On the way.....

Well friends I'm on my way to self discovery lately.  Its been a bumpy bumpy ride as of late and I am feeling tugged in all directions.  I hate this feeling that I know something is wrong and needs to change with my life but I'm just not sure what changes to make.   I've been trying to pray more and really put my trust in God that he has a plan that he is trying to show me.  I've love to a have a GPS for that route or that great green arrow from the insurance commerical. 

Well in all of this I've done some hard and deep thinking.....yes that is smoke you smell.  Its hard work trying to figure out your lifes plan.  I have come to some conclusions that bring me a bit closer to figuring out what my direction/plan is.  I joke a lot about not liking people and not playing well with others.  Well, that just simply isn't true.  I've allowed myself to become grumpy and bitter and I'm done!   I've made career choices because of ackward unproductive staffing structures and I am no longer going to make choices based these structures.  I have the ability to make changes and I am going to make them. 

I have also been doing a lot of thinking about being a working mom.  Its hard!  I had lunch with a friend a few weeks back and we were laughing at how ackward and horrible it feels when we meet moms at school that know our kids because they have the ability to volunteer in the classroom.  When you meet another mom and she knows tons about your kids and you don't even know who she is its a bit discouraging. Though I've come to the conclusion that I should just be happy that other moms have and make the time to volunteer so my son gets more one on one attention in school.  So after I gathered the  motherly guilt up off the floor and put it back where it belongs I feel pretty darn good about going to work each morning.  Not only do we need the financial benefits of me working I need the challenge and the outlet.  I some how fall into this funk a few times a year and let the guilt of not staying home with my kids to pile up but when you break it down to the real details I'm a better mom when I playing the juggling game.  I may be exhuasted but thats how we roll at my house!

All Done!

Well in the words of Riley I'm  "ALL DONE!!"  with my closet project. Well not actually but for now.  I have to work on some better baskets to put on the shelves and we are still going to add the shoe racks but for now I'm calling it a day.  It has been a busy weekend.  Note to self:  don't start projects with sick kids.  Not a good plan at all.  Riley has had a rough few days but looks somewhat better.  The rash is still there and the Dr tells me that it will peel so the best is yet to come appearence wise but he is feeling much better.  He has had a respitory thing along with the strep so his cough still sounds terrible and he is still getting neb treatments every 4 hours or so.  Rex must of felt left out because his asthma is all flaired up.  We have up'd his meds and if he doesn't improve in the next few days it will be off to the Dr but for today he's hanging in there. 

CHEESE!

So the closet project went pretty stinkin well if I do say so myself.  Friday when I got home from work Justin had the shelves all installed and the hanging clothes moved over.  It was a great start.  My other goal was to move my clothes on to the shelves and removed one dresser from our room and give us some additional space.  Remember we live in a 1960 rancher and the rooms are small so we need all the space we can get. 

So once I started to add baskets and move the clothes in it filled up fast. 

But  look we got rid of the dresser we liked to stack stuff on.  I even got Justin to hang up the mirror that has been hiding in the back of our closet for years. 

The shoes remain an issue.  We are planning to add a couple of shoe racks under the hanging clothes where I have currently have the shoe baskets.  I struggle picturing myself actually using it every day but I may be turning over a new leaf. 

I was in a mood this weekend so I talked Justin in to putting up shelves in the kitchen too.  Our kitchen really really badly needs to be remodled.  I'm talking totally gutted and starting from scratch.  No matter how much I want to do that the budget just isn't going to swing it for quite a while so instead we took out this huge drawer/shelf cabinet and replaced it with shelves and changed the light fixture.  I've been putting this off for ages hope that we'd be able to remodle for real but this is so much better until we come up with the cash.  I'm sure these pictures will make the oraganzied at heart a bit queasy but I like to think of them as progress. 

Before....

and AFTER!

