I'm Home..... all the time.

So, it has been a full 2 weeks now that I have been a stay-at-home-working-mom. I have learned a few fun facts about being at home.
#1- Much work CAN get done with the tv on. ( I have found that absolute silence--mainly at nap time-- is a "no-go" for me.)
#2- It is about multitasking, THANK THE GOOD LORD that I am a master at this. (ex. Mommy, can you help me set up this train track?, Mommy, can I have some juice?, Mommy, I need to go potty. )
#3- I have found many tasks that have been awaiting completion or even starting.

Not-so-fun facts
#1- It can get a little lonely, even with a 3 year old at home.
#2- Laundry and cleaning house are always there to do.
#3- Again, I have found many tasks that need done.

All in all though, I have found great things with being home with my littleman. He has already had a huge breakthrough in toilet training. We aren't seeing the finish line just yet, but we are closer. He loves his new part time preschool and he is a big mommy cuddle-monster now too. Work is no longer a "stress" for me. But that does not mean that I don't have stress. Seriously, is anyone NOT stressed about at least something these days?

We finally purchased littleman a big bed. We found it at a friends benefit auction and I will be working on that the next months to get it ready. Stripping the stain, removing a few embellishments and re-staining. Work, but worth it in the end. I goal is to have it done in 5 months, when littleman turns 4 years. (and I turn 30...)

So, what advise do you at-home-working-moms or just at-home-moms have for me??????????

The new adventures of the home office.

So, I am a week into my new job. Working from home, where I refuse to work in the dark basement (so my "office" is on the kitchen table, and sometimes the living room coffee table and .... well you get the picture. Thankfully, I have a wireless ALL-IN-ONE printer. So no matter where I am in the house, the documents print in the basement dark corner whole guestroom. :)

But today, I received my new file cabinet. And has most things goes these days... this is where I found myself at the start of a 2 to 3 hour project...

 Yes, this is PAGE #1.... do you see where I am going here? I had officially found the first thing (and hopefully last or close too) that I don't like about my job. Following the NASA based instructions for a 3 drawer short file cabinet. Seriously, who comes up with this stuff!? Because my guess is that they need a good "clean out". Just saying.

So after getting everything laid out in neat, organized piles around my living room (yes, a little OCD with organization) I had the urge to ride off into the sunset. Maybe on this,

...........if Littleman would loan it to mommy.
Alas, I stuck to it, and after a many "mommy, if my monster trucks" And "mom, whats for dinners"... etc. i completed the task.

Littleman was so happy for mommy!

So, I stuck with and I conquered. 

Next, only time will tell.

2012

2012...
So much new going on...
New job...
New preschool...
New KINDLE FREE....
New Cross necklace...
New neighbors...
New daily schedule...
New lease at life....

I have already gone through my clothes and gotten rid of a lot. I have started organizing and setting up plans for projects and changes in our lives and home. I have started seeing things in the house that we just don't need. My obsession to stream line and to pass things to families that are in need more that my family. I want to move forward, and not look behind me. I want to LOSE THE WEIGHT. BE HAPPIER AND BE A BETTER MOTHER AND WIFE.

I am READY.

What are your plans for 2012?????

6 days people... 6 DAYS!

So, 6 days, yeah.
Just ordered 2 gifts online for Wednesday delivery.
Have 5 more gifts to purchase in the next 5 days.
Contemplating one of those said gifts between one thing or another....
I am NOT a person that procrastinates at all. I am the planner, the do it myself, done early person. But when you are getting your family back on track after you were a one income home for 3 years, it takes living on the "paycheck" schedule. SOOOO can't wait to get out of that mode.

 So, I mentioned a new path that I will be starting right after the New Year....
I will be working for the Kansas Association of Infant and Child Mental Health. ( www.kaimh.org )
Administrative Assistant from HOME!! WOOHOO!!
LittleMan will be my wingman, saving us a load on money on full-time daycare. And BigGirl won't need a place to go throughout the school breaks. Life will be grand. :)


So on the lose 15 lbs by Christmas. Well MAJOR FAIL. I am sad and pathetic, I know.


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wow! December already?! What the...?!

20 days to Christmas.
Yes, you hear me right.
TWENTY DAYS.
Are you done shopping? Because I am NOT. This year has been different for us in so many ways.
And getting back on track has been a challenge all on its own.
Changes are good they say, well some changes just plan suck.

