend. We went on Sat. and stayed the night until yesterday. We stayed at a very nice guest house that was like being at a bed and breakfast. It was right behind where Teresa lives so it made it very convenient to go back and forth.
She wasn't well at all. We didn't get to see her as much as we would have liked, but this made us cherish the time we DID have even more. Today she is moving to St. Scholastica, a nursing home for the nuns, where she can have others take care of her and not worry about her meds and going up and down stairs. She was very accepting of the move, telling me that it is time...she is at peace with her decision.
She has been surrounded by so many wonderful individuals at St. Bens. What amazing women she has as friends....they are her family. We hardly could talk to them without seeing tears in their eyes at some point. It has been hard for them to see their sister sick. A lot of people might think it's sad that she doesn't have a husband or children or grandchildren to visit her and care for her in her illness, but she has been blessed richly. I feel like I am her child and my kids are her grandkids......like DAN is her child and his boys her grandkids....all of US have become her immediate family and the sisters have become her true sisters. She is surrounded by people who love her and I'm sure that makes this easier for her.