I like to think of it as a pantry with out doors :-)

Real Confessions

OK world I confess I'm a slob.  While I don't think I'm ready to be featured on the show Hoarders I do have an organization issue.  I'm sure my mom would be happy to tell stories of my bedroom always being a disaster and my not knowning how to iron my cloths.  As we jump right into 2010 I continue to try to improve this part of my life.  I know my world world be so much calmer if I was organized.  I hate mornings and the majority of my morning stress is that I'm always late and running around trying to find something for me or the boys.  We've always used the excuse that our house is small and the closets are terrible. Well today I voe to change that. I can't do a thing about the size of my house at this very moment but I can work on the closets.  Our house is a early 1960's rancher and the rooms are small and the closets are simple.  Apparently people were little and had no need for clothes or more than 1 pair of shoes in the early 60's. 

So because Riley had a rash this morning I took him to the Dr.  this afternoon.  Good thing because this simple rash that I thought had to do with the 5 teeth that have just  broke through or the 3 more that are about too..........

is really strep.  Poor Riley is sick again and it hit fast.  This morning this rash crept up his nose to his forhead and by the time we made it to the Dr at 3:30 this afternoon he was weazing and looked more like this....

It went downhill fast.  He has his first dose of antibiotics on board as well as some albuteral.  Add in some motrin and his is resting soundly at the moment.  Hopefully he'll sleep all night and be an entirley new kiddo in the morning. 

We are home for the weekend since he's still contagious tomorrow and I'm sure he won't be himself even if he does feel better.  So I am taking advantage of the home time and tackling the first closet.  It currently looks like this. 

I can't believe I even posted these pictures.  I guess it will keep me honest.  We have officially purchased a closest organziation system and you'll have come visit this weekend to see my progress. 

Guess What I Bought Today????

So it’s not as exciting as a new house or fancy new wheels but I'm still pretty excited. Suddenly Riley seems really interested in potty training so we are going with it. When I say suddenly I mean it. A week ago we were telling friends that we didn't think he'd ever potty train. It seems to be a common question... apparently all 3 year olds should be potty trained regardless of how many chromosomes they have. I've been mocking people, including my m mom, that have asked. Seriously the poor kid’s penis is still buried in a fat roll most of the time. Though, magically when you sit on the potty it seems that this is not an issue. Plus he really has shown no care if he is wet or dirty or anything. How does a child learn how to go potty if he never associates the feeling before with feeling gross afterward? Still not sure how that works but suddenly Riley is paying attention and seems to realize when he has to go poop. He seems to know he has to tinkle but it is harder for him to relax and let it happen.

I'm chalking this up to Riley hearing me tell people that he will be 4 before we really work on potty training. Man this child is more competitive than me. He is out to prove mom and dad wrong.

Mom I'm listening and I will prove you wrong!  I can do it when ever I choose!

A Whole New Decade

We have slid into this new year and new decade pretty smoothly and quietly.  I love the idea of a new year and even more so a new decade.  I'm not sure why that appeals to me so much but the thought of a clean start to a fresh new year sounds exciting. 

When I look back on the last decade it has been a busy one for us.  Justin and I were still living in Montana at the start of 2000.  Its a hoot to think back to the panic of Y2K.  Shortly after the year started we moved back home (for me) to Spokane.  Its hard to believe we have been in Spokane for 10 years this March.  We have since started a family, bought our first home and have created so many family memories it doesn't seem possible. 

The last decade has had many bumps in the road but I've discovered that they bumps just make for a better adventure.  How borning would life be if everything went just so and there were never any surprises or things that made you work just a little bit harder.  We'd never appreciate all we had if we didn't have to work a bit for it. 

As I sit and think about where we might be at the end of this new decade it makes me a bit overwhelmed.  Rex will be 17 and approaching the end of highschool.  Riley will be 13...I don't want to think about puberty with two boys.  I think for now I'll just focus on this new year before us.  I want to focus my energy this year on my family and having as much fun as possible. As always I have some grand plans for the year but really they all come back that one place-  my family.   The details of going to the gym, getting strong, losing weight, getting organzing all feed the family fun time.  If I am healthy both mentally and physically then I will be busy having fun with the boys. 

2010 is here and I am excited to see all it will bring.   I hope that it will bring good health and great wealth to all of you and your families.