So, in the holiday spirit, I am trying to lose 15 pounds by Christmas. I am watching the calorie intake and trying to get in as much calorie burning time as possible. Where am I in my goal so far... well, I have only 15 more pounds to lose! LOL!! Yeah, it isnt looking to good. HOWEVER, my FAVORITE JEANS finally got a hole worn into them, and not in a good place. So, do I spend money on another pair or do I work harder on the weight so I can ACTUALLY wear the huge tot of jeans and pants I have in the basement? I am going for weight lose.
PLUS- In 6 months and 22 days, I turn 30. So, I WANT TO LOSE THE WEIGHT!!
The goal is 50 lbs by that day.

Also on my goals list... A full marathon BEFORE my 30th birthday.

On the family front,
BigGirl is playing basketball now. It is so fun to see you learn, and yet so hard to not want to jump in a teach her when she makes a mistake. (But I dont. Good mommy, keep your big butt on that bleacher during practice)

LittleMan is still struggling with potty training, and is needing to get a bigger bed (those tall genes he gets from his daddy are annoying sometimes, will when money is concerned.)

We have the tree up, but we dont have the swingset up yet. My poor kiddos.

The Hubby is still working the job he started in August, he is just trying to make it through this first year, which is learning EVERYTHING. We are keeping our fingers crossed for that bonus this winter.

Me, well, I am on the verge of a NEW path very soon. More to come when it is confirmed. :)

Until then, I am still here, I am not dead. I have goals that I am determined to meet. And I am thinking about actually having a birthday party this year. THEMED AND ALL. More on that as it progresses too

ON A SIDE NOTE---
My great friend, Gunn, ran her FIRST HALF MARATHON THIS WEEKEND!!!
Las Vegas Rock and Roll!!
3:12:13
YEAH BABY!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK SEXY LADY!!!

The Journey Begins.

(names have been changed to protect.. oh who am I kidding! LOL!!)

 

 

Here we are. 

Twelve people traveling together.

To experience another country.

another culture.

another life.

 The first flight was smaller, the next flight (as shown above) was larger. 

And longer (13 hours). 

Since there was 12 of us, the chances of having more of us together on a flight was great. 

I am on the window, and then we are 4 more deep. 

We had a lot of laughs on this trip.... and many started on this flight.

 The three gals smiling in this picture and the one in pink is just 4 rows back. 

These gals were the majority of the giggling all the way to Tokyo (where we awaited our last flight).

 These three gals spent the majority of the long flight SLEEPING! 

I do not know how they did this. I slept all of 15 minutes!!

 At different points, I would open the window and take a gander... 

this is somewhere in British Columbia. 

(I only know this because they have GPS on the TV screens during the flights, telling you where you are.)

TOO COOL

 COASTLINE! 

Welcome to the open waters.

 After 3 flights and 22 hours of travel time, we made it to Beijing, China. 

It was 11:30pm local time (10:30am back home)

When we arrived, our ride was not there to pick us up yet. 

We were fine, just hung out, and tried to make sure our buddy, Bert, was on his way.

At 12:30am, we found Bert and his friend Mark. They loaded up 12 people, 24+ bags, and few pillows and 1 Guitar into one 11 person van and 7 person wagon. It was also RAINING! And since we hadn't seen or felt Rain in weeks, it devoured it! 

Keep in mind, if you ever travel to China, that you need to arrive in the regular working hours. 

Otherwise, you will spend 2 hours looking for a hotel.

Wthe one you had reservations at decides to not take you 

and 5 other hotels say they are full, 

or turn off the lights, 

or lock the doors.

So at 2am,

we all were welcomed into Bert's house 

to sleep on the floor, 

in bunk beds, 

and on couch cushions. 

And it was the best sleep, 

SERIOUSLY. 

And bless his wife for rising in the morning and making a yummy breakfast for 12 American strangers.

We did get into a better hotel that next morning and we started 

Day One of our 48 hours Marathon Sight-Seeing in Beijing.

Stay Tuned.....

And my new address is....

... haha, gotcha?!
No~ I did not move to China.
No~ I did not get lost in China.
No~ I did not lose my passport and have to stay longer. (however this did happen to a teammate-more later)
No~ I did not bring home a Chinese Baby (yet, more on that later too)

Yes~ I am home. And have been for 3 weeks?
Yes~ I had an AMAZING adventure.
Yes~ I will tell you ALL ABOUT IT.

However.....

I am overwhelmed with the
emotional,
spiritual
and physical
experience of it all.

I am still processing,
still understanding,
still finding the....
words
to tell the stories.

There is so much to say.
There is so much to share.
There is so much to show.

Just be patient, and it will all come out.
And more than likely, in bites and pieces.
In chapters, and not the entire Novel.
And to be honest, it may come over time.
There may be blogs in between about anything else, running, BigGirl's year of 1st Grade, LittleMans Adventure of still potty training, The Hubbys new job (YES THAT DID HAPPEN TOO!).. well you get the drift.

Thanks for understanding, and STAY TUNED....